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“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the LORD. A mos 8:11
Doctrine is the framework that guards the truth, protects true worship, and fuels God’s great commission. It is not a dry intellectualism, but an essential element of revival throughout the church’s history. Every revival, every reformation has revolved around the doctrine of the Word of God.
Foundational truths like who Jesus is? What is the Trinity? What is salvation by grace through faith? Etc. were the topics that the church had to wrestle with as cults, heresies, and false teachers grew rapidly. A doctrinal response to these false teachings led to the formulation of creeds like the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed (325 AD), and Chalcedonian Creed (451 AD). The church stood firm on sound doctrine to preserve and proclaim the core message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul warned Timothy, ‘Take heed to yourself and the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.’ 1 Tim 4:16
Heresies did not come from outside the church; they came from within, by twisting the truth to their convenience and comfort. The truth underwent compromise, and cults emerged. The protestant reformation was driven by doctrinal convictions that challenged the corruption and work-based system of the medieval church. Doctrine brought the gospel back to the centre of the church ministry.
Centuries later, we are once again facing a grave danger. There is no true word of God in our church services. Paul writes, ‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.’ 2 Tim 4:3
We need a revival of God’s Word once again in our pulpits. We need to get back to the preaching God’s Word as it is, not as people want to hear, nor as the preacher would like to interpret. Let’s listen to God’s Word and preach what He intended when that Scripture was written.