What is Sound Doctrine?

In order for us to detect error, we must know sound doctrine which comes from the only source of truth - God's Word. #WomenLIvingWell #onlineBiblestudy #doctrine #ChristianLiving

There are two types of pressure the church faces today.  Pressure from the outside (which my previous posts addressed) and pressures from within the church.

Outside the church, we must practice speaking the truth in love despite the consequences.   It is because we love people, that we hold out the truth to them.

Inside the church, we must also practice speaking the truth in love despite the consequences.  But since everyone thinks they have truth –the consequence is – fractions, divisions, arguments and a stain on the church.

So what do we do?  Do we just all agree to disagree?

This seems to be the resounding message I am experiencing in the evangelical blogging world.

Should we all unite around the gospel?  (I will address this topic next Monday)

The question I want to answer today is —-can truth be known?

Some have claimed that for centuries theologians have disagreed on certain doctrines in scripture, therefore, no one really knows for sure whose interpretation is correct.

I disagree with this.  That is philosophical reasoning friends and NOT Biblical.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”

So is scripture sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness or is it uncertain?

The Apostle Paul surely thought it was possible to know. He not only wrote over 10 of the New Testament books of the Bible  –filled with doctrine– but he also exhorted believers to know doctrine, not waver on it and to expel those who did not put up with sound doctrine!  This is a tall order friends.

But before we hop right into the New Testament verses stating this. Let’s look at what Jesus said about this.  Immediately following Jesus’ resurrection He said to his disciples:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

This is the Great Commission. Within the Great Commission, Jesus commands us to teach others to obey everything Jesus commanded.  This means his words are both understandable and meant to be obeyed.

What is sound doctrine?

Truth.

It’s that simple and that complex!  Sound doctrine is scriptural teaching on theological truths.

Truth – sound doctrine – matters. Those who do not know the truth about salvation cannot be saved. Those who do not know the truth about holiness cannot break free from sin. God’s word gives us instruction not only for salvation but marriage, parenting, use of finances, serving, order in the church, order in the home, purity and much more.

I Timothy 6:3-5 says:

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

Galatians 1:8 says:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!

Colossians 2:8 says:

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

2 Timothy 2:15 says:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

I recently heard a well known speaker tell a room full of believers, they do not need to defend God’s word. It can defend itself.  Basically, she was saying, Christians need to calm down and not be so uptight about “truth”. But I read in 2 Timothy, we are to guard sound teaching.

2 Timothy 1:13,14

13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Titus 1:9 says of an elder:

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

2 Timothy 4:2-5 says says:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

I Timothy 4:16 says:

16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

These next verses are interesting…we will talk a little more about this next week. But please look at the context of how Paul looks at sound doctrine in I Timothy.

I Timothy 1:3-11

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

We see 3 things in I Timothy 1:

1.) Paul told Timothy to “command certain people to not teach false doctrines any longer” (v 3).  

Timothy was to speak up!  Guard and defend the truth.

2.)  He told Timothy, “the goal of this command is love” (v5).  

Why should he speak up? Out of love.  Good doctrine leads to a life of love.

3.)  Then we have a list of “ungodly and sinful and unholy and irreligious” deeds (v 9) and after this list of deeds they are said to be “contrary to sound doctrine” (v 10) that conforms to the gospel (v 11).

So we see that doctrine is more than simply the gospel but it also pertains to life, ethics and morality.  Evil deeds and behaviors find root in a lack of sound doctrine and become gospel issues.

Titus 1:1 says that truth leads to godliness.  If we do not know God’s word and his truth, we cannot refute false doctrine and we cannot grow in godliness.  Sound doctrine is about more than just the gospel.  And so next Monday, we’ll talk about the idea of “agreeing to disagree” and the question “should we just unite around the gospel”?

But until then – I have one more set of verses to share.  (Seriously friends – it was very hard to not make this post incredibly long because the Bible has so much to say on this topic!)

Truth matters.

