John MacArthur On Why Doctrine Matters
May 9, 2008 16 Comments
Sound, biblical doctrine is a necessary aspect of true wisdom and authentic faith. The attitude that scorns doctrine while elevating feelings or blind trust cannot legitimately be called faith at all, even if it masquerades as Christianity. It is actually an irrational form of unbelief.
John MacArthur made this comment in this brief article over at Pulpit Magazine. Doctrine does matter. Doctrine is simply the truths that are taught in the Bible. We are commanded to grow in our knowledge of the Lord. That necessitates the study of doctrine. As we study the Bible, we will learn its doctrines. Don’t neglect your study of the Bible, it is vital to your spiritual maturation.
The Everyday Christian 
I guess, according to MacArthur, Abraham was pretty much faithless, then.
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Kip,
How would you come to that conclusion? Are you saying that since Abraham did not have the Bible that we have to study that he could not study doctrine? If so, you are reaching.
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Tom,
I have a serious question…
How do I know if the doctrines taught in a church are correct.
Are there different doctrines depending on the denomination?
I have gone to Mac Arthur’s church, I have gone to others.
Forgive me for my lack of but, I am really confused.
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Nancy,
First I want to thank you for visiting my blog and taking time to leave a comment.
To know if the doctrine being taught in a church is the correct doctrine involves several things. Listening to the sermons, attending Sunday School and other discipleship classes, reading the churches statement of faith, and asking lots of questions to the church and small group leaders. You then need to take all this information and compare it to what is taught in the Bible. The Bereans in Act 17 should be our example. If you happed to find something taught in the church that does not match up then you will have to ask more, and more specific, questions to determine why the teachings of the church don’t match the teachings of the Bible.
Next, different denominations will usually have different doctrines. These can range from simple differences in interpretation to false doctrines. Some variations may also exist within denominations. For example, I am a Southern Baptist. Not every Southern Baptist church interprets everything the same. What this means is that if you move churches, even within the same denomination, you must still examine the doctrines taught at the prospective new church.
Lastly, if you are looking for a doctrinally sound church, you could not do much better than to have John MacArthur as your pastor. There are probably other good churches in your area but if you can attend, and JOIN, MacArthur’s church I would be hard pressed to tell you not to. Pray for God to lead you to the church God intends for you to attend and be willing to listen and obey when He tells you.
I hope this has helped. I am no expert but anytime you have a question, please feel free to ask. If I can answer it or point you in the right direction I will be glad to do so.
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Tom,
Thank you for the quick response. I do understand everything you mentioned above., I just don’t know how to explain it in words. Would it be ok if you could e mail me? I imagine you have it here.
In Christ,
Nancy
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One more thing..this is pretty cool.
I was so determined today to understand this, I googled my question, and your blog came up!
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Nancy,
I started my blog for two primary reasons. First, to help myself work through the theological issues I was studying. It helped me to understand things better by writing things down. Second, I figured others might be having some of the same questions I did so I thought it might help others to see how I worked through the issues.
I am glad you were able to find my blog and that I might be able to help you in some small way.
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Hello Tom…
Have read just enough of your blog to put it on by desktop! I also had googled a question…What is John MacArthur’s denomination? I still haven’t found the answer to this question…could you help me out? I love listening to him. If I could attend his church, I would in a heartbeat. Not an option as I am across the country from him.
Ima
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Ima,
I am not sure what denomination MacArthur belongs to. I had thought his church was non-denominational but I am not sure about that. I did an internet search to see if I could find the answer but I could not .
Sorry I could not be more help. Thanks for visiting my blog.
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Hi all
Independent Fundamental Churches of America – This is the church that John Macarthur is a member of ,if it helps you at all.I am from South Africa–and we had John Macartur visit us possibly 16 years ago – we too believe that the bible is inerrant and is our total authority.I would also encourage anyone who can– to visit Grace Community Church.It is sound in doctrine!
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I have been raised by the beliefs of a baptist. I was wondering about Nazarine. I have a friend who started to go to a Nazarine church. It sounds like a nice church. All nice people go there, they try and live lifes for Jesus. But I am worried about there doctrine teachings. I am real sceptical about pasters these day’s. I have found a few that like to teach on there own opinion and not use the bible at all or they teach you can loose your salvation, or they teach you have to do good works to make it to heaven.
