Why Sound Doctrine is Important (philip 4:13)

 (Philippians 4:13)

I have been inspired to address something near and dear to my heart, which is sound doctrine. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not Bible Doctrine Scholar, I stumble over many difficult teachings in the Bible, but I open myself to teacher that are more knowledgeable and better studied then I for the wisdom of what the words of God says.  

So when I come and say that I have a problem with someone’s doctrine I’m not talking about seminary level doctrine, I’m talking about the basic understanding of the faith that separates a true Christians from an occultist, or a member of a sect.  I’m talking about the minimal amount of Bible knowledge we need to know before we can even worship Him in Spirit and Truth. 

But, error in doctrine is just as poisonous to the knowledge of God as no doctrine at all. We can’t manipulate scripture to say what we want, and we should not reiterate scripture if we have no knowledge of what is says or mean. Which leads me to the subject of this post.

One of the most inspirational passages in the Bible, recited by true Christians and pretend Christians  alike is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” The pretenders know the verse, the true Christians know the passages before and after, the theologians and lovers of doctrine use it correctly. What bothers me is most people use this verse as if it is some kind of mystical incantation that by reciting it gives us the power to become masters of the universe. 

It’s like all we have to do is raise our mystical sword to the sky and say by the power of Grayskull I have the power! And puff God is on our side infusing us with the supernatural ability to get stuff !

Do you want to start a business? 

• Then recite Philippians 4:13; 
• How about a new job or that job promotion” raise your sword in the sky and recite Philippians 4:13; 
• Need a soul mate or better sex with your spouse? Then recite Philippians 4:13; 
• Want to win a football game or defeat an adversary, no problem, all you have to do is recite Philippians 4:13.   

Because "you can do all things through Christ who strengthen you;"  through Christ who meets your (personal) needs. To believe this is the correct interpretation of the passages is to assume that the Apostle Paul was expressing this meaning makes him either a liar or crazy.  It not what Paul meant when he wrote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” To get an idea of what Paul was actually saying, let read the two verses that precede   Philippians 4:13 Verse 11 starts off:

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need”. Philippians 4:11-12 ESV

You see Paul was not telling Christians that they can go out and conquer the world; What Paul was saying is that A Christian through faith in Christ they can get through their suffering when the world has dealt them a hard blow!  

You see Paul was a man of many suffering, but his suffering was not because he did not have the best chariot with the 20 inch wheels, it wasn’t because someone was blocking his promotion at work, it wasn’t because he could not get that loan to start his own business, or the new car he always wanted. Paul was a man of many suffering because he was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

And because he would not stop Paul was given many death threats Acts 9:23-25 Stoned and left by the road for dead Acts 14:19 . Attacked by an angry mob Acts 17:5 Paul was under arrest for 2 years without a trial Acts 24:26-27 bitten by a viper Acts 28:3 ; Whipped with 39 lashes five times; 2 Corinthians 11:25 Beaten with rods three times  2 Corinthians 11:24   So Paul knew that suffering was inevitable to those that are in Christ because in  2 Timothy 3:12 we read  “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”  so when the apostle says “I can do all things through Christ that strengthen me” he was saying as Christians we will be persecuted, but the strength and the hope that we have in Christ will get us through our persecutions, our setbacks , and our failures.

What we need to understand is that when we say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” It not a mystical anthem that provokes God to help us meet our goals while allowing 100,000 Christians in Africa to be martyred almost every year. We should not be thinking that God has infused us with some supernatural ability to live “Our Best Life Now” What we are saying that God has infused us with supernatural ability to live our best for Christ now.

When Jesus Christ was in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed to the Father three times to take this cup from Him. But in the end He carried His cross and propitiated the wrath of God’s anger. In three hours Christ suffered more than any sinner ever will in hell. And this He did not so that our quality of life would be better on this side of His humility; Christ suffered so that we would experience life with Him on the other side of eternity. 

Jesus Says in John 15:20 “…If they persecuted me, they will persecute you;”

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