Romans 16:17-19:

17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisionsand put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

If we are going to know truth and be able to refute error – we must be in the word daily. We must read it and know it and not be afraid to defend it.

neglect of the bible J C Ryle

Chime In:

Are you able to detect error when you hear or see it?  When you do detect it, do you respond Biblically as we see in the passages above or do you shove it under the rug and chalk it up to just different interpretations of the Bible?  Remember that sometimes God uses these situations to draw us deeper into his word so we will grow in godliness.  

Walk with the King,

Courtney

The other posts in this series:
Speaking the Truth In Love
The Authority of Scripture and 5 Ways to Defend Truth
The Ultimate Cultural Sin –Intolerance
How to Respond to the Labels – Intolerant, Judgmental, and Hater
What is Sound Doctrine?
Should Christians Simply Unite Around the Gospel?
Can a Woman Be an Elder or Pastor?
Should a Wife Submit To Her Husband?
Can Good Works Save You?
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

43 Comments

  1. Thank you for this! As a person who is new to really getting into bible doctrine, this was very helpful. So confusing as to which of the popular Christian speakers are preaching sound doctrine and who isn’t. It’s especially hard with different denominations as well. I’m interested in learning more!

  2. Thank you for speaking out on this even though it is not comfortable for everyone to hear. Wise to use the Bible to show the truth of the Bible when so many want to pick and choose fragments. Thank you for encouraging people to study and understand the Word.

  3. Yet again another awesome post! So timely, so needed. We attend a Bible church and I’m a stay at home mom and listen to preaching on the radio all day. I’ve come to be able to discern the truth from false teaching-just bc they are a popular preacher on Christian radio doesn’t mean they’re biblically sound (and sometimes it’s pretty subtle). You have to test everything against scripture as the Bereans, I’ve also come to the point of having to research certain popular preachers associations-that will also tell you a lot.

  4. Courtney,

    Thank you for being bold enough to tackle these topics. I’ve been reading this series, and enjoying it. Though I’m not sure enjoy is the correct word, maybe…growing? Feeling a prick or three? I’ve re-read a few, several times, and I plan to go through my bible and highlight a few (all!) of these verses today.

    I’ve struggled lately, over how bold to be in this society. How ‘truthful’ to live. I think that by hiding my head, I’ve been as Peter, and denying Christ’s gospel.

    When I’m confronted with error in the gospel, I have done a wide range of things. Passed it over, corrected it, and a few in-between. It’s a very tough subject, and I’m never certain if I do it well.

    Thanks again, !!

    Peggy

  5. Amen and amen! The Bible does have so much to say about this, that it is hard to understand why it is even an issue (but it certainly is an issue!) I have been saying for years that it is biblical illiteracy that has led to so much of what’s going on in today’s church. Thank you for a great post!

  6. God’s timing is always perfect is what I thought as I read this!! I have a friend who has been introduced to some very unsound doctrine. And I am trying to figure out how to bring her back around to what the Bible really does say without offending her or creating a rift between us. She did attend Good Friday services and I think she is going to start coming to our women’s Bible Study. Thank for these words and encouragement!

  7. Courtney,
    I have so enjoyed your recent posts on this subject. I have been struggling over this issue for a long time. I have been so reluctant to speak up when I hear error for fear of alienating people I love. Your posts have been a great encouragement to me.

  8. This is wonderful and Biblical advice, Courtney! And very appropriate to my Bible study this morning, as I have been reading in Zechariah about false shepherds. I must admit I continue to struggle with what is “sound doctrine” and I pray continually for God to guide and enlighten me. There are so many things in church doctrine today that are not supported by a straightforward reading of the Bible or by the understanding of Holy Scripture that the early Christians (including Paul) would have had. I pray that our Heavenly Father will continue to shed His light on these issues and give us faith to follow His leading. Thank you for the timely encouragement.

