Teach The Good Stuff - It's Called Sound Doctrine

I was reading Titus chapter 2 this evening and looking at it from a big picture perspective. Often when coming to this chapter we reflect on what Paul is telling Titus to teach to the various groups; older men and women, and younger men and women. But look at how the chapter begins and ends.

The first verse in this chapter says "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:" Paul is telling Titus (and us) that what we speak and teach must find its basis in sound doctrine, something that is surely missing in the church today. He then goes on and gives us examples of teaching that is based on sound doctrine when he tells us what to teach to the various groups of men and women. Take a minute to read Titus 2.

Isn't it interesting how little of this is taught in the typical church today? The churches see their primary task as evangelizing, not edifying and building up the saints. Churches worry about whether they are "seeker friendly" or whether they are using the best marketing methodologies to bring new people into the church. Yet as we read this passage, the teaching to each group is supposed to edify and build up the families present such that the church of God is a vibrant and radiant example of what God calls his people to be like. Evangelism is part of dominion taking and is expected of each and every family in the church. The church is to build the families up that they might be more effective in the process. How many churches are focused on building men, young men in particular, up to be leaders, leaders in their families and eventually leaders within the church and community? If they would train up leaders, dominion takers, then both families and the church would be strengthened. We would begin to accomplish that which God put us here for, rather than just biding our time.

This passage in Titus 2 ends with Paul saying "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." See it? All this teaching, according to sound doctrine, the teaching about how to live godly lives, our leaders must speak, exhort and rebuke with all authority. This teaching isn't to be a "good idea" or a "suggestion." No, it is to be taught with all authority ... thus saith the Lord! We are to teach it and to model it.

The last sentence of that passage is intriguing. "Let no man despise thee." What does that mean? It could be rephrased "Let no man exalt his own thinking above yours." In other words, if you teach and live carefully according to sound doctrine, then even though others despise your teaching, they can never quite exalt their own thinking above what you teach because your words are God's words. As long as you teach "thus saith the Lord," teaching his sound doctrine, others' attempts to dismiss your teaching will fail in their hearts and they will have to be ashamed of themselves.

We are to teach and live according to sound doctrine, that, as Paul said here, "the word of God be not blasphemed." God's word gives us all that we need for life and godliness. Let's choose this day to faithfully teach it to our families and to live it, that we might be that light, that city on the hill that others will look to and see our Lord. Remember, you might be the only Jesus some will ever see. Live according to sound doctrine glorifying God in all you do.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Jesus made that wonderful statement on the greatest of all the commandments when he said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

Reflecting on that the other day it came to me how we measure our love by what we do for our neighbor. Are we praying for them, visiting them when they are sick, bringing them meals, or helping them in times of need. These and many other ways we can tangibly see how we express love for our neighbor. This is a most excellent thing ... unless we forget the first and greatest commandment in favor of the second.

Remember that greatest commandment? To love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Do we do this? What does it mean to love God? Jesus reminded us in many places, but one in particular was John 14:15 where he told us that if we love him we will OBEY him. Unfortunately our culture teaches us to do whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want, and that perhaps we can pull it off without any consequences at all. Certainly we don't need to obey God, after all he wants us to be happy and free to do as we please, right?

That line of thinking follows from a pagan thought process that all of life is about ME. My happiness, my peace, my prosperity. It is a lie from Satan and from our corrupted nature. The only true freedom and happiness that we can have in this life comes first from being saved by God and then from living a life that he desires for us.

Face it, left to our own brilliance, things rarely work out well in the short run and never in the long run. Think you can make it on your own without God? Good luck. At some point man's wisdom, man's solutions, man's science and medical genius all fall short. Without God there is no hope.

God designed the universe and all that is in it. He knows what is best in life for you. He designed a way of life that rises above the foolishness of man. Wouldn't you like to enjoy that rather than head for another failure?

You see God told us at creation that we were to be fruitful and multiply, to govern over this earth as his representative over all of creation that he might be glorified. As such it is foolishness to try and do it any way other than his way. He gives us all of the Bible and it's moral law to show us how to govern over creation and how to govern our own lives.

We can't know how to love him or how to love our neighbor if we don't know what the Bible commands. He shows us and tells us what real love is. Not the watered down selfish version the world sells us, but the real thing. If we don't do it his way, if we aren't obedient to the whole teaching of the Bible, then we are slapping God in the face.

We might have our arm around our neighbor loving him, but what if our other hand is slapping God in the face? Do we really love God, or do we choose to ignore his clear teaching. He gives us laws, commands, principles and precepts by which we can know what to do in each and every situation of life. Let's begin to learn them today and to live it, showing God that we love him because we obey him!

