Well-baked Doctrine
I am a HUGE fan of cooking shows, and when it comes to baking shows, I border on obsessive. I love watching these experts create amazing pastries and gorgeous cakes. The artistry they can achieve with food is incredible, and I can only imagine that it tastes as wonderful as it looks. Recently, a show I was watching had “Pie and Tart” week, and while I was watching it, I was thinking about how the mistakes they make in baking can mirror the mistakes people make in theology.
“But the love, mercy and grace of God who sent the Son to be sacrificed for our sin is the perfect amount of sweetness.”
Sometimes, a baker brings a beautiful pastry, and everyone oohs and ahhs over how fabulous it is. When the judges bite into it, they proclaim it’s too sweet. There isn’t enough depth to the taste, and everything is just overly sugary. This is the same as a hyper-grace doctrine, where instead of being concerned with obedience to the word of God, they flaunt their grace as being all they need. Romans 6:1-2 say, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Paul is quite clear: even though we have been forgiven by grace for our sins and secured our home in heaven, God expects us to live a life that is pleasing to Him and follows His ways.
Even worse, the judges sometimes refuse to even try an entry! Even though it looks perfect, when they cut into it, they discover it’s underbaked. Deep down, it’s still raw and could give the judges food poisoning. In fact, it’s dangerous. There are religious philosophies that are the same way. Some deny the deity of Christ. Others have Bibles or books that were created by pastors or leaders that contradict the Word of God. Still more elevate their leaders to the point of idolatry. 2 Peter 2:2 says, “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” These aren’t only “distasteful”; they’re poison to the human soul.
Sometimes bakers just try to complicate their tart too much. They want to add layers that just aren’t supported enough. When that happens, the whole thing collapses into a big mess. It’s the same when we try to add to the scripture or even to the plan of salvation. And without the structure of the scripture, our doctrine is doomed. Or they just put things in that don't work with the recipe. Maybe they’re good things, but they’re not scriptural things, so they take away from the goodness of sound doctrine. When churches add “requirements” to salvation, it’s unsatisfying to the soul, just as adding the wrong things to a recipe is unsatisfying to the palate.
Then someone brings up a simple-looking pie. When the judges bite into it, their eyes light up. You can see on their faces that this dessert isn’t boring at all, but contains a depth underneath that makes it delicious! The gospel is the same way. On the surface, it’s quite simple and may seem too easy to be effective. But the love, mercy and grace of God who sent the Son to be sacrificed for our sin is the perfect amount of sweetness. Our praise and worship are the spices that bring depth and flavor. And the disciplines of prayer, fasting and Bible study give structure to our lives that keep them from collapsing.
Be sure that any theology you’re following is well-baked. Don’t follow something that’s all decoration and no substance. Watch out for those who would lead you away from the truth of God's word, and don’t try to complicate the simplicity of God’s plan of salvation. As Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is Good.”
written by Christy Poe, Redeemer Church member