The doctrine, the skeleton of the faith

"Holding the faithful word according to doctrine." Titus 1: 9

A missionary doctor explained that Christian doctrine plays the same role for the faith life of a believer as the skeleton for the human body. The skeleton is indispensable for our body to be anything but a mass of soft flesh. Similarly, the whole of divine truth (doctrine) allows our faith to rest on solid foundations.

The first quality of the bones which form the skeleton is solidity, hardness. If they bent to every effort we make, what would they serve ? Likewise, the declarations of the Word of God are firm : the holiness of God, his love for his creature, the inexorable judgment of sin, the value of the sacrifice of Christ, etc. We can support our faith without fear, in the face of all the arguments that are proposed to us.

As an adult, the human skeleton contains 206 constant bones, including the 6 ossicles of the hearing. They are linked together by joints and by hundreds of muscles. This arrangement allows the man all the simple or complicated movements, soft or powerful. It gives him freedom of movement. So it is with the doctrine: if I know it, I am not bound by rigorous commandments ; I can use Christian freedom and act, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, in a personal way.

The growth of each individual is related to the growth of his bones. Thus in a child the bones of his body are renewed every year, whereas in an adult this renewal concerns only 20% of the bone mass. Similarly, in the spiritual realm, we renew and increase our knowledge of doctrine through reading and studying the Word, as well as through our experiences with the Lord.

Some animals, such as crustaceans, have only a very rigid external skeleton. So, in order to grow in size and acquire new organs, they must get out of this carapace. They are said to "moult" ; During this time they find themselves "naked" and are the easy prey of all kinds of predators. This is what can happen to certain believers who, instead of having a well-structured doctrine, constitute an outer shell of commandments and habits in which they believe themselves to be safe. They are then more vulnerable to false doctrines, carnal temptations, etc. Let us then have a doctrine vivified by the Spirit.

Source (To pleasing the Lord)