What's the big deal about doctrine?

Someone asked,
"What's the big deal about doctrine?"

Well, since you asked...

Knowing what you believe and why you believe it is actually a VERY big deal.


There are 2 reasons why it is vital, not just to know what your church believes, but also to know what you personally believe and why you believe it.


1. As the saying goes, "If you don't know what you stand for, you'll fall for anything."
How are you going to know if your pastor is preaching truth or if he is in error? The only way is by knowing God's Word and what He says about it.

The apostle Paul praised the believers in a town called Berea because they didn't just sit back and take his word for it.

Paul said, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11)

Not only were the Bereans hungry to hear the Word preached, they also studied the Word to see "whether those things were so."

If you want to believe right, you've got to know what's right.

You may know what you believe, but what is your belief based upon? Is it based on what you've heard someone else say? Is it based on your own ideas and opinions? Or, do you believe what you believe because GOD said it?



2. Do we want to live a life that is pleasing to God? We have to know the Word before we can "do" the Word.

Without studying His Word and allowing the Holy spirit to teach us through it, how would we ever know just how God expects us to live?

2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

How can we rightly divide the word of truth is we don't know know what it says?

Upon what can we base our knowledge of God except how He has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His Word?

King David understood the importance of knowing God's Word in order to know how God wanted him to live. He said, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11)

James 1:22 gives us an important exhortation on this matter. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

We noted above that we must know the Word to guard against error. We also need to know the Word so we can live it out.


A few final thoughts...
God gave us His Word. It is His gift to us. How will we use that gift?

When applied correctly, sound doctrine produces growth and godliness.

Will we choose to believe what GOD says, in His Word, and live accordingly?