1 TIMOTHY 4:16
16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
What does that mean? Why is it important?
- “Life” – how we live (1Jn 2:6)
- “Doctrine”: what we believe as truth, what we hold on to (Jn 8:31-32) Both must line up!
TITUS 1:9
9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Qualities of eldership. Not exclusive of elders! (Titus 2:1) something we should all do.
Two important reasons:
1. Encourage others
2. Refute those who oppose it
ENCOURAGE OTHERS:
Our relationships must be grounded in the truth.
ROMANS 15:14
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge, and competent to instruct one another.
Competent to instruct only if doctrine is sound!
1 CORINTHIANS 1:10
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
To agree with one another requires a standard we can agree to!
COLOSSIANS 3:16
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
This wisdom must come from the truth of sound doctrine.
REFUTE THOSE WHO OPPOSE IT:
We must take a stand for the truth.
GALATIANS 1:6-12
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
We need a hard-line position with this! There is only one truth!
1 TIMOTHY 6:3-5
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
What we often see in the world. Take a stand against it!
2 TIMOTHY 4:2-5
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Beginning of denominational Christianity. Not what God had in mind!
WHAT IS SOUND DOCTRINE?
3 important things to keep in mind. (these scriptures can be reviewed on their own)
1. Baptism is essential for salvation
For everyone! No other way
ACTS 2:36-39
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
1 PETER 3:21
21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
ACTS 8:36-39
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
2. “Followship” is discipleship
Must walk the talk!
1 JOHN 2:6
6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
LUKE 14:25-34
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. 34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
LUKE 9:57-62
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
3. Repentance is not just a good idea!
Confession is not enough. Acknowledgement is not enough. They must be followed by action…change!
We can’t afford to drift in our convictions about these or we become like the world again (2 Timothy 3:5)
LUKE 13:3
3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
ACTS 2:38
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
COMMON FALSE DOCTRINES FOUND TODAY:
“Pray Jesus into your heart”
- This phrase is never found in the Bible. Rev 3:20 does not support it! This was written to Christians after they had become lukewarm. They had already responded to Christ in faith, repented and been baptized!
REVELATION 3:20
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
“Accept Jesus into your heart”
- Often based on Romans 10:9 Look at the Scripture in context. He is addressing the problem of the Israelites unbelief that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God. Read further into 10:13. Paul already thoroughly explained baptism earlier in the letter. (Ro 6:1-10) When do you call on the name of the Lord? At baptism (Acts 22:16)
ROMANS 10:9
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Infant Baptism (doctrine of original sin)
- Ezekiel 18:20 We do not inherit sin from our parents! (we can suffer the consequences.) Col 2:12 Baptism requires faith! Babies have not yet developed this faith.
EZEKIEL 18:20
20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
The Thief on the Cross!
- Lk 23:42 He wasn’t baptized, yet was saved! Jesus hadn’t died yet. Baptism is participating in his death, burial and resurrection. While he was alive Jesus often forgave sins and saved people on the spot! (Mt 9:2, Mk 2:10)
LUKE 23:42
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Once saved, always saved
- Hebrews 6:4-8, Heb 10: 26- 27, 35-39 As disciples we can be confident of our salvation as long as we stay faithful to God! We can walk away from God if we choose.
HEBREWS 6:4-8
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[a] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end, it will be burned.
HEBREWS 10: 26- 27
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
HEBREWS 10:35-39
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,
“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”a]
38 And,
“But my righteousb] one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”c]
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
If we hold on to sound doctrine, we will walk on solid ground!
If we hold on to sound doctrine, we will walk on solid ground!