--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but…" description: "\"“MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but it is not the whole picture for a New Testament church. The apostles wanted to do much more than simply “hol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png" --- # MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but it is not the… ![“MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but it is not the whole picture for a New Testament church. The apostles wanted to do much more than simply “hold the fort,” as the old gospel song says. They asked God to empower them to move out and impact an entire culture. In too many places where the…” quote by Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png) > ““MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but it is not the whole picture for a New Testament church. The apostles wanted to do much more than simply “hold the fort,” as the old gospel song says. They asked God to empower them to move out and impact an entire culture. In too many places where the Bible is being thumped and doctrine is being argued until three in the morning, the Spirit of that doctrine is missing. William Law, an English devotional writer of the early 1700s, wrote, “Read whatever chapter of Scripture you will, and be ever so delighted with it—yet it will leave you as poor, as empty and unchanged as it found you unless it has turned you wholly and solely to the Spirit of God, and brought you into full union with and dependence upon him.”1”” [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Doctrine alone is insufficient; true transformation requires the Spirit’s work and full dependence on God. **In simple terms:** Faith must be lived, not just taught. Key Takeaway Seek Spirit‑filled life, not just doctrinal correctness. Themes faith spirituality church culture doctrine Mood reflective serious Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - preaching - personal devotion - community outreach - cultural engagement Key Concepts union with God spiritual dependence holistic discipleship Questions to Reflect On - How can churches balance doctrinal fidelity with Spirit‑led action? - What practices nurture true dependence on God? A Different Perspective Doctrine without Spirit can become empty ritual. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Doctrinal Purity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrinal-purity-1188217/) [Doctrine Argued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine-argued-2127484/) [Maintaining Doctrinal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maintaining-doctrinal-2127482/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) [Purity Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purity-good-2127485/) [Spirit Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit-doctrine-2127483/) [Spirit of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit-of-god/) ## Related quotes > [Purity is a good mask for corruption because it discourages inquiry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levitt/purity-is-a-good-mask-for-corruption-because-it-discourages-inquiry/) [Steven Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levitt/) > [A concern for doctrinal purity should always be based on love of the Lord, not a desire to express spiritual pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/a-concern-for-doctrinal-purity-should-always-be-based-on-love-of-the/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [“If we want that power to quicken our friends who are dead in sin, we must look to God, and not be looking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/if-we-want-that-power-to-quicken-our-friends-who-are-dead-in-sin-we/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [“The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-burden-that-god-places-on-us-squeezes-the-grapes-in-our-lives-and/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [So Jesus came and modelled a lifestyle of power and purity because the power of the Spirit of God was on him. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/so-jesus-came-and-modelled-a-lifestyle-of-power-and-purity-because/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [“What the apostle Paul is saying here is that the evidence the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person is the fact that he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/what-the-apostle-paul-is-saying-here-is-that-the-evidence-the-holy/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [“I am still surprised on a regular basis at the love I feel for the spirit of God, the deep respect and emotion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/i-am-still-surprised-on-a-regular-basis-at-the-love-i-feel-for-the/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [“But it will be asked, why are they now admonished of their duty, and not rather left to the guidance of the Spirit? Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/but-it-will-be-asked-why-are-they-now-admonished-of-their-duty-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [I believe in the spirit of God because I believe in the spirit of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-thurman/i-believe-in-the-spirit-of-god-because-i-believe-in-the-spirit-of-man/) [Keith Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-thurman/) > [“Remember, any day not surrendered to the Spirit of God will likely be lived in the flesh (Gal. 5:16–17).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/remember-any-day-not-surrendered-to-the-spirit-of-god-will-likely-be/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [“Dreams of the proud man, making great And greater ever, Things which are not of God. In wide And devious coverts, hunter-wise, He coucheth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/dreams-of-the-proud-man-making-great-and-greater-ever-things-which/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Rom 8:14   You are not even considered a son of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-houge/many-as-are-led-by-the-spirit-of-god-these-are-sons-of-god-rom-8-14/) [Adam Houge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-houge/) > [I never yet have known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/i-never-yet-have-known-the-spirit-of-god-to-work-where-the-lord-s/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [“now the Spirit had come, and Mark's account of the baptism makes it abundantly clear that he sees