Why is sound doctrine so important?

To use the law is for the believer a denial of grace. He continues: "And if any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." Here we see the contrast between law and gospel. The law is for condemnation, but the gospel proclaims the glory of the blessed God; and this gospel, committed to the apostle, unfolding God's counsels of glory for us in Christ, tolerates no evil. Sound doctrine is therefore not only a correct belief in the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, what is accomplished in that gospel to the glory of God, and the glory it puts on our side; but sound doctrine means also practical godliness. (See 1 Tim. 6:3, "The doctrine which is according to godliness.") A holy life is produced by sound doctrine, and sound doctrine must lead to a holy life. Unsound doctrines, profane and vain babblings, all the unscriptural teachings, the destructive criticism, and the cults "will increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Tim. 2:17) and eat like a canker.

It is quite common today to hear people state that it does not really matter what we believe: all that matters is the living of a good and decent life. This assertion simply means that doctrine is really of no consequence; whereas it is of all importance. The man of the world in his business affairs knows this right enough. If in his business he gets wrong advice, and so believes the state of the market to be what it is not, his affairs will soon go awry. If a saint accepts false teaching, his life will soon manifest its evil effects.

So this warning is very important today, since false doctrine is abroad and knocking at our doors, so to speak, more than ever. To be sound in the faith of Christ is of first importance. Let us not deceive ourselves as to this.

Paul wrote to Timothy, "You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life ..." (2 Tim.3: 10 NKJV). Notice, he spoke first of doctrine, then of manner of life. Our life can be right only if the teaching we accept is right. Like Timothy, we must discern the true teaching of the Word, for it will have effect on every aspect of our lives.

Indeed, the habit of regarding doctrine as something essentially distinct from what is practical is one which, though not unusual amongst Christians, is of injurious tendency. For doctrine is ever the basis and the warrant of practice. It is by studying the revelation of the Spirit of God that faith acquires its needed strength and clearness for obedience to that will of God which it is the object of pure doctrine to disclose, and the joy and blessing of the child of God to do (John 13:17; 15:10; 1 John 5:3-4).

False doctrine invariably affects the spiritual life and communion of those who imbibe it. The worship of God is affected. How can I rightly worship God in spirit and in truth, if I hold a doctrine which is false? Evil teaching poisons the mind and heart of the one who believes it. In prayer and worship, the introduction of the elements of the world destroys the sense of dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Prayer is no longer a power with God; it loses its intimacy and fervency, and becomes formal and idle.

Many dangers beset the path of the "babe" or simple Christian, but of them all the worst is that connected with false or anti-Christian teaching. A moment's reflection will show why this is so. Such teaching has nearly always an inoffensive appearance, it is merely a question of imbibing certain ideas, there is nothing about it repulsive or immoral, yet its effect is to subvert the soul and place it practically under the domination of Satan, the god of this world.

Let us all be very careful to use the law lawfully. It is a most potent instrument of conviction for sinners. It deals unsparingly with the terrible list of sins given in verses 9 and 10, but besides all these there were other things which the law did not specifically mention but which were contrary to all sound teaching, and the Apostle alludes to these at the close of verse 10. Only notice that he does not say, "contrary to sound doctrine according to the holy standard established by the law" but, "according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God," for the gospel sets before us a standard of conduct more lofty than the law.

The X-ray is not used in the case of those who are perfectly healthy, but to discern what may be wrong in the body. So, the law is not made for a righteous man, but rather to expose the many moral ailments that afflict mankind - lawlessness, disobedience, ungodliness, and all these dreadful evils that follow here, of which there is no need to speak in particular, but including everything that is contrary to sound doctrine.

The apostle adds here, "According to the glad tidings of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted" (J. N. Darby Trans.). The gospel then is no less exclusive of evil than is the law; but the gospel of the glory of the blessed God is the great remedy which brings health and soundness to the sick. And in this God's glory is revealed as it could not be in the law, which indeed declared God's righteous judgment, but could not reveal the love and grace of His heart. Paul too feels deeply the honor of being entrusted with this message of transcendent blessedness, to be dispensed in love for the sake of all mankind.

HENCE IN THE opening verses of chapter 2 the Apostle turns the thoughts of Titus away from the bishops to those whom we may call the rank and file of the church. There were more bishops than one in each of these early assemblies yet not all elder men were bishops. Consequently there were found aged men who could be addressed as a class by themselves, as also aged women, young women and young men. Instructions suitable to their varying conditions are given as to each class. It is striking how the words "sound" and "sober" occur in these verses. Each is found three times, though the words in the original may not be in each case precisely the same. It is worthy of note however that the word, occurring again and again, translated "sound" is one from which we get the word "hygienic" which is so often upon people's lips today. It means healthful. Sound doctrine is in very deed doctrine which makes for spiritual health.

Too often the truth of God has been taken up in a purely theoretical way when it becomes just a matter of argument, a kind of intellectual battleground. When however we come face to face with it in practical fashion we at once become aware of discrepancies between it and ourselves and our ways, and serious questions are raised. Now comes the temptation to somewhat alter or pare down the doctrine so that we may leave our ways untouched and the discrepancy largely if not entirely disappears. May God give us all grace to reverse that procedure and rather alter our ways that they may be in conformity with the doctrine. Thus we shall be rightly taking heed to ourselves and to the doctrine as well, and continuing in the truth we shall be saved. The salvation here is from the dangers of which we are expressly warned by the Spirit in the earlier part of the chapter, whether doctrines of demons or profane fables.