J.A. Matteson
2 Timothy 4:3-4
These words ought to startle every sincere follower of Jesus Christ. It is fashionable in our present day for many professors of Christ to reject the very idea of doctrine as incompatible with the gospel. In reality there is great irony in this assertion because the gospel is, in fact, doctrine. Doctrine is both a biblical word and concept, it simply means teaching. Beware of teachers who deride, ridicule, and diminish the need for doctrine in the church. When we peel away the layers of the thinking of these teachers often we discover a malignant deadly assumption, namely, that because Christians are under grace they no longer are obligated to observe the moral Law. The term for that teaching is "antinomianism", which is the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law. When the apostle speaks of adhering to sound doctrine he means that written in scripture (Old Testament--there was no New Testament at this time) and the teaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles (which would later become the New Testament). Why is this issue important? Because there are many professing Christians today who think that holding a head knowledge sort of belief in Christ is sufficient for salvation when they willfully live in a pattern of perpetual unrepentant sin. That is a dangerous assumption which presumes upon the grace of God. The apostle James clearly speaks to this errant teaching by sounding forth a warning, "Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). The "word" referenced is the gospel which is the entirety of the teaching of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Testament law, ceremonially and morally. The point of the gospel is that by grace God accepts sinners the way they are with their hurts, hangups, and dysfunctional habits. Further, by his grace he does not leave them helpless in sin, but places within them his Holy Spirit who establishes a new nature, one that hates sin, being enabled by the Spirit to increasingly say no to sin and yes to righteousness. The apostle Paul speaks to this marvelous transformation, "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). All professors of Christ are well served by noting the apostles words. Note that he states, "And that is what some of you were." Can you see that he is obliterating the false teaching of antinomianism which says live however you choose, and as long as you say "I believe in Jesus" you're on your way to heaven? That is a false gospel that will send people to hell. Jesus himself warned the crowds following him and yet were disobedient to him, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Now it must be stated that no true Christian can do this perfectly in this life. And yet one of the hallmarks of genuine faith is a life undergoing transformation where patterns of sin are replaced with patterns of righteousness. If that describes you rejoice because your name is written in heaven. If that does not describe you and the pattern and desire of your life is predominately sin, you may have a serious spiritual concern. It is spiritually healthy and biblical to periodically do some introspection to ensure that the faith we claim to have is in fact saving faith and not a counterfeit, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5).
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