Preaching Right Doctrine Without Teaching Right Living Is UnBiblical

Yesterday at church the pastor made the statement that preaching right doctrine without teaching right living is unBiblical.  That really struck me.

We can be taught all the right doctrine and theology and yet not be living it.  There are some churches that advertise they believe in the primacy of preaching the Word of God.  It sounds good.  But while they teach right doctrine, they do not encourage and teach right living on a regular basis. Somehow they think that if correct doctrine is taught right living will automatically happen in the congregation.  But Scripture is clear, the preacher is not only supposed to teach right doctrine, he is supposed to encourage and teach right living.  

"Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The point is that pastors are to preach Christ and then teach the people with wisdom so that they may become perfect (mature) in Christ Jesus.  It is pointless to teach correct doctrine without also teaching the application of that doctrine to one's life and right living.  When this happens people become complacent.

How is your church doing in this?  Are you being taught the Word of God...true doctrine?  Great!  Are you also being taught how to LIVE right in light of that true doctrine?  If the preacher is just  doing a Bible survey each week with observations from the current passage, with no exhortation to right living in light of that passage of Scripture then you are not getting good teaching.  Observations do not equal application.