Does it Matter?
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All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
This is a very needed teaching article as I am increasingly running into many false teachers who are telling people that doctrine does not matter as long as we all just believe in Jesus and the essentials. ( There are no non essentials taught in the Word and see that article at the end of this post.)
It is true that 'so called' churches in America are void of sound doctrine/truth as they just focus mostly on an easy believe seeker ways, emotional responses to a false jesus of their own making and a few biblical rules that are easy to keep. They have lowered the standard of God / holiness that He has ordained to allow more people to grab on the their false jesus. That may fill up buildings but it ANGERS a Holy God! This is also heresy and a lie worthy to be exposed as God's Word easily refutes it.
Here are the areas we most often see doctrine ignored causing much sin:
*a incomplete or corrupt gospel ( see the biblical gospel below )
*feminization ( woman leading, teaching, deceiving men like Eve did )
*unity to sinful denominational / false religious systems
*pagan holidays ( christmas / easter ect )
*worldly lives linked to the culture via sports /music / entertainment etc
*men and women in carnal/lascivious unbiblical dress, no head covering
*unbiblical associations to believing family friends (this is sinful)
*gathering in man made ritual false traditions (vs the biblical model)
Go to my teaching blog for biblical articles on all of the above topics:
https://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/
Also this 10 point biblical test for your faith/body:
http://www.dontperish.com/10-point-biblical-test.html
Moving on first, let us determine what "doctrine" is?
Jesus said teaching them to obey all He commanded / Matt 28:20
The word "commanded" in Greek is entello...
It means: to order, command to be done
about Jesus they said:
And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
Matt 22:33
The word here "doctrine" in Greek is didache....
It means: that which is taught doctrine, teaching, concerning something the act of teaching, instruction
By this we can see that a command is like a doctrine and doctrine is an instruction on how to carry out a command or doctrine. They all tie together and it is simple enough, amen?
We are commanded to Obey God and that is done via doctrine/instruction that God ordains, not mans rules.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were expected to OBEY all of the Torah commands. ( men were killed when they did not obey even one! )
Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
Deut 5:33
You will also see that Jesus, the early saints and Paul all taught to keep sound doctrine so read on!
We need to answer 2 important questions:
#1) Does obeying God ( as fruit/not works for salvation ) have anything to do with one's salvation or do we just get there by a 'mere head belief' in Jesus?
In the book of James it tells us that:
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well. The devils also believe — and tremble. James 2:19
John 3:16 says if we believe in Him but that word is more then belief He exists. It means to have an allegiance to Him, to follow Him and following means.... DOING His ways not our own! (Try not following mans laws but just believing them in your head, any righteous judge will toss you in jail.)
God demands obedience to His ways!! (instructions/doctrines)
Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him
So it is clear, it takes MORE then mere head belief to claim a true saving faith/salvation in Christ. Do you need more evidence?
Lets see what Jesus Himself says:
Jesus said we MUST worship God in spirit and truth. John 4:24
Christ also told the false men who created their own rules they worship God in vain teaching the doctrine of man. Mark 7:6-9
How do we know what truth is? Jesus said thy Word is truth.
John 17:17
Christ then told men If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; John 8:3
Jesus said why do you say you love me but you do not keep my commands? John 14:15
Lastly, in Matt 7 Jesus sends many away who.... did NOT keep His commands! ( lawless ones )
Jesus even said His doctrine was not His but His Fathers! John 7:16
Per Jesus own words, how can we NOT strive to cling hard to all doctrine as it is of the Father? By using ALL of God's Word we see a saving faith in Jesus is an active obedient faith that keeps ALL of His Word, commands and doctrines. To not do so is sin (transgression of the law) and that keeps us out of His kingdom as Jesus did not die to cover sins you will NOT leave/forsake/repent of.
Proverbs 28:13
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Question 2 really begs being answered by those who say today that doctrine is NOT important in following Jesus to salvation!
#2) How can you even follow Jesus in truth if you do not have, know or keep sound doctrine?
The truthful answer is they cant! Abandoning sound doctrine means your in sin thus you CAN'T follow Jesus at all!
Sadly their answer is often they follow him (their false jesus) with an emotional love /relationship response and a loose grip on His teachings that they decide upon on what to keep usually based on the denominational group thy are in, NOT the full Word of God as we are instructed to do.
