The Importance of Sound Doctrine

Since yesterday, I have had people tell me publicly “Rachel, you are asking questions, I want to know the answers to myself.”

Yesterday, the Council of Bishops allowed Karen Oliveto a chance to preach a sermon. As many of you will remember Oliveto is the Bishop who interpreted Jesus testing the Canaanite woman’s faith as His conversion story and people sadly bought it. However, while that interpretation is a heresy, so is the fact that Oliveto is an out, loud and proud lesbian and sadly holding the office of Bishop. 

This does not negate that God’s holy word, calls all manner of sexual immorality a sin. The Bible consistently tells us that homosexual activity is a sin (Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9). Romans 1:26-27 teaches specifically that homosexuality is a result of denying and disobeying God. When people continue in sin and unbelief, God “gives them over” to even more wicked and depraved sin in order to show them the futility and hopelessness of life apart from God. 1 Corinthians 6:9 proclaims that homosexual “offenders” will not inherit the kingdom of God. Our (Methodist) Book of Discipline states that “Sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.” By the very definition of sexual relationships we see that Oliveto is not following even a simple statement.

One simply cannot continue in sin and serve God. Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else, he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. This brings me to my next point…if we have a Bishop within the Methodist church who serves two masters, is she capable of sound doctrine?

As Christians, sound doctrine is important. Paul charges Titus with “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1)—Sound doctrine at the time of Titus was the Old Testament scriptures. 

But why is sound doctrine so important?

• Sound doctrine is important because our faith is based on a specific message. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures [and] . . . he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is the unambiguous good news, and it is “of first importance.” Change that message, and the basis of faith shifts from Christ to something else. Our eternal destiny depends upon hearing “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:3; see also 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

• Sound doctrine is important because the gospel is a sacred trust, and we dare not tamper with God’s communication to the world.  Our duty is to deliver the message, not to change it. See Jude 1:3; Philippians 1:27. Also see Revelation 22:18-19 and 2 Timothy 1:13.

• Sound doctrine is important because what we believe affects what we do. In one of the Bible’s lists of sins, things like rebellion, murder, lying, and slave trading are mentioned. The list concludes with “whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-10). In other words, true teaching promotes righteousness; sin flourishes where “the sound doctrine” is opposed.

• Sound doctrine is important because we must ascertain truth in a world of falsehood. “Many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). There are tares among the wheat and wolves among the flock (Matthew 13:25; Acts 20:29). The best way to distinguish truth from falsehood is to know what the truth is.

• Sound doctrine is important because the end of sound doctrine is life. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). The end of unsound doctrine is destruction. “Certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4). Changing God’s message of grace is a “godless” thing to do, and the condemnation for such a deed is severe. Preaching another gospel (“which is really no gospel at all”) carries an anathema: “let him be eternally condemned!” (see Galatians 1:6-9).

• Sound doctrine is important because it encourages believers.  (Psalm 119:165; Isaiah52:7) A pastor “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).

“Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set” (Proverbs 22:28, NKJV). If we can apply this to sound doctrine, the lesson is that we must preserve it intact. May we never stray from “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Truth be told, we may not like it and we may not want to admit it, but a Bishop that is living out her sinful desires and remaining unrepentant isn’t someone we need to have serve us as a Church; we must CLING to sound doctrine and remain faithful to the Words of God.

Bullet Points from: The Moody Handbook of Theology by Paul Enns