Three Doctrines I Will Fight About

As I have gotten older the list of things I will fight about has gotten shorter. I remember a visitor after church saying to me, “Pastor, we are worshipping on the wrong day. We go to church on the Catholic day. I have a book that tells us what day we should worship on. Will you read it.” I answered no. I don’t care what day we worship on and I don’t read books—or even short articles—on things I don’t care about.

Another man came to me and said, we are using the wrong kind of music in church. And then he would try to persuade me of what kind of music we should have in church—and of course what kind we shouldn’t. I loved this man and thought he had a very effective ministry but one day I said to him; “There’s no point in talking to me about church music. I am not going to change because I just don’t care.”

Let me give one last example. I am a Baptist. I think we are absolutely right about baptism. The Bible is on our side on this one. The method—immersion—is clearly the biblical method. It’s what the word means. And the subjects—believing Christians—is clearly the practice in Scripture. So I am quite confident in my position. But I won’t fight about it. I don’t believe it’s worth it. I know too many wonderful Christians with whom I will be spending eternity who do not agree with me about baptism. So I just don’t fight about it.

But I do have a list of things I will go to war on. There are only three. Here they are:

First, foremost, and of greatest importance is the doctrine of the Trinity. The Father is, of course, God. So is Jesus. So is the Holy Spirit. I had a Jehovah’s Witness tell me the word trinity is not in the Bible. So what? The word is trying to describe what the Bible clearly and unquestionably teaches about God. If you don’t like the word then find another. But that word better accurately describe what the Bible teaches. I have a video about the Trinity and I entitled it, “The Most Important Doctrine in the History of Religion.” We must battle to defend it. In order to go to heaven a man must worship Jesus Christ. The Scripture says there is only one God and we should worship Him. So logic compels us that in order to worship Christ, He has to be God. And not only logic; how about Philippians 2:9-11 where Paul says of Jesus: “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Sounds like worship to me.

Second, I will fight over the Bible’s teaching that one is saved by faith alone and not by works of any kind. This is the doctrine that separates me from Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many Protestant Christians. They argue that one’s own righteous activities are a necessary component for our salvation and I vehemently deny that. I have linked a video below which contains my argument at length. But it’s a doctrine I will fight about.

Third, I believe in defending the inerrancy of Scripture. The above two doctrines depend on a high view of Scripture. I taught for many years at a self-proclaimed Christian university. One day one of our theology professors gave a workshop to the faculty denying the inerrancy of the Bible. He said when our students struggle with hard doctrinal questions we need to be able to tell them that the Bible contains error. I went to war defending the truth of the Bible. It turned out to be a long, hard institutional battle but eventually a new chairman of the theology department arrived, declared the inerrancy of Scripture to be the historic doctrine of Christianity, and purged the department of those who denied the truth of Scripture. That was a battle worth fighting.

So there they are. The three doctrines I will go to war over. If you don’t agree or would like to add to the list please say so in the comments below. I generally do not believe in fighting but at times it is necessary. At the end of his life the Apostle Paul said he had fought the good fight. There are times when to fight is good. May the Lord give us the wisdom to know when that is.

More: “The Most Important Doctrine in the History of Religion;” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOeE61uEU50

“Are We Saved by Faith Alone?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=813cz4xt1pI