  9. I have recently become more confident in staying firm in the truth instead following every “popular” teacher on the Bible. I think it’s so easy to assume that just because a teacher is very well received by the public he/she is correct in everything they teach. You are right – we need to have our own quiet times in our Bibles and study God’s Word so we know the truth confidently. Thank you for reaffirming this knowledge. 🙂
    Cooking Up Faith
    http://www.cookingupfaith.org

  10. What is sound doctrine anything that lines up with the Word of God.
    If it doesn’t line up with Gods Word it’s error,
    For me I feel it’s not needing to defend God’s Word as His Word, but to defend the doctrines of God’s Word.
    Our faith must rest assuredly on Gods Word.
    We mustn’t deviate away from or make scripture fall in line to suit our sin
    I.e fornication
    Adultery
    Pornography
    Homosexuality
    Drunkenness

    Have reproved certain folk of all of the above mentioned before- very difficult task too! When its those not taking their bible beliefs seriously. They wilfully do not listen and don’t want to change, it’s only through God opening the eyes of the blind they will see – Pray for them! You see people don’t want the God of the Bible they want a god of there own making.
    True doctrine can only be for a true believer, or someone quickened in their spirit and becomes a true believer after. After conviction of sin, and true Godly repentance turning away from sin, We should see a change in the believers life, I believe this is evidence of a true believer- following on from this we should produce fruits of righteousness. The fruit of a genuine believer- the sermon on the mount! Bringing forth fruit and keeping in line with Jesus’ teachings!
    It is not a blind faith, which I’ve heard spoken in churches.
    But a living real tangible faith to whosoever will may come.
    It’s as simple as that there’s the whosoever wills ( take it seriously) and the whosoever wont’s.

    1. Then there’s false gospels- preaching of another gospel:
      I can only think of these two off hand, but I’m sure there’s more.
      And so, so subtil ( that’s how the devil works)
      .Jehovah’s Witness
      .”Jesus only movement” – United Pentecostals – who deny the Trinity – God being a Triune God – much more subtil than the Jehovah’s witness, and is a works based salvation -goodness will get you to heaven.
      Believing that baptism in the name of “Jesus only” not Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the only correct formula in which to save you.
      We are saved by Grace thru faith in Jesus Christ alone. Faith + NOTHING = Salvation ! The bible tells us there are none righteous no not one, our righteousness is as filthy bloody rags!
      We must be aware of these cults, especially for new christians- the devil wants to deceive even the elect if it were possible.( Matt 24:24 ) this is why we really must be on our guard and know our bibles and test the spirits. And not just take what a man says as truth, but really see if it matches up with scripture, because the bible tells us that their will be many who lie in wait, wanting to deceive us. Ephesians 4:14
      The bible tells us not to add anything to the word of God, or to take anything away, or shall be added unto us the plagues that are in this book. Rev 22:18

      1. Faith+NOTHING= Salvation?? It sounds like you’re saying that once you receive salvation you can go about doing and saying what you want. That’s not the case. Once you receive salvation your words and actions will reflect that. Are you studying scripture, are you giving to the poor, are you helping to care for the orphan and widow, are you visiting the sick and those in prison?? I am not saying that we do these things to become saved or keep our salvation however these are things that we are commanded to do and they go over looked way too often. We can’t just hope that people will recognize the difference in our lives by doing nothing.

        1. I absolutely agree with you – the scripture Romans 6 vs 1-2 sums this up perfectly – “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid”. However, the good works you speak of are “fruits of righteousness”, not the salvation itself. Our salvation comes from FAITH in Christ alone (with total repentance) – NOTHING else. The fruit comes after salvation, giving glory to God; but not forgetting that any good deeds a person did before they were saved are just dead works.

          1. I’ve just realized that I should really have clarified my point a bit more. Good works and fruits of righteousness are separate, but yet interrelated. We can say that good works are the kind/positive actions we do; but fruits, as Galatians 5 vs 22-23 says, are love, joy, peace, etc. So in other words, on a day to day basis, Christians must do good to others; but do it in conjunction with the fruits – love, …

  11. Laine was a favorite mentor of mine years ago. She would wake up at 4:00 a.m. every day and study God’s Word for more than an hour every morning. It radically changed her life…her marriage, her relationship to her children and others, her homemaking, everything. I wrote out her testimony word for word in this post ~ http://lorialexander.blogspot.com/2014/04/laines-powerful-testimony.html

    It is worth reading. She was an inspiration to me and motivated me to spend time with the Lord first thing every morning.

