Doctrinal Fidelity

Fidelity: noun- Conformity to a standard. Synonyms-accuracy, precision –Antonyms- vacillation, wavering

A moment’s reflection on the synonyms and antonyms highlight just how important fidelity is. For example, we want precision in the operating room and the cockpit when we or someone we love is the patient or passenger. In fact, we demand it of the surgeon and the pilot. The operating room is no place for wavering. The pilot who vacillates from instructions on final approach jeopardizes all on board.

Fidelity is important in so many arenas of life but few are as important as doctrinal fidelity. Doctrinal fidelity is tragically seen today as outdated and unnecessary. ‘Why get all worked up over what we believe? Let’s just love Jesus and worship.’ Sounds good, right? Kind of like, ‘why get all worked up over precision in the operating room or in the cockpit? Is that not outdated? Why don’t we just love the patient and enjoy the trip’?

Yet precision in doctrine was the hallmark of Baptists in days gone by and it was reflected in the pulpits across the land. Our predecessors like J.L. Dagg, James P. Boyce, and John Broadus to name only a few were the torch bearers in doctrinal fidelity. When doctrine is regulated as unimportant, the pastors’ sermons become a smorgasbord of brief motivational speeches, group therapy sessions, or ‘how to be happy, prosperous, and healthy’ talks instead of expository preaching of the Word of God.

So what? The ‘so what’ of all this is why we are committing Sunday evenings from February-May to a study of our core doctrinal beliefs. Thus far, we have looked at the doctrines of the Bible, God, Trinity, Prayer, and Man. In the coming weeks we will look at the doctrines of Sin, Christ, Atonement and Resurrection, Election and Conversion, Justification and Adoption, Sanctification and Perseverance, Church, Jesus’ Return & Final Judgment and Heaven.

In the arena of doctrine, we want to be marked by accuracy and precision. It is only in doctrinal fidelity that our worship is God focused and our preaching is gospel centered. Doctrinal accuracy and precision fuels evangelism and undergirds us in times of adversity. Our desire is to be marked by doctrinal fidelity. Join us, won’t you, on Sunday evenings. If you are not in the area, the teachings are on our website.