There are often two sides to a problem. And it is easy to avoid
one danger, only to fall into the other. C. S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters,
explains one of Satan’s strategies as getting people to run as fast as possible
from the error they are least likely to commit. The church at Ephesus had their
act together externally, but they were just going through the motions and
lacked real love for God and others (Revelation 2:1-7). The church at Thyatira
(Revelation 2:18-29) was strong in love and service and good deeds. But they
were tolerating false teaching and its attendant moral corruption. They had
fallen hard into the opposite error.
There are many today who would advocate that we ignore questions
of doctrine and just love one another. And in defense of this, they point out
people who are rigid and self-righteous and fight over every detail of
doctrine. And they run as fast possible from the error they are least likely to
commit. But why should we worry about this doctrine stuff, anyway?
First of all, God said to (Jude 3; Romans 16:17-20;
Colossians 2:8). Now it must be noted here that the things we are admonished to
contend for are the basic things, the nature of God and Christ and the nature
of the gospel (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 1 John 4:1-6; Galatians 1:8,9). I am
convinced that to divide over minor things is to fall into the error of the Corinthians,
who were dividing over details (1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:18-23; 11:18,19). But being
fully equipped to live as a Christian involves an understanding of God’s
teaching (2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2:15; Acts 20:27). It is one thing to admit we may
not have all the details correct; it is another to not even try.
Also, what you believe makes a difference in how you live. Would
you hire an electrician who was honest and hard working but knew nothing about
electricity? If we do not understand who God is, what His plan is, and how the
world really works, with the best intentions in the world we will make serious
errors. If you approach the world with the idea people are basically good, you
will act differently than if you think they are sinners (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah
17:9; Isaiah 64:6). This can even result in blatant moral errors. The Nicolaitans (Revelation
2:14,15)were probably one of the Gnostic sects. These held that the physical
world was evil and therefore anything you did with your body (sexual
immorality, eating things sacrificed to idols) was all right.
But on the most basic level, if you eliminate doctrine, you
eliminate grace. The fundamental Christian message is that God became a man
(John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:9-18) to save us from our sins (1
Peter 2:24,25; Colossians 2:13,14; 2 Corinthians 5:21). And we can be saved by
Him through putting our faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:4,5;
Philippians 3:9). This is doctrine. And it is what Christianity is about.
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