  12. I grew up catholic, where catholicism is the main focus rather then the bible. There is no focus on sound doctrine, just obeying the church doctrine. The lord used my husband to help pull me away from that, and lead me to scripture. Still being a baby Christian I have a hard time being able to tell what is sound doctrine and what is not. I have tried a few churches, and never felt like it was quite right. Having been lied to for so many years about gospel truths it worries me to get into a church where these truths are not being preached. I don’t want a church that just tries to make everyone feel ok. I want one that preaches our gospel, even when it is hard to hear. But I also don’t want one that is so focused on the gospel in some of the bible that they ignore what I see as the real focus. And that is the teachings of Jesus, and loving as he loved us. I think we often get love confused with acceptance. You can show the love of Jesus without accepting someone’s sin. If we really love someone we want them to be free from the lies. I think being truthful about scripture is the best aY to do this, even when it may hurt someone. At the moment I am without a church home for this reason. There are so many divisions on what seem to me as less important issues, and the stricter churches seem so hard to focus on the truths that they do it with more judgment then love. That’s the difference. I love how you teach this because it does not feel judgmental, just honest. And that is where I see a lot of error in the churches. We tell the truth, and let God do the work in their hearts.

    1. I’m so sorry you had that experience growing up! I actually did the opposite of you. I grew up Catholic, fell away, and now am in the process and going back. I’ve researched the history of Christianity and honestly have found that the Catholic Church(though not perfect) is where I need to be. If you study the history it makes a lot of sense and I came to the realization that Jesus didn’t just say, here’s my word… go interpret it for yourself! That way of thinking has led to how many thousands of denominations? I know there are many anti-catholic christians out there (I was one of them for the past 8 years) but if Christian’s really took time to study what it all means they might change their minds. I actually started my research in the hopes to disprove the Church wrong so I could “save” my family that is still Catholic. Well, I guess my plan failed because I’ve been going to mass for the past month. I have many bible verses to back up what I’m saying if anyone is interested. (Mathew 16:18 is a good place to start). Don’t cherry-pick scripture and I believe what’s many Christians are doing today. For example, everyone loves to quote John 3:16. Please go read Philippians 2:12, Matthew 5:22, Matthew 18:8-9, Luke 3:9, Luke 21:34-36, Romans 1:18, Romans 2:5-13 to name just a few…) also, the Bible everyone is reading actually was put together by the Catholic Church at the canons. Unfortunately so many are so misinformed and people aren’t researching it themselves. If you research it (and I mean really research not just find some blogger that shares your point of view) then you will find the truth for yourself whatever that may be. But I believe God is a God of order and He didn’t just tell Peter he’s the rock of the church and then quit having His hand over it. Deism vs theism. That’s a great place to start in your research. God bless!

  13. I spent my early years as a Christian in a church filled with half-truths and loose interpretations. It is amazing how hard it is to untangle the mess that can be weaved in unless we dive into the Word with reckless abandon. As I matured and learned the Word, I began noticing inconsistencies that were preached from the pulpit. When I questioned them I was told that I needed to spend less time doing my own digging and more time reading the resources made available through the church bookstore so that I wasn’t “lead astray anymore.” Continue speaking boldly, Courtney. This world needs it desperately.

  14. Courtney, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU 🙂 ♥! Truth does matter and it is not a ‘let’s agree to disagree’ situation when it comes to sin, truth and obedience to God’s word. Please do not remain silent on this important subject. I will keep you lifted in prayer. May the Holy Spirit fill you to overflowing to enable to to serve our Heavenly Father in accordance with His will. Truth will prevail in the name of Jesus…

  15. I recently came across your blog and I REALLY appreciate your faithfulness to Gods word! It’s hard to find these days, I think especially with women bloggers/writers. I went right out and bought your book! Thank you, and please continue to encourage other women to study Gods word and stand up for truth.

