Mark II: We Are Steadfast in Doctrine

Mark II. Steadfast in Doctrine: We Cling to the Truth

Introduction:
Last week I introduced us to my current series on the 9 Marks of a Healthy church and, by review, I want to underline the fact all of this assumes fellowship, community and relationship- this is not the 9 marks of the healthy individual, but the 9 marks of the healthy church!
The first mark, you will remember, was Incarnational Preaching- preaching the whole counsel of God is the mark of a healthy church and it has benefits both for the pastor and for the members.

The second mark is really the bedfellow of the first: Steadfastness to Doctrine- or Biblical theology! Incarnational Preaching and Biblical Theology are conjoined twins. But, whereas Incarnational preaching is something that, for the most part, happens inside the walls of this church, Steadfastness to Doctrine has legs and it follows us around the rest of the week- shaping our thought life, affecting our conversations and directing the way that we behave. Everyone here is a theologian; everyone here has a system of belief about God. The question is whether or not it is biblical; whether or not it is true.

How can I defend truth in our pluralistic and “tolerant” society? Because I believe it is tolerant to agree to disagree about things that really matter. I mean, who would say it is intolerant to say that murder is wrong? In fact, it is true to say murder is wrong. So I respectfully disagree with anyone who says, “There is no truth.” This is contrived tolerance and it’s is dangerous.
So, I am not ashamed to say that there are wrong ways to believe in God- even people who believe that all roads lead to God believe there are wrong ways to believe in God. Because, to say that “all beliefs, even contradictory beliefs are equally true” is to say that those who disagree (who hold an exclusive view of God) are wrong. In the end, the tolerant view is just as prejudiced as all the other differing views.

Not only that, but to say that one who believes God is an impersonal force that flows throughout the cosmos is believing in the same God as someone who says that God is a transcendent (otherworldly) person believe in the same God and both are true, is really saying, “I don’t believe in spiritual truth and so why should anyone else.”

I think these people are peace makers (their intention is good)- but peace at any cost, even at the expense of truth is dangerous. It assumes that religious people from varying faiths can’t get along. But just because I disagree with someone about who God is, does not mean that I cannot live next to that person in harmony and have a deep and meaningful friendship with them- in fact, that’s exactly what I do. I know and have close personal ties with more unbelievers than I do with believers. So let’s not sacrifice our convictions and freedom of religion for the sake of feigned and artificial tolerance.

Look with me at Titus 1 (Read 1:1-16).

1. The acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness
For Paul knowledge or the acknowledgment of the truth was indispensable to the happy Christian life. I think the NIV does a better job with verse: it says “the knowledge that leads to godliness.” This captures the intention of Paul here saying that the truth leads us to godliness; that is, truth perfects the believer.

Indeed, the truth is no mere proposition or lifeless theory; Jesus himself claimed to be the embodiment of all truth and he later told Pilot that the truth sets people free. So the truth performs a powerful work in our lives of setting us free from the tyranny of lies, slavery to sin and spiritual death.

God doesn’t lie, and so anything that is not truth must be opposed to God. So why would we, who profess to love God who sets us free by the truth tolerate anything, indeed entertain anything, that is not true? Especially in our worship?

Certainly we live in a pluralistic nation and we encounter people who have all sorts of differing beliefs that range from innocent misconceptions all the way to the bizarre. I once talked with an otherwise intelligent man who said that if he decided the light pole was God, than so be it, that was God and he would worship it.

When I talk about not tolerating lies, I’m not saying that we should be at war with every error that we encounter. For one thing, we wouldn’t have any friends and our family members would get call display just so they could avoid our calls. We need to be winsome and joyful and with great humility (what do you have that has not been given as a gift?) stand firm in the truth without succumbing to the temptation to be combative and angry and mean with people who don’t believe as we do.

But at the same time, we have been entrusted with this sacred treasure, that if we were to devote a lifetime solely to mine its depths, we would not exhaust it of its rich mountain of truths it contains.