Jesus as the Messianic Son and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-green/now-the-spirit-had-come-and-mark-s-account-of-the-baptism-makes-it/) [Michael Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-green/) > [The more man distinguishes himself from the rest of creation, the more he becomes conscious of himself as the subject, as an "I" to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-more-man-distinguishes-himself-from-the-rest-of-creation-the-more/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) ## More by Jim Cymbala > [The old saying is true: If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-old-saying-is-true-if-you-have-only-the-word-you-dry-up-if-you/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [The reason "other churches" don't grow: "Jim, the truth is, I couldn't have a real prayer meeting in my church. I'd be embarrassed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-reason-other-churches-don-t-grow-jim-the-truth-is-i-couldn-t-have/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [People who have a seeking heart still make mistakes. But their reaction to rebuke and correction shows the condition of that heart. It determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/people-who-have-a-seeking-heart-still-make-mistakes-but-their/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [“In too many churches today, people don’t see manifestations of God’s power in answer to fervent praying. Instead, they hear arguments about theological issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/in-too-many-churches-today-people-don-t-see-manifestations-of-god-s/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [The more we pray, the more we sense our need to pray. And the more we sense a need to pray, the more we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-more-we-pray-the-more-we-sense-our-need-to-pray-and-the-more-we/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [What does it say about our churches today that God birthed the church in a prayer meeting, and prayer meetings today are almost extinct?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/what-does-it-say-about-our-churches-today-that-god-birthed-the-church/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [Jesus called fishermen, not graduates of rabbinical schools. The main requirement was to be natural and sincere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/jesus-called-fishermen-not-graduates-of-rabbinical-schools-the-main/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [God nowhere asks anyone to have a large church. He only calls us to do his work, proclaiming his Word to people he loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/god-nowhere-asks-anyone-to-have-a-large-church-he-only-calls-us-to-do/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [For all of us involved in preaching the gospel, performing music, publishing Christian materials, and all the rest, there is an uncomfortable message here:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/for-all-of-us-involved-in-preaching-the-gospel-performing-music/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [The work of God can only be carried on by the power of God. The key is not $, organization, cleverness or education. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-work-of-god-can-only-be-carried-on-by-the-power-of-god-the-key-is/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/you-can-tell-how-popular-a-church-is-by-who-comes-on-sunday-morning/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [“The British Bible translator J. B. Phillips, after completing his work on this section of Scripture, could not help reflecting on what he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-british-bible-translator-j-b-phillips-after-completing-his-work/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [Prayer cannot truly be taught by principles and seminars and symposiums. It has to be born out of a whole environment of felt need.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/prayer-cannot-truly-be-taught-by-principles-and-seminars-and/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [Persistent calling upon the name of the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, for nothing is impossible with God. For Christians in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/persistent-calling-upon-the-name-of-the-lord-breaks-through-every/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [“the Creator of all things is looking throughout the whole earth for a certain kind of heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-creator-of-all-things-is-looking-throughout-the-whole-earth-for-a/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) [Explore all 82 Jim Cymbala quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) [Robert A. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-peterson/) > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) [Stephen Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-taylor/) > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) [Walsham How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walsham-how/) > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but it is not the whole picture for a New Testament church. The apostles wanted to do much more than simply “hold the fort,” as the old gospel song says. They asked God to empower them to move out and impact an entire culture. In too many places where the Bible is being thumped and doctrine is being argued until three in the morning, the Spirit of that doctrine is missing. William Law, an English devotional writer of the early 1700s, wrote, “Read whatever chapter of Scripture you will, and be ever so delighted with it—yet it will leave you as poor, as empty and unchanged as it found you unless it has turned you wholly and solely to the Spirit of God, and brought you into full union with and dependence upon him.”1”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jim Cymbala" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but-it-is-not-the-whole-picture/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but-it-is-not-the-whole-picture/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/jim-cymbala-7997_bible_maintaining-doctrinal-purity-is-good-but_2623230.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“MAINTAINING DOCTRINAL PURITY IS good, but it is not the whole picture for a New Testament church. 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