The Practical Importance of Theology: Why Biblical Doctrine Isn’t Just for Old White Men
Tags: Bible Study, Christian Testimony, Theology, Christianity, Christian Living

The Practical Importance of Theology: Why Biblical Doctrine Isn’t Just for Old White Men Drew Jun 3, 2020·15 min read

“What is truth?”

That’s the question a Roman governor asked a Jewish man 2,000 years ago. And it’s the question I asked myself while sitting alone in a church pew.

Like the Roman governor, I too stared truth in the face; but at that point, I didn’t recognize it.

I was 20 years old then — 14 years a believer. I grew up in church, I went to Christian schools, and I could recite the books of the Bible in order. But even then, I didn’t get it.

Christianity was a cultural thing to me. It was as normal as my dad, the worship leader, playing Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, and the Winans siblings in the car. (Yes, I’m black.)

Sure, my faith was genuine, but in a way, it almost felt…too easy. I was born into it. I didn’t discover it.

Other people were so happy to talk about Jesus and the things God did for them, but I could never relate. I knew the Bible better as a kid than many adult believers, and yet still, I was jealous of them.

I longed for what they had. I wanted the peace, joy, and gratefulness that oozed from everyone else.

So you know what I did? I asked.

I already knew facts but I didn’t understand them. So I asked God to help, and that’s when things changed.

No, an angel didn’t visit me or anything, but there was a difference within.

I had this newfound desire to read the Bible, and I couldn’t explain why. There was a hunger for its words-a craving of sorts. I didn’t just want the Bible; I needed it.

I used to nod off all the time in church, but then, sermons became a highlight. Not just because I wanted to hear the Word, but because that was my chance to compare.

The kid who barely kept his eyes open before now observed preachers with a sharp-eyed gaze. I compared their words to what I learned on my own. I noted when speakers misinterpreted or only gave opinions, then I read more later to confirm I was right.

That’s when I started to get it. I understood the words I could only recite before. I finally wrapped my head around the Bible, but more importantly, I saw its words come alive.

Every day I had a “there’s-a-verse-on-that” moment. And for the first time in my life, I saw the faith for what it always was:

Truth.

Responding to Truth

So why was my discovery important?

It was important because truth is always present-regardless of what you believe.

Truth doesn’t care how you feel about it, truth doesn’t care what the majority thinks, and truth doesn’t care about fads and trends…

Truth is just the way things are.

Take the law of gravity for example. Gravity doesn’t care if you hate it. There’s nothing you can do to change it, and it treats you and your friend the same way.

Gravity pulls everyone down at a constant rate all the time. And since you know gravity exists, you respond in the appropriate manner.

You believe gravity is real so you avoid the edge of a cliff. And this action keeps you safe.

But what if you didn’t believe in gravity? Well, things would be different.

If you didn’t believe in gravity, your behavior would also change. Instead of avoiding the cliff, you’d run to it. You’d act reckless and maybe jump off to fly.

But guess what?

Gravity would still exist. And you’d have the bruises to prove it.

The effects of belief

In both cases here, you responded to truth with belief, your belief led to an action, and that action had a consequence. But notice how the truth in each case, gravity, never changed.

The first difference occurred at belief. Everything else just followed behind.

The Importance of Doctrine

What comes to mind when you hear the word “doctrine”?

Is it a picture of old men studying fables in a monastery? Is it dry and heartless tradition that’s long since been irrelevant?

Those ideas are what most people envision when they hear that word. But contrary to what stereotypes suggest, doctrine isn’t about tradition, old age, or boredom…

A doctrine is simply a belief.

The word basically means “teaching” or “instruction”, and it usually has a lifestyle application.

Sound familiar?

Your belief about gravity is essentially a doctrine. That belief can be true or false, but only a true one promotes good in the end.

This is why theology is so important. The Bible doesn’t present itself as a mere collection of stories , rituals, and tips for a better life. It presents itself as unchanging, eternal truth.

The apostle Paul wrote that “all scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16 ESV), and the author of Hebrews wrote “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18; cf. Num. 23:19, Titus 1:2). So clearly the Bible claims its words are true (Ps. 119:160, John 17:17).

Determining the accuracy of that claim is beyond the scope of this article, but for my purposes here, we’ll assume the claim is true. And if the Bible is truth like gravity, we need to align our belief, or doctrine, with its message.

Correct beliefs about reality lead to good results in the end. That’s why Paul told Timothy to “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16).