( Imagine a lawyer going to court and saying; "well judge I do not know, keep or even agree with all of your laws/procedures." He would be laughed at then, tossed in jail for contempt and my God is far more righteous!!!! )
Note: I need to say here that many so called teachers of the Word will say to me that they nor I cannot know what the full truth is for sure, so we cannot judge or tell others they are in sin. If they really feel that way, they SHOULD NOT BE TEACHERS OF THE WORD at all as Titus 1 says a qualified teacher can teach with SOUND DOCTRINE.
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:9)
You can't do that if you are not even sure what sound doctrine even is, can you?
Jesus said the spirit comes to teach us "ALL truth" / John 16:13. So men, if you don't know or have the truth enough to stand hard on it, teach it, live it and hold others teachers to it, maybe you do not have the spirit of God at all? Just asking....
"Unless you ready to be tortured/die, knowing and teaching the Lord's truth you cling to, you are NOT ready to teach God's truth"
Jesus said we live by EVERY Word out of the mouth of God.
Matt 4:4 / Note: look up that Greek word every ... it means every, that all of it as it applies to the NT body we live in!!
So how does ANYONE who claims Jesus believe they do not need to keep all of God's doctrine given to the NT body? They are saying all of it is NOT important? It is rank lies and HERESY to claim this.
Fact:
The early body clung to doctrine. Need proof?
See Acts 2:42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
( do not tell the first century believers doctrine did not matter, often they were tortured & died for it! )
What about Apostle Paul....what does he say about doctrine?
Romans 6:17-18
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
1 Tim 4:16
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Paul said this as well in Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
The word doctrine here in the Greek is didache/didaskalia and it is the same type of word used of Jesus speaking about doctrine... it is our instruction to serve and Follow Him!
How much clearer can you get then that folks?
It is clear that doctrine mattered to Paul and not only are we to follow it, but we are to AVOID those who leave it. ( Jesus said the same thing in Matt 18 for those who keep to live in their sins ) That is another clear command we MUST obey or be in sin ourselves!
Please do not tell me I cannot make a righteous judgement about a false teacher, as I do not know what is in his heart. In the Old Testament, false teachers were stoned to death for what came out of their mouth ( false teaching/bad doctrine ) not what was in their hearts! ( I can discern his teachings from his own teachings online.) While we do not stone false men to death today, we do mark and expose them as false teachers to warn the precious sheep to stay clear.
If you are more concerned about false teachers feelings than the sheep Jesus died for, I fear you are NOT of God at all!
This is all a very serious life or death TRUTH business. Unless your up for and walking in and loving all truth, you best stand back as it is not a place you can dwell in until your studied / approved to do so. 2 Tim 2:15
I would also say to those who ignore sound doctrine and seek to compromise just to have a fake / unbiblical unity with others, on what biblical grounds are you doing so? Give me ANY bible verses that teach this???? ( they never have a answer for me at all.... because no such verse exist! )
When the dust settles on this topic, I have shown you in the Word it takes much more then mere belief but a obedient FOLLOWING the Word / Jesus in good doctrine to claim you have a saving faith and thus can endure till the end. I have shown you that the OT saints, Jesus, the early body and Paul all clung to sound doctrine in ALL of their ways as fruit they were of the Father.
So why don't you?
I do have one last question for you who down play doctrine:
When did this all change in scripture and why do you NOT have to cling to all doctrine today as an example/fruit of your saving faith in the Risen Christ? Again, I expect no answer here as most cling to weak doctrine to protect their flesh/sins, false denominations and people / teachers they love and that is plain old partiality and idolatry!
Can I leave you with a parable that illustrates a very important point about doctrine?
Imagine your boss/company owner puts you in charge of his HUGE company and says "if you honor/respect me, please look after my company well and use all the rules / instructions I have left with you. You see, I built my company on these very rules and I, the owner, want it kept just that way. For doing so, I will repay you handsomely upon my return. But if you do not do it correctly as instructed I will also repay you accordingly! "
You decide after he leaves to NOT follow ALL of His instructions fully but take short cuts. Oh yes you did some of them and the rest you did it your own way which changed the company in various ways. Did you have any grounds or authority to make such changes from the owner?
Another question: upon his return, do you think the owner will be pleased or angry with you and how will he pay/reward you?
What is really at stake here folks?
2 Thess 1:8-9
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power
Salvation itself.... please if you do not cling to sound doctrine today as best as you can; repent and OBEY God / the gospel or you will perish in your sin!
This article shows the "essential and non essential" argument is a lie!
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2016/09/in-essentials-unity-in-non-essentials.html
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God be praised
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