Do you know if Nazarines believe you can loose your salvation. Even if someone does believe that, Is that real important to the gospel of Jesus and to make it into. heaven? Also I have alot of people pushing the predestination doctrine my way and I don’t know what to think of that. What do the Nazarines belief about this. What is your answer to these questions?
I will keep praying for God to direct me to what denomination I should be but I will ask questions along the way.
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Jesus was very clear when He said that MANY (majority) of professed Christians, He never knew.
They thought it was the Holy Spirit working and was really another spirit!
Why? ” . . . But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” Matthew 7:23
I was raised with the smooth idea that I was saved. I had the idea that since I had accepted Christ, no matter how I lived, Christ would not forsake me. By grace I was forever saved: how sweet that sounded to my ears. I was not aware I was following the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. If man is forever saved by grace, no matter the lifestyle, he is given license to sin (licentiousness). “The ‘Nicolaitanes’ were a sect who advanced licentiousness as the proper way of life.” (Halley’s Bible Handbook’ Page 702) Yet Christ said, “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.” (Revelation 3:15)
Out of grace I forgave my child because I love him. That love – that grace – that forgiveness – in no way removed my rule my child broke. I knew my child loved me because he later obeyed me. I knew he had not accepted my forgiveness in vain. Had he stayed disobedient, even defiant because I once forgave him, I would have known he never really loved me – and he misunderstood my grace.
Jesus said: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). … It is only those who keep His commandments who have right to the tree of life, …
Christians know they are not saved by keeping any Commandment, only by the Blood of Jesus, BUT, obedience is proof of our love for God.
My heart yearns to obey God and, in my obedience, I reflect the Character of Christ. As I stand in the judgment, I simply worship the way my Creator commanded me to worship. I no longer confuse myself with man’s fallen traditions and, by following the lamb; I am being sealed by the Holy Spirit.
The wisest man on Earth said: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR GOD, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Are we wiser than Solomon? We think we are, so, Christ reminds us in His last message to Earth just before His coming:
“Saying with a loud voice, FEAR GOD, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:7)
Notice how Christ quotes the Sabbath commandment in His last message to us. “For in six days the LORD MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:11)
Through Satan, the antichrist would think to change God’s laws and is deceiving the whole world. See Daniel 7:25 and Rev 13:3.
God Bless
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Darrell,
Thank you very much for putting everything right and biblical. As I read this blog I was getting a little agitated with some of the comments I read, until I read yours.
Please forgive me, but I get a bit flustered with persons that say they believe the bible but immediately begin to cut it up into pieces and accept only the parts that they are comfortable with, rather than the entire scripture both old and new which is the Word of God.
Jesus Christ demonstrated complete trust in the Word when He used it to rebuke Satan’s temptations. He (Jesus) further quoted the scriptures, in over 30% of the statements He made. If the old testament was good enough for Jesus it is good enough for me.
Jesus descended from the root of David and it is this same David who said “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psa119:105).
My advice to anyone is to find a commandment keeping church, for the Lord is coming for such as these, the bible says “Here is the patience of THE SAINTS: here are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of GOD, and the faith of Jesus.”(Rev 14:12). Therefore clearly the Saints are those who keep the commandments of God.
Christ in response to the rich young ruler who wanted to know how to receive eternal life responded, “but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Mat 19:17)
Salvation can only be accepted by grace through faith however obedience of the word is clearly a symptom of that heart conversion. Someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior needs to now make Him Lord of their life. This clearly means to walk in His way, walk as He walked when He was on this earth.
The bible is indeed inerrant but only if one embraces it holistically. In Isaiah 28:9-10 is given an inerrant principle for rightly dividing the word of truth: “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”
Continue to remain strong in the word.
God Bless You all
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Lawrence,
What comments were getting you agitated?
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DOES DOCTRINE REALLY MATTER ? YES IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE REASON FOR JESUS BAPTISM AND THE CROSS, OR YOU GET IT WRONG THEN YOUR FAITH IS WEAK OR YOU HAVE NO FAITH.
iF ANY OF MY KNOWLEDGE OF jESUS SALVATION PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
Great article, I have been asking the Lord “What is God’s Salvation Plan for our Gerneration” , the Lord showed me that BAPTISM is very important which every preacher leaves out not knowing it’s full meaning :
Genises 1, when the earth was formed it was related to a baptism.