What I am saying is that with so much life giving truth to sustain us and to occupy our minds, why do we give it so little attention?

Another thing that the truth does is it preserves us- our endurance fortitude in the truth is what proves that our faith is real and that we are truly saved. On the other hand, those who wonder from the truth are described as having shipwrecked their faith. Peter describes men who twist scripture as “ignorant and unstable people [who] distort [God’s Word] …to their own destruction” (2 Per 3:16) and indeed to the destruction of those who follow them.

2. The Overseer’s Job
So Paul gives this instruction in v. 9 to the one whom he calls the “Bishop” (NKJV) or the “Overseer” (NIV). The Greek word is episcopos from the verb scopos- we use it in English words like microscope and telescope- it means “one who looks upon” the affairs of the church. And it is used interchangeably with pastor (2 Peter 2:25; 5:2; Acts 20:28). It is also synonymous with the term “elder” (presbyterous).

There are two types of Episcopos (Elder/Overseers) in the church: the lay pastor and the paid pastor. But their role is the same; specifically what Paul tells them to do in verse 9: “[hold] fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict”. And that is why steadfastness to the truth is one of the 9 Marks of the healthy church and why it is the primary responsibility or job description of the pastor to ensure biblical fidelity in the church. That is why Hebrews 13:17 says,
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

This is not a command to blindly follow some charismatic leader and check your brains at the door- there is a standard to check him by and if he is steadfast in that standard, than you are obliged to be obedient to it, for your own happiness’ sake.

Jesus commands his undershepherds to feed his sheep. It’s like feeding our children. The temptation is to give them sweets and junk food because then we don’t have to fight with them to eat their spinach and things that are nourishing. That’s what the truths of scripture are- they’re whole grain bread in a world bleached white bread. And the healthy church must shin nutrient deprived supersized deep fried candy coated philosophies of this world and learn to enjoy the nutrient rich originally grown bread of God- taste and see that the Word is good- its very good.

3. Benefits
Let me quickly list the benefits for a church that is steadfast in biblical truth and faithful to the Word

1. Corrects our understanding: everybody has wrong opinions and beliefs either because of tradition, sin, Satan or false teachers. Biblical theology is the one objective standard by which we can measure everything else believe!

2. It directs our methodology: because sometimes what we say we believe and what we do can be in disagreement but when we allow our convictions about the truth of scripture to shape the way we do church and the way we behave outside of the church, we have an anchor in a tempest of bizarre ideas and divine guidance.

3. It connects our worship and fills it with meaning taking cultural and contemporary expression and injecting them with timeless majesty and message. It reminds us who we are worshipping and removes the temptation to worship ourselves (entertainment).

4. It affects our application: if we know what pleases God we can live a life that pleases Him. Of our thought life is shaped by the teaching of scripture, we don’t need someone telling us what to do.

Conclusion:
Biblical theology tells us what God is like: He is loving, He is pure, He is faithful, He is sovereign and He is angry at evil and anything that is opposed to Him (sin)!
Biblical theology tells us what we are like- we are in rebellion against God, fallen from His purpose and divine image, spiritually dead.

Biblical theology tells us what Jesus did to remedy that problem by dying on the cross so that God’s justice and His mercy could both be accomplished without compromise. That’s the gospel, God makes a way for us to be saved.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life- the truth shall set you free- if the son has set you free, you are free indeed!

All these things shape the way that we read the rest of scripture and how we apply it and teach to others. And we must remain faithful and grounded to these essentials truths if the rest of scripture is going to have any meaning at all! This is what God wants from us more than anything else- it is more important than even our success. These truths give meaning to life- they give us peace in the midst of a cyclone; they give us hope when the earth shakes and rips our cities apart; they anchor us when a sea of life’s troubles threaten to sweep us away. This Word never changes, nor is it ever moved! That is why we must cling to the truth and be steadfast in biblical doctrine.