One of my favorite “Peanuts” comic strips features Lucy and Linus standing inside their home on a rainy day looking out the window. As she looks outside, Lucy says to Linus, “Boy, look at it rain...What if it floods the whole world?” Linus quickly responds, “It will never do that...In the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow.” A relieved Lucy then says, “You’ve taken a great load off my mind.” My favorite part is the final frame when Linus turns, looks at Lucy, and says, “Sound theology has a way of doing that!” Indeed it does!
Much of the confusion and worry that Christians deal with on a regular basis would disappear if they were grounded in sound theology. In fact, the Apostle Paul, understanding how important sound theology is in the life of the church, encouraged young Pastor Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). This is the cure for worldly worries because it gives believers a better, more biblical perspective on their situation. A few verses further in Titus, the Apostle Paul adds that the teaching of sound theology “[trains] us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13). Again, sound theology takes undue focus off of worry and worldliness and places it on hope and holiness.
The necessity and significance of sound theology in the church and the life of the Christian cannot be overstated. This is why every Christian should seek a church in which sound theology is regularly taught. Solid preaching goes a long way in pointing believers to the cross and building a strong foundation of theology. In fact, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones once said, “[I]t is preaching alone that can convey the Truth to people, and bring them to the realisation of their need, and to the only satisfaction for their need.” Solid preaching and sound theology do not remove all of your concerns, but they sure do minimize them and help you through them.
Here’s the takeaway: Make sure you’re in a church that is teaching sound theology, and then make sure you are doing your part to become grounded in that theology. Don’t settle for mediocrity, and pray for discernment to know the difference between solid and shoddy theology. Not every preacher, teacher, or book will fill you with healthy spiritual food. If you consume “junk food” theology, you will end up spiritually sick. Sound theology is a blessing, and it will indeed “take a great load off your mind.”