ASK THE PASTOR WITH DALE RATZLAFF | Pastor and Founder, Life Assurance Ministries (1936–2024)
Why do you spend so much time examining doctrine and theology?
DALE RATZLAFF
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Mt. 1:23).
Doctrine and theology are important. However, neither one is an end in itself. Doctrine and theology serve much like a map pointing us toward our desired destination, but it is easy to get so involved in reading the details of the map that we get our eyes off the goal of the gospel journey. If, on the other hand, we carefully observe both ends of the map—the birth of Christ and the cross—we may more clearly define our desired destination and find the best route to it.
Adam and Eve lost the dominion over the earth because of their sin of unbelief. They trusted the lies of Satan and distrusted the word of God. But God, out of His great love for His crowning act of creation, humbled Himself, took real humanity, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.
He was “God with us”.
Christ regained the dominion when He refused to trust the lies of Satan in the wilderness, but depended on the Word of God. Moreover, when Christ died on the cross, He became our substitute in that He took the full penalty for our sin and imputed to us who believe His perfect righteousness.
In Christ’s last discourse before the cross, He gave His disciples a clear description of His destination and theirs—the most profound teaching on the mutual indwelling of the Father, Christ, and grace believers.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works (Jn. 14:9-10).
I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me (Jn. 17:20-23).
The goal of doctrine and theology is to point us to this relationship, this mutual indwelling, this abiding. “Abiding” means “to feel at home in the presence of”. Doctrine and theology serve to give us the gospel facts so that we may feel comfortable to settle down in the presence of God without fear. When we fully believe that Christ has done all there is to do to usher us into the most holy place of God’s presence, then we begin to abide. Only then can we have the boldness to enter that most holy place.
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (Eph. 3:11-12).
It is this abiding, this mutual indwelling that allows us to experience true joy.
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full (Jn. 15:11).†
Dale Ratzlaff (1936–2024), is the founder of Life Assurance Ministries and Proclamation! Magazine. He served as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor for 13 years, seven at Monterey Bay Academy where he taught Bible. He and his wife Carolyn left the Adventist church in 1981 when he realized he could no longer teach the investigative judgment with a clear conscience. He has authored several books on Adventism that are available through his website, SabbathInChrist.com.