Harvard Sinks Deeper

Harvard University announced on August 15, 2005 that it was going to allocate millions of dollars to prove that there is no God. They certainly have had many evolutionary professors and much that has come out of that school that is anti-God, but this is perhaps their biggest statement. The Answers in Genesis website has an excellent article discussing this.

Isn't it amazing how far we have fallen. Harvard, founded in 1634, was a Christian school. The founders of the school adopted a seal and motto that glorified God and set forth the idea that the Bible was the basic document of truth in the world. That it was God's Word and as such foundational for all of life. They believed that a university student need a biblical education in whatever their lifelong calling.

Today we see how far we have fallen. It is nearly impossible to find a college or university that teaches a literal six days of creation as set forth in the book of Genesis. What level of indoctrination does the average child receive who attends government public schools and then goes on to college for more? What can we do to protect our children from this? Is it important enough to take action on?

Satan wants us to trust in the wisdom of man and not in the Word of God. What is the basis for your life? The shifting sands of man's opinions, thoughts and theories, or the rock solid unchanging Word of God? Think hard about that before you answer. Are all your decisions and thoughts based on what the Word of God says or do we find ourselves buying in to tradition, what everyone else does, or what we think works? Do you ever find yourself reading a passage in the Bible and then saying "BUT." But that won't work in our culture, but we are free in Christ, not under the law, we can live as we see fit.

So what can we do for our children? Can we see what the Bible says we are to teach them? Can we see how the Bible says we are to teach them? Once we understand, can we be obedient to God and just do it! Or will we find the excuses we always use and send them off to another anti-God indoctrination? God will hold us accountable for our choices. It's his Word and he expects us to obey him. Choose this day who you will follow, as for me and my household, we will follow the Lord.

Are You Serious?

Do we take seriously all of God's Word, or do we pick and choose what we want, what we like, or what is convenient for us? Do we dismiss the teaching of the Old Testament as ... old? Let's look at what Jesus said about the Old Testament and whether we must be obedient to God's commands or not.

In the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in part at Matthew 5:17, Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." What key word do you see here? Abolish. Jesus said twice in this verse "Hey everyone, I have not come to abolish the Old Testament. In no way is it going away." (The Law and the Prophets is what we call today the Old Testament.)

So twice He says He didn't come to abolish the Old Testament law and commands, but instead to fulfill them. What does fulfill mean? Many have debated this endlessly and so often it is twisted to mean some variation of diminished or dismissed the Old Testament law in favor of New Testament grace. Stop and think for a minute. Jesus says twice He did not come to abolish it and we twist the meaning of the word "fulfill" to mean that He did come to abolish it. Would Jesus contradict himself like that? Certainly not!

In fact, He makes it clear to us in verse 19 of the same passage when He says: "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Is there any part of that that sounds like Jesus diminished, dismissed or abolished the Old Testament law and commands? Of course not.

So why do we see so little teaching and preaching on the Old Testament moral laws and commands? Why do so few Christians fail to even know the most basic statement of the law, the Ten Commandments, and just exactly what they mean? Obviously, it's because we have a very shallow understanding of the Bible and neither our own study nor the teaching of our leaders have given us that depth of understanding we need. The failure ultimately lays within ourselves, though. We are responsible before God to know what his Word says and to be obedient to it.

The doctrine of justification teaches us that we truly are saved by grace through faith. The doctrine of sanctification teaches us that, once saved, God expects us to be obedient to Him, growing and maturing and learning to be like Him in our character, that we might accomplish those good works he has prepared in advance for us to do. (See Ephesians 2:8-10)

We can only submit all of our life to Him when we truly understand how He calls us to live. When we only have a vague understanding of what God calls us to we tend to make it whatever we want it to be, fitting it into our lives on our terms. Guess what? That's just not going to work. God is still sovereign and in charge of the universe. Not us. If we aren't willing to obey Him, what kind of faith do we really have? A deep abiding faith, or a shallow lukewarm version?

Let us submit ourselves fully to Him. Let us dedicate ourselves to learning the whole counsel of God, Old and New Testament, learning His commands, laws, precepts and principles, that we will know HOW to live obediently that we might glorify Him. God gives us all we need through His Word, all we need to know how to live truly holy and righteous lives.

Let's take Him seriously. Show Him you love Him and His law, just like David did in Psalm 119, and live obediently, in EVERY area of your life!

Under the Law?

There are some who say that we are 'not under the law', and I agree with them wholeheartedly. But I must always ask this question: What does it mean to 'not be under the law?' Does it mean that we are "free" from the law and don't need to obey it anymore? Is it because we are saved by faith through grace and no longer under the law? Sometimes we say things and we really don't think about what they mean.

