“As for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” [Titus 2:1]
HOW MUCH ARSENIC would you be comfortable knowing was in your food or drink? Just a little? Would that bother you? The fact is, many Christians tolerate trace amounts of contaminants in their belief systems, poisoning their perspectives on everything from family issues to finances to public policy.
This is why God’s Word so frequently exhorts us about holding fast to “sound doctrine.” The word “sound” in the original Greek is hugiaino, a term closely related to our English word hygiene. To be sound is to be healthy, to ingest only that which is wholesome and beneficial to our lives. Insisting on sound doctrine is akin to the practice of carefully reading nutrition labels, or shopping at health food stores, or choosing organic options that are free from harmful pesticides and preservatives.
How many people do you know who go to great lengths to ensure the safety and soundness of the foods they eat? And yet how many people do you know who are just as careful to guard their hearts and minds from belief systems that can weaken their whole outlook on life and the faithful performance of their duties in the home, the workplace, and even in their local church or ministry?
Outright false doctrine isn’t that hard to spot or avoid. Full bottles of poison neither tempt nor attract us. What we must be careful about is letting our spiritual intake become sprinkled with just enough error, dispensed by charismatic personalities with just enough emotional stories and funny jokes, causing us to end up believing things that slowly deaden our spiritual senses over time.
Become so familiar with God’s Word and keep it so close to your heart that you’ll be able to discern whether what you’re hearing is truly healthy, sound teaching.
What would you say to someone who said they don’t need doctrine, that they only need Jesus? How does doctrine that is not sound impact our relationship with Christ and the way we live out our faith?
[DeMoss, Nancy Leigh. The Quiet Place]
