Back to the Future: Why the Church Needs Old Truths for New Life

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In an age where feelings are elevated above facts and unity is often confused with uniformity, the church finds itself at a crossroads. Many congregations are tempted to set aside doctrine for the sake of “getting along.” Doctrine is seen as divisive, cold, or even arrogant. But this perspective misses the heart of what doctrine really is—and why it matters profoundly to the life and unity of the church.

This is a call back to doctrine—not as an academic exercise, but as the lifeblood of the church’s unity, worship, and witness. What we believe about Jesus is not secondary; it is foundational. Our unity is not built on shared experiences, cultural background, or even worship styles. It is built on shared confession—on truth.

Doctrine is Not Dogma

Let’s be clear: doctrine is not dogma in the pejorative sense. It is not mindless traditionalism or authoritarian rule-making. True doctrine is the church’s articulation of what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture. It is how the people of God have historically passed on the gospel faithfully from generation to generation.

Doctrine is worship. When we confess that Jesus is “very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,” we are not reciting stale formulas—we are exalting the eternal Son, our Savior. When we speak of the incarnation, the atonement, the resurrection, and the ascension, we are not debating theological trivia—we are declaring the hope of the world.

Doctrine is Where Unity Begins

In John 17, Jesus prayed that His followers would be one—even as He and the Father are one. But what kind of unity did He mean? Not a superficial agreement to “just love Jesus” while ignoring who Jesus is. Biblical unity is doctrinal unity. The early church didn’t ignore false teaching to keep the peace. They contended for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Paul didn’t shrug off error as a matter of opinion—he warned of wolves, of teachings that devour the flock (Acts 20:29–30).

Unity divorced from doctrine is like a building without a foundation. It might look stable for a while, but it will collapse under the weight of time and trial. Real unity comes from a shared confession: Jesus is Lord. And everything that statement implies must be understood, cherished, and passed down.

God Does Repeat Himself—And Revival Is Not a New Thing

There’s a widespread belief in the modern church that God is always doing something “new”—as if revival will come by a novel method, a fresh movement, or a never-before-seen revelation. This is a dangerous misconception.

God does not change. And throughout Scripture and history, when God brings revival, He does so not by innovation but by reformation. He points His people backward—back to truth, back to His Word, back to who He truly is.

In the Bible:

• King Josiah (2 Kings 22–23) led national repentance and revival after rediscovering the Book of the Law. The people wept, tore down idols, and renewed their covenant with God.

• Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8) sparked revival in Israel not through spectacle but through reading and explaining the Law. The people wept as they understood the Word again.

• John the Baptist came not with a new message, but with the old one: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

• Jesus Himself, after His resurrection, pointed the two disciples on the road to Emmaus back to the Scriptures (Luke 24:27) to explain what had happened.

In history:

• The Protestant Reformation was not a revolution of novelty, but a revival of ancient truth—sola scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia.

• The Great Awakenings in America and England came through powerful preaching of sin, grace, and the cross—not through new theology, but renewed hearts.

• Every lasting revival has come by a return to the Bible, repentance, prayer, and the rediscovery of sound doctrine.

We don’t need new fire. We need the old flame rekindled. If you’re waiting for God to do something new while neglecting what He’s already commanded—His Word, His gospel, His truth—you’re not waiting in faith. You’re drifting.

The Creeds Are for the People

We must also reclaim an often-forgotten truth: the creeds, catechisms, and confessions of the church were not written for seminarians and scholars alone. They were written for you. For parents discipling their children. For ordinary believers seeking to grow in faith. For churches committed to teaching sound doctrine, not just lofty inspiration.

The Reformers understood this well. The Heidelberg Catechism was meant to be memorized by teenagers. The Westminster Confession was intended to instruct congregations. The Apostles’ Creed was used in baptism and worship—an anchor for every believer, not just the elders.

To abandon these tools is not to pursue freedom—it is to lose our moorings. We do not need to reinvent Christianity for every generation. We need to receive, believe, and proclaim the faith that has been handed down. And the tools of the Reformation help us do just that with clarity, beauty, and fidelity to Scripture.

A Call to Reformation—Again

Church, it’s time for another reformation—not of style, but of substance. Let us return to the deep wells of doctrinal truth, to the gospel rightly taught and clearly confessed. Let us dust off the catechisms and re-teach them to our children. Let us preach Christ crucified with theological precision and Spirit-empowered conviction.

Let us stop looking for new revelations and return to the ancient paths (Jeremiah 6:16). Let us rebuild not on the shifting sands of emotion and novelty, but on the firm foundation of Christ and His Word.

Let us unite—not around personalities, programs, or preferences—but around the person and work of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Word and confessed by the faithful through the ages.

Doctrine is not the enemy of unity. It is the source of it.