If we are "free" from being under the law, then let's look at the most basic statement of the law, the Ten Commandments. If I'm completely "free" from being under them then it must mean:

First Commandment: It's okay to have other gods before God.
Second Commandment: It's okay to worship idols.
Third Commandment: It's okay to take the name of the Lord in vain.
Fourth Commandment: It's okay to ignore the Sabbath.
Fifth Commandment: It's no longer necessary to honor your parents.
Sixth Commandment: Killing's not that big of a deal.
Seventh Commandment: Want your neighbor's wife, feel free to take her.
Eighth Commandment: Want something you can't afford? Just take it.
Ninth Commandment: A little lie isn't that big of a deal.
Tenth Commandment: Coveting your neighbor's stuff? Don't sweat it.

That's not it? That's not what it means to be "free" from being under the law? It's all the other law's in the Bible that we don't have to worry about, the Ten Commandments are still okay? The other laws in Bible are all case laws and examples that derive from the Ten Commandments. Either they apply or they don't. So what is the answer?

We're free to determine right from wrong ourselves? God doesn't think so. He still has this notion that he's in charge. So what is the answer?

We only have to obey what's in the New Testament? God changed his mind about all that other stuff? Jesus said that he didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. So what is the answer?

In Romans 3-5 Paul tells us that we are indeed free from being under the law such that we are saved by the awesome work of Christ in our lives. We are saved by faith through grace and through NO work of our own. We can't do anything to merit salvation or God's approval. To that extent we are dead to the penalty of the law.

In Romans 6-7 Paul goes on to tell us the rest of the story. He tells us that we are alive to the law as it is our sanctification. It tells us how God expects us to live. Once we are saved we are no longer slaves to sin and are to, in love for Jesus, choose to conform to the law. He says it is our righteousness. This ties beautifully to what James said, "faith without deeds is dead faith." How can our saving faith be real if after we are saved we don't love the Lord enough to obey him?

Jesus said at John 14:15, if you love me you will obey me. In other words, talk is cheap. If we really are saved, let's show it by being zealous to learn about all of God's laws, commands, principles and precepts that we might know how to be obedient to him in every area of our lives and so glorify him ... our Great Lord and Savior!

Missing the Point

Problems, problems, always problems. There seems to be a never ending steam of problems confronting the church today. One at the forefront nowadays seems to be same sex marriage. Denominations, churches, and individual Christians argue and fight over what is "right." As Christians we should know better. There is only one truth and only one right and we know the Person to ask to find it out.

Next time you have to deal with this or anyone of hundreds of other issues and controversies, stop and think! That's right, we Christians have learned over the years how NOT to stop and think. Let me challenge you to quit looking at symptoms of problems and examine the real issue next time.

What is the issue? Simply this, the sovereignty of God and the sufficiency of Scripture! Think about it, it all boils down to that. Whatever the current controversy, have we stopped to think about those two keys?

The sovereignty of God simply refers to the fact that God is the Creator of all things, the Lord of all the universe. If he is Lord of your life then you have chosen to acknowledge that he truly is in charge and must be obeyed in every area of life. This being the case, whatever the issue you face, you will seek his counsel and direction, and once found you will submit yourself to it. If instead you choose to place the opinions of man (yourself, others, scientists, scholars, friends, or even ministers) above the counsel of God, then you are a fool and will engage in foolish discussion with other fools! Seek the wisdom of God.

And where can we find the wisdom of God? In his holy Word, of course, which brings us to the issue of the sufficiency of Scripture. The sufficiency of Scripture refers to the clear teaching of the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3 and elsewhere that the Bible is the inspired word of God and has God's answers that we need for every decision of life.

Think about it, we argue and debate over so many different issues and totally ignore the clear teaching of the Bible. We see so called "Bible scholars and ministers" trying to bend the clear teaching of the Bible to say whatever they want it to say. Paul warned us in 2 Timothy 4:3 that many in the church would gather around them teachers and preachers to say whatever they wanted to hear, but not the truth. That describes our times.

Take the issue of same sex marriage. If you agree that God is sovereign (and he is whether you agree or not!), and if you agree with the sufficiency of Scripture, then there isn't much of an issue at all. Paul says in Romans 1:25 "they exchanged the truth of God for a lie" and goes on to discuss how both men and women engaged in homosexual activities which are a perversion to the Lord. Then in Romans 1:32 he sums it up saying "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

What terrible judgment is upon the church in America for blessing what is evil. What blasphemy for us to elevate our opinions above God's clear teaching. Blasphemy as we violate the First Commandment and place ourselves over God. Let the church repent of its evil ways and turn its hearts back to God, submitting to his Sovereignty and Lordship as we come back to his wholly sufficient Scripture.