Doctrine Isn't Practical?

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"All doctrine is practical, and all practice must be based on sound doctrine. Doctrine that is not practical is not healthy doctrine, and practice that is not doctrinal is not rightly based."

-- Charles Ryrie (in Balancing the Christian Life)

It seems that in a lot of churches today doctrine is a dirty word. I have often heard the misguided statement that doctrine isn't practical. People label doctrine as boring or irrelevant to their daily lives. The fact is that doctrine is vital to the Christian life. The above quote by Ryrie reinforces my view that doctrine is practical. Dr. Albert Mohler has written a great article along these same lines. You can find it here:
http://www.albertmohler.com/2004/07/02/why-doctrine-matters-2/ .

Why Couldn't Esau Repent?

What a terrible thing to want to repent and not be allowed to. Why would God withhold repentance from Esau who was obviously broken in spirit? Unfortunately for Esau, that seems to be what Hebrews 12:17 is saying. Here’s the verse in its immediate context: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Heb. 12:15-17 (KJV) You are probably familiar with the story from Genesis chapter 25. Esau, the firstborn, returns from an exhausting day in the field and is hungry. He asks for some of Jacob’s stew and Jacob offers to sell a bowl of stew to Esau in exchange for Esau’s birthrigh...

The Lord's Supper and Eating Unworthily

By far the most popular passage in Baptist churches concerning observing the Lord's Supper is 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. A particular focus has been placed on verses 27-31 quoted below from the King James Version that many of us grew up with. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (1 Cor. 11:27-31 KJV) photo courtesy of www.freeimages.com Pastors often point to these verses as a warning to would be participants in the ordinance that they should first examine themselves so that they don't partake unworthily ...

Justification

Job asked, " ...how can a person be justified before God? " Job 9:2 (HCSB) . Could there be any question of greater importance? I'm a champion at justifying myself by comparing myself to others. How many times have I said, "I'm not perfect but at least I don't act like so-and-so!" But God doesn't compare my righteousness with that of others, He compares it to His own. The Bible says that it is God to whom I must one day give an account. Hebrews 4:13 So the question is not "Am I more righteous than my neighbor?" but rather "How can I be righteous enough for God?" The Bible clearly says that I am a sinner and in need of righteousness. Rom. 3:23 Rom. 3:10 Furthermore, God is holy and has no fellowship with sinners. The Bible describes this holiness as being like light and sin being like darkness. Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no d...

Doctrinal Matters

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