Doctrine Before Duty

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”   Ephesians 4:1

This year I am often using MacArthur’s devotional “Strength for Today” as a starting point for my comments.

It is interesting to see the parallel between the ideas of a law and a doctrine.  A Law is simply the secular world's parallel to religious doctrine.  Now, of course, it is not a one-to-one relationship in the way of a parallel.  There are indeed some differences, but the comparison serves.  Particularly in the realm in which we are speaking at this point - authority decrees and those under authority must obey.

“Paul understood that, so he always taught doctrine before duty…” - Blind obedience is always an insufficient basis for erecting a paradigm.  In fact, the Law is not the paradigm upon which God raised His own paradigm was it?  It was only a part of it.  The "Law" part of the paradigm in God's plan was only a portion of the plan, and a portion that rested firmly on the should of our Lord Jesus.  It was He Who would come and fulfill that Law, fulfill it perfectly and then raise that offering to God on our behalf, communicating that righteousness to us by means of imputation so that we might stand beside Him before the Father fully justified where we would not have before.

“Therefore” in Ephesians 4:1 links the doctrine of chapters 1–3 to the duty of chapters 4–6.” - There is always a "link" between doctrine and action.  But the link must always and carefully be held to work in the direction that this link runs.  doctrine first, then action.  The Roman Catholic church has erected that link backwards - works first, then some manner of doctrine and that arrangement does not work - the result is a failed system and lost souls.  We must fist some to the knowledge of truth and then, and only then can we live rightly before God.

“…duty always flows out of doctrine.” - And this is a matter of both ability and "want to". Before we are reborn we neither wish to server God nor are we able to serve God. The same dynamic holds true after we are redeemed. As we come to better know the truth of God our character becomes molded to the character of Christ and we become more and more able to serve Him and more and more willing to do so.

“Right living is based on right principles.” - How could we serve him rightly unless we know how to do so rightly?  If the Word of God is the "manual" for Christian living in the world, so to speak; then how can we serve God vigorously and effectively in that world unless we know what it says?  If holiness and personal righteous is key to walking God's daily blessing then how can we receive that blessing unless we are willing and seeking that blessing both continually and with all our energy?  How can we succeed in the Christian life unless we know the principle upon which that Christian Life is built upon?  Of course, the answer is that we cannot.

“We have not ceased to pray for you” - This is one of those "slap yourself in the head" things.  The NT is filled with these kinds of statements.  Paul (and other NT authors) continually prayed for their people to be filled with knowledge of God's will and other similar ideas.  The reason, at least from one angle, given what we have been talking about, is obvious.  They need to know God's mind and desire so that they could obey and serve Him in the place they were in!  That is exactly what Paul tells the Colossians in Col. 1:10.  They needed to "know" so they could "walk". 

I came across a blog the other day was a discussion of Catherine of Sienna and other Medieval ascetics.  She is entertained today and a "great mystic" and followed as one of the great figures in church history.  Her writing are read and devoured by many and many consider her to have heard from God in a powerful way. 

The problem is that she likely never read the Word of God for herself, women, even nuns, weren't allowed at that time.  She was a bulimic and an extreme ascetic who eventually starved herself to death to, in her mind, do penance for the sins of the church.  All she "knew" of God she got from "visions" and was within the Roman Catholic framework of the 14th Century. 

I mention this because this is the other side of the coin.  This is what happens when men don't know.  They make up spirituality.  We see it today in the dogs that call themselves teachers, but who are really devouring the church in the Prosperity field.  They are making it up as they go.  Paul said that Duty arise from out of knowledge, duty out of doctrine.

Many of our Baptist friends don't get off either - they go to the opposite side - to legalism and duty with doctrine.  You must use the KJV or you'll end in Judgment!  Those and other similar things are troublesome aren't they?  The Reformers had it right.  Luther said it best - Unless you convince from the Word of God concerning the matter, then I must refuse you.  Doctrine before practice.  As we think about our worthy walk, let’s avoid emotionalism and legalism, and instead focus on living what we learn from a thorough and personal study of God’s Word.