“Teach what accords with sound doctrine..” Titus 2:1

Doctrine is not a popular term. For many it’s associated with coldness, boredom, division, arrogance, and even skepticism. Our tendency is to emphasize loving our neighbor and following Jesus instead of “doctrine.” Deeds not creeds. Who needs dry old doctrine anyway? Besides, doctrine just divides.... so the sayings go.

The truth is everyone has a doctrine or belief system, even non-christians. Atheists believe there is no God. Agnostics believe if there is a God then he hasn’t revealed himself. Muslims have the Quran. Catholics have the church. Postmodernists believe there is no objective truth (which, ironically, is an objective truth claim). Critical theorists (A.K.A. identity politics) believe all of reality is a power struggle between the oppressed and oppressors. These are all doctrines. The idea that doctrine is less important is, in fact, a doctrine in itself. Every human being has truth claims through which they explain and navigate the world. This is true whether they acknowledge it or not; it’s an inescapable reality of life.

So the right question isn’t, “Should we have more or less doctrine?” Instead, a better question to ask might be: what is the operative doctrine of our lives? What is true or sound doctrine?

Christian anti-doctrinism is usually a call to focus on loving others and following Jesus in place of doctrine. This tradeoff amounts to an emphasis on our action in place of God’s redemptive work: law-imperatives instead of gospel-indicatives. Or in other words, us climbing the ladder to heaven instead of God coming down in Christ. This is works based righteousness instead of imputed righteousness. That is why J. Gresham Machen went so far as to call it another religion, because it is. A disinterest in doctrine is effectively a disinterest in the Gospel.

We are not saved by our zeal for God; we are saved by His zeal for us. We do not climb up to God; He comes down to us in Christ. We are not saved by our following of Jesus, but through Him going to the cross alone. He is the promised messianic champion of old, not us. Even while our hearts are too often cold, forgetful, and neglecting of His Word and doctrine, He remains steadfast in His promise to never leave us nor forsake us, longing to hear our prayers at His throne of grace, and eager to shower us in all the blessings won by Christ. Sound doctrine is nothing less than sharing in the unsearchable riches of Christ. This isn’t dead orthodoxy, but a living and active Word powered by the Holy Spirit living in your inner being, so that you might comprehend what is the breadth, length, height, and depth of the surpassing worth of Christ our Lord.

I don’t mean to imply that love and service aren’t important, they are! But, they are not the Gospel. Doctrine itself is not cold, boring, or divisive. Sadly it’s often presented and received this way. But, that reflects a problem with us not the doctrine. And lastly, I’m not advocating for a purely more intellectual approach. The problem isn’t only that we need more theologically intense preaching or more Bible studies. Put simply, it’s that we need more Christ and less us. Sound doctrine in its simplest sense is knowing God in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Ironically, it’s from christocentric absorption of doctrine that your heart will be stirred to doxological praise and oriented towards others in true love and good works. It’s actually through rich doctrine that love and good works are birthed! It’s no wonder that Paul explains the purpose of his list of imperatives in Chapter 2 by saying... “so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10). In other words, good works make the foundational doctrines more beautiful. They are fruit. Sound doctrine is true, good, and adorning of beauty by stirring you to love of neighbor. Go sink your teeth into it.

~ Luke Yeager