NOAH’S GENERATION SAVED THROUGH BAPTISM
1 Peter 3:21 we see through Noah’s righteousness (God declared Noah righteous through his faith in him) his family was saved through BAPTISM, Noah’s and the flood referred as a baptism which now saves.
MOSE’S GENERATION “ ISREALITES SAVED THROUGH BAPTISM “
1 Corinthians 10: 1-6 we see through Moses righteousness (God declared Moses righteous through his faith in him) the Isrealities were saved through BAPTISM as they were baptised into Moses through the red sea as a baptism.
ABRAHAM’S GENERATION “ ISREALITES SAVED THROUGH CIRCMCISSION RELATED TO BAPTISM “
Romans 4:9–1″FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”2 we see through Abraham righteousness (God declared that he was righteous though his faith in him) the Jews though circumcission Abraham convenant with God.
O U R GENERATION “ JESUS BAPTISM AND THE CROSS“
Mathew 3:15 REASON FOR JESUS BAPTISM was “ to fulfill all righteousness”, we were all baptised into Jesus, everyone from Adam and Eve till the last person born before his return will be saved if we just have FAITH that Jesus has done everything for our salvation. By Jesus taking our sin had to die as wages of sin is death. JESUS HAD TO COMMIT THE OFFENCE BEFORE BEING PUNISHED BY DEATH (THE CROSS) DIED AND SHED HIS BLOOD. Do not forget John the Baptist called Jesus the lamb of God who takes the sins of the world a few times at his baptism.
JESUS HAD TO HAVE TAKEN ON OUR SIN BEFORE THE CROSS. HE HAD TO HAVE TAKEN ON SIN AT HIS BAPTISM (Baptism has continually been shown thoughout the Bible) here we must understand that John the Baptist, the high priest as Jesus said he was the greatest person that ever lived in the old testament. AS ALL NEW TESTIMENT ESPECIALLY HEBREWS 7-11 CLEARLY SHOW WHAT JESUS WAS TO FILFULL EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE TABANACLE.
1 John 5;6-12, —— who came by the water and the blood(and the Spirit testifies) when Jesus come out of the water and the Spirit descended upon Jesus). His BAPTISM AND THE CROSS.
Colossians 2:12 explicitly defined baptism as an act done through faith: “. . . having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God.” In baptism you were raised up with Christ through faith—your own faith, ot your parents’ faith. If it is not “through faith”—if it is not an outward expression of inward faith—it is not baptism.
Colossians 3:3 For you died when Christ died
1 Peter 3:21 The apostle Peter, in his first letter, defined baptism this way, “. . . not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”
Baptism is “an appeal to God for a good conscience.” It is an outward act and expression of inner confession and prayer to God for cleansing, that the one being baptized does, not his parents.
TO END GODS WORD IS SO WONDERFULL. There is so much more that relates to this topic for example:
If Jesus was total man then if he had taken our sins at his baptism just like the book of Leviticus, he could say to the cripple pick up your bed and walk your sins are forgiven, he knew he was carrying all our sins. Why would he be led to the wilderness after his baptism to be tested by Satan if he was GOD. The temptations would have meant nothing. Interesting, just like the lamb that was lead into the wilderness with Isreal’s sins. At his baptism he was called the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
SALVATION FOR OUR GENERATION 2012
Once we believe by FAITH that are born again ACCCORDING TO SCRIPTURE from above according to the word of God (through his baptism and the cross) we receive the Holy Spirit and become his children. WE ARE SAVED THROUGH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, NOTHING THAT WE COULD OR CAN DO, FOR HE DIED FOR US WHEN WE WERE STILL SINNERS.
WE ARE SAVED BY FAITH, PLEASE GET TO KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF TRUE FAITH, AS SOME FAITH OR WRONG FAITH WILL NOT GET YOU SAVED.
WE WERE IMPUTED SIN BY ADAM AND EVE, NOW JESUS CHRIST HAS IMPUTED HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SO THAT WE ARE CLEARED ONCE AND FOR ALL FROM SIN, WE WERE SINNERS NOW WE ARE BORN AGAIN IN THE SPIRIT, AND THEREFORE WE ARE NOT SINNERS ANY MORE, JESUS TOOK OUR PASSED, PRESENT AND FUTURE SINS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
PS HE IS NOT COMING BACK FOR SIN AS HE HAS DEALT WITH IT ONCE , HE IS COMING BACK FOR HIS BRIDE
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