If we accept sound doctrine and guard our minds, we’ll “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Eph. 4:14 ESV)

Many modern churches, however, completely ignore Paul’s command. They shun biblical doctrine because they think it’s divisive; but the Bible tells us that not teaching sound doctrine is what really divides.

Ephesians 4:13 says that “unity of the faith” is our goal, but how can we unite if we believe different things?

Paul warned believers “to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. (Rom. 16:17–18 ESV).

The only way to avoid this confusion is to know and speak the truth. That’s why we’re told to “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering” (2 Tim. 4:2). But our refusal to do this has let the Bible’s prediction come true:

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:3–4 NIV)

And we’re seeing the effects of this time right now.

Consequences of Belief

For a world so obsessed with reason and logic, you’d think we’d have a better understanding of truth.

Our world says that you have a truth and I have a truth, but really, we’ll never know which is right. Besides, my truth may not be nice or welcoming, and if that’s the case, we should reject it.

But just like the person who ignores gravity, we forget that truth judges us in the end, not the other way around.

We’ve essentially said that gravity doesn’t exist and that two plus two equals five. We’ve raised belief to the status of truth and ignored the consequence. But guess what? Truth doesn’t care about your belief.

Truth says you’ll fall because of gravity and you’ll fail math by giving wrong answers.

Your beliefs always have a consequence. And in the case of biblical truth, the consequence is too great to ignore.

For example, a person who believes in reincarnation will act differently than a believer of the Bible. Reincarnation says you’ll come back to life in some form after death, but the Bible says “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Heb. 9:27 NIV).

The man who believes in reincarnation is more likely to form a care-free attitude. He won’t value morals, purpose, or life in general as much because he thinks the cycle continues without judgment.

In contrast, a person with a biblical worldview will value morals, purpose, and human life much more. His belief in the finality of death will make him cherish every moment of life. And his belief in judgment afterwards will prevent immoral actions.

From society’s standpoint, neither lifestyle is particularly bad. The reincarnation believer may have looser morals, but even still, both should coexist.

The problem occurs, however, when it’s time for truth to judge.

If we still assume the Bible’s message is true, then the consequence of false belief is devastating. The man who believed the Bible had a correct belief (Matt. 7:24–25). But the believer in reincarnation faces serious trouble (Matt. 7:26–27).

The second man didn’t live in preparation for death and judgment. So when he does pass away, he’ll face a negative eternal consequence. And eternity is a long time to be wrong.

A comparison of beliefs

It might seem hurtful or insensitive to denounce his belief, but when you view his life in light of eternity and the truth, correcting him is the most loving thing you can do (James 5:19–20).

This is why pastors and teachers are so important.

Good pastors and teachers don’t simply condemn an action because it leads to a bad life. They condemn that action because it’s “contrary to sound doctrine” (see 1 Tim. 1:9–10). In other words, they condemn it because it stems from a false belief.

The apostle John alluded to this point when he wrote, “If we say that we have fellowship with [God], and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6, emphasis added)

Morality is not a social construct we define by feelings or pragmatism; morality is a constant that’s defined by truth.

If rape, murder, and fornication aligned with truth, they would all be moral actions. But since they don’t, and never will, those actions should be condemned.

The only reason feelings can guide us to moral action is because “God’s law is written in [our] hearts” (Rom. 2:15 NLT). God designed us with an innate sense of morality, but for reasons I’ll explain later, these feelings can’t always be trusted.

Let’s Review

To sum up everything so far, we have four areas of concern:

Truth Belief Actions Consequences

Truth is a constant that’s always present-regardless of what you believe.

The law of gravity is an example of truth. And the Bible claims to be truth too.

Belief is your response to truth. Your belief is correct if it aligns with truth and false if it contradicts it. For example, you can believe in gravity or deny it, but gravity will still exist either way.

The word “doctrine” refers to teaching or instruction, and it’s the biblical equivalent of a belief.

Actions follow belief. Good actions stem from true beliefs, and bad actions stem from false ones.

People who wisely avoid the edge of a cliff prove their belief in gravity. Likewise, those who display godly character prove their belief in biblical truth (see James 2:17).

Consequences result when truth judges action-an event that may or may not occur immediately. Good actions lead to good consequences while bad actions lead to bad ones.

Injury is the consequence of acting reckless near a cliff’s edge. Spiritual weakness, increased immorality, and divine punishment are consequences of ungodly behavior ( Rom. 2:8–9, 1 Cor. 6:9–10 ESV).