  16. You know I read this post along with the other comments and there were alot of great points made…. BUT for me there has been problems that have arised to the question of truth and sound doctrine. To many denominations, the truth and doctrine are different. For example, I grew up going to a United Church of Christ…then over the years I did bounce from this church and that church mostly because I wasn’t being devoted and faithful and was letting “the world” keep me away. Then a few years ago, I ended up going to a pentacostal church because my husband wanted to go there and our marraige was in trouble. Although, my husband ended up leaving his family anyway, I continued to go to this church because the people were very loving and supportive AND I did have a spiritual awaking in my heart and soul while going there… with that said, the pentacostal (apostolic) belief system is that one MUST be baptized of water in Jesus’ name AND in the Holy Spirit WITH evidence of speaking in tongues in order for one to enter the kingdom of heaven….and they had shown me ALOT of scripture to back up it up and their beliefs. They also believe that no women should be wearing jewelry or any make up of any kind (outward adornment) AND that women should only wear dresses and skirts and not cut their hair ever (not even trim split ends)… again giving scripture to back it all up. Through this all, I had been upset and even somewhat tormented to what the truth is and what it isn’t…so much so I have been brought to tears many times over. The truth? The true doctrine? Every church says something different or even if they agree in a certain area, the beliefs on that certain area are different… for example, baptism… I was baptized as a baby, but then again a few years ago because I was told that you have to be totally submerged under water in Jesus’ name (not the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). I have since stopped going to that particular church not because I don’t love the people and not because they weren’t loving, spiritual and faithful, but because, to be honest, I didn’t fit there and when I had prayed to the Lord over and over concerning certain beliefs that didn’t settle well in my heart, this was the answer I received…. What I want you to do, I will place in your heart. SO… this is my outlook on all this, take it or leave it… 1) NO church and/or denomination and/or church has it 100% right period 2) A great portion of your salvation has to do with YOUR OWN FERVENT, FAITHFUL, INTIMATE relationship with the Lord– through you reading/studying scripture and praying, HE and the Holy Spirit will lead you into the truth. He speaks to us differently in respect to areas He wants you to work on/change. He will lead you to where you should and need to be. 3)Everything you do, you must try your hardest to do with love and to honor Him in everything you do. 4) Follow His commandments…. Please, please do not think I am saying that I am right… I am saying that this is what God has brought ME to at this point in my life and my spiritual journey… for someone else, He may be speaking something different….

    1. Fantastic testimony, Shawna. Thank you for sharing your heart. I agree that the area of “doctrine” can be lethal if it includes more than the core elements of our faith. The core beliefs we ALL should be able to agree on, because they are absolutely clear in scripture. Other things are our personal style and do not need to be considered doctrine.
      I am sorry that your pentecostal experience was confusing in doctrine. I grew up in a pentecostal church and it was always very clear there that the gifts should be sought after but have nothing to do with salvation.
      Bless you on your journey!

    2. I was baptized as a baby as well. I also went to a Pentecostal church and told my baptism didn’t count and if I don’t speak in tongues I haven’t been baptized in the Holy Spirit. I don’t go there anymore… always wondered why I don’t speak in tongues but I know the Holy Spirit leads me. That made me think……

  17. Courtney, I have been thanking God for you, your open vibrant smile (silly us, my lovely daughter and I try to imitate your smile from time to time – and its such a hoot – we can’t get anywhere close!). Mostly we have been thanking God for your handling of the sword of truth today. Yes, really, I have been thanking God for you all day, ever since I read your post. I’ve already shared it with my daughter, and have also developed a few questions which I’ve been asking her to help her review a couple of the key concepts you taught us from a couple of angles. She was surprised to hear that some of what you taught was utterly new to me today – and how happy I am that she learned these things so much sooner in her young life. Also, I have a friend whom I have been mentoring who is studying Romans and the law from a perspective as a Messianic Jew. I have learned things from her that I had not known before, which has been a blessing. Still, we have disagreed on some aspects of the law in recent days (still loving each other through it all), and I think that what you taught me today will go a long way on helping us wrangle more effectively with our differences. I look forward to your posts more every week. Thank you so much. I mean, I have felt that I could recognize truth from false doctrine/philosophy in the past, but couldn’t always see exactly where the line fit between this side of truth and that side of false doctrine, etc. — e.g. – I had missed how the letter to Timothy actually pointed out specific differences between the function of the law and of sound doctrine. —- What a blessing to learn scriptural truths here! Thank you, thank you, thank you, and bring it on again soon!!!!!!

