“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;” (1Ti 1:9-10 AV)
Doctrine, as of late, has been treated like parts of a mystery puzzle that students of the Bible wish to put together. They are divine facts that stir the mind. What is seldom seen is Paul’s point to Timothy above. If doctrine doesn’t change the life of the saint, then all it becomes is a bunch of mind candy. If doctrine does not produce holy living, then it is nothing more than fascinating metaphysics that trips the mind. What gives us a clue as to the value of doctrine are two words Paul uses above. “Any other” tells us that doctrine is directly tied to how we live. If doctrine is not applied to the choices we make, then we are being irresponsible with the doctrine God has given. Note also that Paul does not differentiate the law and doctrine as separate. Rather, he sees them as one and the same. We tend to see the laws of God as different and apart from doctrine. If they were a high school class, they would be two different classes. Paul tells Timothy that the law was given for those without it, and the result is doctrine that leads to Christlike living. The law cannot exist without doctrine, and doctrine cannot exist without law.
The way we treat doctrine today is like an escape room type video game. Many years ago, a game called Myst came out. It was extremely popular. It was a puzzle-solving escape game. The player was the lone person on a secluded island, and the object was to escape. There were hundreds of clues that had to be found. These clues lead to a sequence of tasks that needed to be accomplished in sequence. Failure to follow the clues and tasks in order could see the player confuse the board and he would have to backtrack. There were a few of these that came out on Android systems just a few years ago. The object was to solve whatever grand task had to be completed and it would take you to the next app. They can be rather fun. There is no timer. There are no lives to lose. One can take all the time he or she wants to solve the riddle. In the end, solving the riddle became the point.
I am afraid that is what has become of our Bible colleges and Sunday school classes. This is why the outlier subjects are so popular. It doesn’t take much of an effort to find the newest YouTube poster who has come up with never before heard nuggets of the word of God. The doctrines of the word of God are no longer the means to live for His glory. Rather, the doctrines of the word of God are a source of curiosity and entertainment. I have a book in my library that is an excellent book. It is Old Testament law and Ethics. My reason for buying are reading that book was to see how many of our nation’s laws are based on biblical precedent. The result of reading that book was something different. Until the serious saint takes the time to read, study, and internalize the word of God so that Christlike living will result is missing the point of studying! We can wow the crowd with the newest theory of present-day giants, but unless we are surrendered to live a life that pleases God, this is useless. We can write papers and books on topics that have challenged the church like election or predestination. But unless these truths produce saints who reflect the character of God, they are pointless. Paul tells Timothy that doctrine and righteousness go hand in hand. Praise God!
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