Contending for THE Faith

Just finished MacArthur's book "The Truth War" today after basically devouring almost two-thirds of the book in a marathon 4 hour session while at a super long wedding dinner. Based around the Book of Jude, MacArthur highlights the urgent need for the Church to rouse herself from her apathy to sound doctrine and to contend earnestly for the Apostolic Faith. Combined with today's bible study on 1 Timothy 4, as well as with certain unsavoury events that have occurred over the past couple of weeks, there is indeed the need for all true Christians to stand up and be willing to defend the central tenets and sound doctrines of biblical and historical Christianity.


"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,..."
- 1 Timothy 4: 1-2

Opening the chapter, it is abundantly clear that there will be deceiving doctrines and counterfeit gospels. In fact, if there is one thing that quite a number of the Epistles touch on, aside from Christ and the Gospel, it is the warning to hold on to sound doctrine and teachings. There are so many false prophets and false christs running around today and the carnage they leave behind is plain to see.

" If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness....... These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine..... Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
- 1 Timothy 4: 6 - 16

It is interesting, and indeed quite sad, how we so often take verse 12 out of context, especially in youth ministries. We use it to justify and encourage youths to "move in the spirit" and to contribute in youth ministry, not realizing the context that Paul is writing to Timothy. While yes indeed physical age should not be a barrier to one's serving in church, Paul's emphasis seems to be on the doctrine that Timothy should use in nourishing himself and in the teaching of others. How many times have we used this verse to call youths out and then directed them to the reading, studying and meditating on God's Word? Have we ever instructed them to give themselves ENTIRELY into the study of doctrine and that the fruit of such study will be evident to all?

What has happened to our doctrine? In our ignorance we had elevated doctrine to a higher plane that only few could understand and relegated its teaching to something of secondary (if indeed it is that high) importance. We would rather concentrate on "applying the Word" and on motivational speeches and "catering to people's needs". If indeed that one can only discover who God truly is through His Word with the Holy Spirit, how many people in the church really know God?

Because we would rather cater to itching ears and unregenerate hearts, so many people are left ignorant of who God truly is and they are carried with every wind of (unsound) doctrine. Some of the more apparent issues would of course be things like the health-and-wealth gospel, feminism, "carnal christianity" or lukewarmness and backsliding. So often in the Church, especially in an Asian context like Singapore, we would rather compromise on sound doctrine than to hold fast to what is True. All in the name of "unity" and harmony.

In deciding to stand for the Truth, one is faced with a hard question. Are you willing to forsake all that you have in contending for the Faith? Are you willing to lose all your friends and earthly reputation for the sake of standing up for the Truth? Are you ready for the barbs and gossips and rumour-mongering that will inevitably crop up once you make a stand for God? But yet, this is a stand that all who trully love the Lord and His Glory will have to make, for in a sense, there is no middle ground.

*Edit* My friend here just so happened to have written on the importance of doctrine on the same night as I wrote this post. He probably does a much better job of articulating the issue at hand than me because he is a doctor-to-be and I am just in a glorified polytechnic (As I always like to call NUS Science :P)