  18. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life scripture tells us in John 14:6, a chapter so rich, a book so rich!

    Thank you for listing all these scriptures God gave us so we would know to be careful with sound doctrine.

  19. Speaking of doctrine….there is only ONE doctrine and it’s summed up very simply…Yeshua (Jesus) says many many times throughout the Scriptures that we are to follow HIM and HIM only. HE doesn’t tell us to follow others…HE doesn’t tell us to follow men/women, etc. HE tells us to follow HIM and all that the Scriptures teach. At that time the New Testament wasn’t around. Something to think on.

  20. I believe some of the problem of rightly dividing the Word of truth is that when someone teaches a doctrine, and uses Scripture to back it up, we often don’t take the time to go to other Scripture passages to make sure that the quoted Scripture is being used properly. The Bible speaks on topics/doctrines in many places and we have to have the whole picture using all of those Scriptures together to get an understanding. We also need to make sure that we read the Scripture verse being used in context with the verses that come before and after it. We cannot pull one or two verses out of context to make our point unless the context of that passage supports our point. Grammar and punctuation are also important in understanding what is really being said. A good concordance will be very helpful in understanding what is written. The Bible is both simple and complex, easy to understand and difficult to understand.

    I have studied one particular point of doctrine for many years because there has been such a rise in popularity of what I believe is a false doctrine. I am not a theologian, but I am a believer filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus said in John 14:26, ‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” So, as I have studied I have also prayed that God would show me His truth and keep me from being deceived. He is truth (John 14:6) and he cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Although we are not specifically told (or at least I haven’t found it) to pray for this I believe that God will honor that prayer because I desire to know His truth. I believe that the truth of His Word is available to all who will dig in and seek it. While teachers/preachers can be a help to us, ultimately our help in learning His truth comes from His Word and the Holy Spirit giving us understanding.

    Oh, and that false doctrine – I have found that many who teach this doctrine have spent a great amount of time studying what one or more theologians wrote many years ago. That is usually how a false doctrine gets started – with one person writing/teaching that false doctrine and others reading it and taking it to heart without getting on their face before God and His Word and searching for truth.

  21. Thank you Courtney. This was a good read and reminds me to keep praying always as I go about my days be that with our two growing blessings alone or with the world around us. I would love to be like the moon, without the earth between the Son and me. *big smile* All too often I am more of a blood moon where things of this world are the earth and I am unable to properly reflect the Son as I ought. Remember to pray always. Sincerely, Mommy of two growing blessings & so much more!

  22. Hi,

    How do you explain doctrine to your children? My daughter has a best friend at school. This girl is very well behaved and a good student, but she is being raised by two women.

    One of the moms stays home fulltime and the other is a doctor. I understand from my daughter that these women are active in the local (liberal) church and their daughters go to Sunday school.

    How can I explain to my daughter that even tough they think they’re following Jesus, they’re not? It’s especially difficult since their life looks quite happy and peaceful on the outside.

    Thank you!

  23. Lisa, If that is a homosexual relationship you should help your daughter understand what the Bible says on that subject. She needs to understand that God hates sin because sin separates us from Him. He loves the person though, and wants to forgive their sin. God’s Word tells us how to have a relationship with Him, and how we should live. Teach your daughter to see God’s Word as truth so that when the culture says something different than what God’s Word says she will know to trust the truth of His Word.

  24. I have a family member who shared a supposed “prophesy” by a man named Kim Clement who calls himself a prophet. The “prophesy” was filled with grammatical errors and it made no sense at all. It did not exalt Jesus. It exalted stuff and this world. God does not serve us. Anyway, I told my family member that this was not biblical and pointed to scripture that refuted some of the statements. He has given us His Word to guide our lives. We shouldn’t be looking for God to hand out “words” to us.

