I heard a good sermon by Martin Lloyd Jones on marriage where he addresses this question about doctrine or practical things, but first I’ll share some personal experience.
At prior churches, I have sat in a service where a pastor delivering the sermon specifically downplayed doctrine and said they preferred rather to focus on practical applications. I dare say this line of thinking is pervasive in the American evangelical community at the least. When someone with authority in the church pulpit downplays doctrine, we must ask, ‘Are they speaking from God?’ Shouldn’t they be speaking for God when appropriating authority from God in the pulpit?
- Should we pass over doctrines that rub across the grain of our natural self?
- Should we rest in excuses not to train our mind or study God’s Word?
Let’s see what the Bible says.
The Apostle Paul said:
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
I Timothy 4:7-8
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
II Timothy 3:16
If all Scripture is from God and profitable for teaching, should we ignore Scripture that requires some study to understand or that rubs against rough edges of our mind still not renewed in Christ?
The Old Testament, Jewish Tanakh, repeats this theme of training the mind many times in the Psalms:
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11
This “storing up” requires effort. Training requires effort. God calls His children to put effort into training their mind and heart with His Word.
Martin Lloyd Jones has an answer for this kind of thinking while he preached on the Apostle Paul’s instruction on marriage to the church in Ephesus.
“But why is he speaking concerning Christ and the church? Why has he led them into the mystery? In order that husbands might know how to love their wife. And that is where these glib and superficial people who jeer at doctrine, they say, ‘Ah, those people are only interested in doctrine. We are the practical people.’ You can’t be practical without doctrine. You can’t love your wife unless you understand something about this doctrine, this great mystery. ‘Ah,’ say say people, ‘It’s too difficult. I cannot follow all that.’ My dear friend if you want to live as a true Christian, you’ve got to follow it.
You’ve got to apply your mind. You’ve got to think. You’ve got to study.
You’ve got to try to understand. You’ve got to grapple with it.
It’s here for you, and if you turn your back on this, you’re rejecting something God gives you and you’re a terrible sinner. To reject doctrine is a terrible sin. You musn’t put practice against doctrine. You cannot practice without it. So the apostle takes the trouble to elaborate this wonderful doctrine about the relationship of Christ and the church…In order that you and I ought to love our wives as we ought to love them, even as Christ loved the church.
Romans 7:4 says, ‘Likewise, my brothers, gyou also have died hto the law ithrough the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, jin order that we may bear fruit for God.’ The church is married to Christ.” (end quote)