Pragmatic Theology -- Is Biblical Truth Being Taught in Your Church & Home?

This next article in this series of simply practical articles addresses biblical teaching.

It is absolutely crucial that we guard our hearts and minds from false truth and the vain philosophies of our generation (Colossians 2:8). If we do not “guard the deposit entrusted” to us, we will lose the next generation to “irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (I Timothy 6:20). Satan is on the prowl as a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8), and we had better not let any sheep stray or they will be picked off. Postmodernism, biblical liberalism, and legalism are some of the threats to a solid biblical theology and worldview that we face today. The truest and best method of fighting these false truths on the home-front is solid biblical teaching. There are two major battlefields on home soil if you will: our church and our homes.

Biblical teaching in the church:

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored…

- II Thessalonians 3:1

A traveling evangelist recently showed up to our church on a Sunday morning and asked to speak in the morning worship service. Our pastor denied the gentleman this privilege. This may seem harsh to some, but standing in the pulpit and proclaiming a message to our congregation is not a light matter. We should always guard our pulpit with the utmost diligence. We are greatly blessed with a pastor who is very careful to preach biblical truth and only biblical truth from our pulpit. Just as much care must be taken when we place people in teaching positions in our flock. Sunday School and Bible Study teachers have a huge influence on each of us, and we cannot allow wolves in sheep clothing to be teaching our sheep. Perhaps we should put less effort and energy into pushing John to sing the songs we like and more effort into ensuring that the gospel is clearly preached and proclaimed through the songs, prayers, readings, and preaching each week!

If you teach, preach, or pray publicly, remember what an honor and privilege it is and stand in fear, as we will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1).

Biblical teaching in the home:

My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

- Proverbs 7:1-3

If you are a follower of Christ, you probably already know the Great Commission: to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20), but you may not apply this command to every aspect of your life. As a qualifier, Christ followed up this command with Acts 1:8: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Yes, we are to make disciples of our friends, neighbors, countrymen, and even to the ends of the earth…but many times we miss the closest people to home…those who live in our homes! Our first and greatest task as mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, etc… is to ensure that the gospel is proclaimed in our homes and that solid biblical theology is taught in our homes.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

- Joshua 24:15