  25. God always has perfect timing! My preacher has been preaching on this topic for a few weeks. He has been preaching against false teachings and false prophets. I really love this new series you have been doing! It is very encouraging and insightful! Thank you so much for standing up for what is right and Holy, not by mans standards but by Gods standards!

  26. Courtney,

    Thank you for addressing this topic and for grounding it in scripture.

    Over the last week the devo “Jesus Calling” has come up repeatedly – on FB, during a church Bible study, etc.

    I would LOVE to hear what you think. I’m assuming you would put it under the category of false doctrine (especially when you consider the initial introduction to the book).

    Any tips on how to approach this with others? I am very concerned that sooooo many women are reading this and sharing it, especially photos on FB…. 🙁

    Praying women’s Spirits would speak clearly to them about any false doctrine they encounter,
    Cyndee

  27. OK, I know this is very old and I may be writing to myself. Anyway, here goes. I just had a falling out with some Evangelical/Pentecostal/Holiness Christians that centered mostly on the Great Commission and Mother Theresa (who supposedly is going to bell because she did not adhere to sound doctrine outlined in the versus above; she supposedly arrived as a thief and robber). Seriously. To me sound doctrine is NOT about right-belief; it’s about right-practice. Mother Theresa had sound doctrine because she had right-practice. She nailed the things that Jesus most desires. She fulfilled the emphasis of the message of the entire bible. She clearly met the criteria of how Jesus said he was going to judge us (When I was hungry you fed me…etc. –Matthew Chapter 25).

    Jesus chose a Samaritan in his illustration of what it means to love your neighbor according to his judgement. His choice of the Samaritan was intentional because according to the Jews the Samaritans did not have right-belief at the time. But what was important in this story was not right-belief but the right-practice, that right-behavior that actually pleases God. All the right-belief in the world is petty and worthless to God if it doesn’t translate to right-practice. You know them by their fruits not by their beliefs. Demons believe, profess and tremble. Sound doctrine is only that which produces good fruit, the fruit that God accepts. All the versus cited above are completely worthless without right-practice, which is the practice that Jesus himself commanded us in his own teachings found in the gospels. Serve the poor, needy, oppressed, marginalized, sick, diseased, and sinful out of sacrificial love…that is sound doctrine. Follow Jesus clear and simple teachings in the gospels and you will certainly have the soundest doctrine of all, such that in any storm you shall stand, as Jesus said.

  28. Praise The Lord!!! he is worthy to be praise; I just wanted to says that the sound doctrine is a church that preaches the truth and nothing but the truth and to let people know the right way to being baptized in Jesus Name. in the Book of Acts 2:38 Stated -Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. and they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. just also to let yall know that I Attended a Sound Doctrine Church in Jacksonville Florida for 6 Years and still Attended there faithfully and have learned the truth about the Sound Doctrine and would NOT trade it for the world, lots of church said they preach the truth but they don’t, they are about MONEY and not Souls being saved. the church is packed out with so many people until you don’t know who come and who don’t come to church. also, sound doctrine believes in the cover of the head such as wearing a hat on the head or a scarf and wearing a long dress or skirt below the knees, No chest or boobs is showing. I can talk about sound doctrine forever because that is the type of church I attended and loving it.

  29. Wow absolutely Amazing! Right now one of my family members is on a social media group and they are feeding her false doctrine. I share with her that what she is learning isn’t right. And I lead her to scripture and told her to study her scriptures. But unfortunately she is so consumed with this group of hers that she isn’t hearing what I have to say. She very defensive. And just love the fact that these people are loving and encouraging.
    Personally I feel they are just telling her what she wants to hear. I’m so sad that she is apart of this group. All I can do is pray for her.

  30. Greetings to you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ and am pastor David Paul from India and I have a small children’s ministry and women’s ministry and youth ministry so please pray for me my ministry thank you Especially I am very interested your ministry and I seeing your about mostly interested so please let me know contact me soonly thank you

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