Doctrine

The phrase “No creed but Christ” sounds humble but is actually dangerous. Jude 3 commands us to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints—a body of truth, not vague feelings. Creeds and confessions summarize doctrine and protect the church from error. Calvin warned that despising doctrine is despising Christ’s teaching. To reject creeds is not to honor Christ but to invite confusion.

False teachers distort God’s truth and cause doctrinal drift (2 Peter 2:1–3). They often cloak their lies with words that sound spiritual but deny the Master who bought us. John Owen warned that error is most dangerous when dressed in truth. The church must cling to sound doctrine to resist deception. Where truth is abandoned, holiness crumbles; but where doctrine is held fast, the church stands firm.

The serpent’s question in Genesis 3:1—“Did God really say?”—was the first assault on doctrine. By casting doubt on God’s Word, Satan deceived Eve and brought ruin. John Calvin noted that Satan’s method is always to “make us doubt the Word of God.” Sound doctrine is God’s answer to this ancient lie. To guard the church, we must stand firm on the authority, clarity, and sufficiency of Scripture.

Without doctrine, the church loses her anchor. Paul warns that many will reject sound teaching and chase after teachers who “tickle their ears” (2 Tim. 4:3). History shows that when truth is abandoned, error multiplies and holiness declines. Sound doctrine guards against chaos. To cherish doctrine is to cherish God Himself, for His truth alone gives clarity, stability, and unity to His people.

Worship flows from doctrine. Jesus said, “Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). To worship rightly, we must know who God is and what He requires. Psalm 29:2 calls us to “worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.” As Beeke reminds us, true worship springs from sound teaching about God’s character. Doctrine safeguards worship, ensuring it is pleasing to Him.

The church is called “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Her role is not to create truth but to uphold it. Like a pillar lifting a roof, the church lifts God’s Word before the world. When she abandons doctrine, she collapses; when she clings to truth, she shines as Christ’s witness. As Bavinck reminds us, the church is “the dwelling place of truth,” tasked with guarding and proclaiming it.

Doctrine sanctifies because it is truth from God’s Word. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Holiness comes not by human effort, but by God’s truth working in us. As Berkhof wrote, “Doctrine and life are inseparably connected.” A church that drifts from sound doctrine will drift from holiness, but one rooted in truth will be shaped into Christ’s image.

Doctrine is God’s safeguard for the gospel. Paul warned the Galatians not to accept “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6–9). The church must guard the message of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. As John Owen noted, error always seeks to corrupt the gospel at its root. Doctrine protects, ensuring the good news is proclaimed clearly, faithfully, and powerfully to each generation.

Doctrine is simply teaching — not speculation, not human opinion, but God’s truth revealed in His Word. Paul urges leaders to hold firmly to sound doctrine (Titus 1:9). R.C. Sproul reminds us, “Everyone’s a theologian” (Everyone’s a Theologian, p. 1). The only question is whether we are faithful to God’s teaching or swayed by man’s ideas. The church stands firm when she treasures doctrine.

Doctrine is God’s safeguard for the gospel. Paul warned the Galatians not to accept “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6–9). The church must guard the message of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. As John Owen noted, error always seeks to corrupt the gospel at its root. Doctrine protects, ensuring the good news is proclaimed clearly, faithfully, and powerfully to each generation.

The apostle Paul repeatedly reminds the church to hold fast to sound teaching. He urged Timothy, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me” (2 Tim. 1:13). Again, he warns that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:3).