Myths vs. Facts

I have always been my greatest critic, so when I write things or post videos of other people, most of the time it has to do with areas of my own life that bring forth conviction. Obviously, this is not always the case. There have been times when I have called out certain teachings and doctrines that I feel are questionable, and done my best to replace them with what I believe to be sound doctrine. It’s funny- when I do this I usually get a mixed bag of responses. Some people support my thoughts and add encouragement, others may disagree but do their best to see where I am coming from, and still others see the word doctrine and automatically associate my ideas with those of the Pharisees. It is this last group of people that I thought of when I read the satirical article, “If Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians was Published in Christianity Today”.

Anyway, it got me thinking… I want to clear up some myths about my own thoughts.

Myth: I love to study theology and doctrine because it gives me power and allows me to feel superior, while making other feel inferior.

Fact: I love to study theology because it challenges me to consider why I love Jesus. Through the processing of doctrine, I gain a better understanding of my own sin, I gain better insight of the depth of Christ’s love, and I am challenged with the understanding of God’s worthiness to be worshipped. These truths continue to draw me to my knees.

Myth: I am only concerned with knowing about God. I have no desire to actually apply it to my life.

Fact: Do I love doctrine? Yes. Do I hate unapplied doctrine? Yes! Am I perfect at applying my doctrine? By no means! Please, re-read through my posts and comments. Never once do I applaud or encourage unapplied doctrine. I am always defending sound doctrine because I believe it will determine how we act and behave. If you find yourself saying, “Doctrine is not important, we just need to worship God and live like him”, then your theology says we must worship only in spirit. If you find yourself saying, “I only need to understand God, nothing else”, then your theology says we must worship only in truth. Did Jesus not say: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

Myth: I hate all social justice. I never want to help the poor, downcast, or anyone who suffers.

Fact: I love social justice! However, as Christians, I believe our social justice must look differently than those outside the Church. My basis for this is Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” No one has ever come to salvation apart from hearing the gospel. When I hear people say, “We just need to show others the love of Christ”, it makes me cringe. Not because there isn’t any truth in the statement, but because it is only half the truth. We need to show people the love of Christ and we need to tell people about the love of Christ. I am not saying we need to beat it over people’s heads, nor am I saying that we shouldn’t form relationships first. However, I am saying that social justice needs to include, at some point, the Gospel message. People need to hear and understand that their greatest problem is not their misfortune in life; rather, it is that they have sinned against a holy and righteous God and therefore are in danger of God’s wrath in Hell. They must also hear and understand that God, in his love, sent his son Jesus Christ to suffer and endure the wrath of God in our place. Social justice must teach that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.

Myth: My blog is written for everyone.

Fact: While everyone can see my blog, it is certainly not written for every audience. Most of the things I write about are discussions I would only have with other professing Christians. Please do not think that I go around to every person I meet and start shoving theology and doctrine down their throats. That would be completely inappropriate. These are family discussions, which only take place between brothers and sisters in Christ. As Christians, we need to be keeping each other accountable regarding doctrine and practice.


XOXOXO
Scott