Bible Reading: Nehemiah 5: Titus 2:1-8
“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” – Titus 2:1 (KJV).
Not every doctrine or teaching is sound. Some of the things that people teach as Christian doctrines are traditions of men and doctrines of the devil. For doctrine to be classified as sound, it must agree with the teachings of Christ. True or sound doctrine must not contradict the bigger picture in the entire scripture.
Most times, people claim to receive revelations from God that seem to contradict the entire teachings of the Bible. It is evident that such revelations cannot be from God because God cannot contradict himself; he is not an author of confusion. Sound doctrine must agree with the entire scripture. The entire scriptures from Old Testament to the New Testament testify of Jesus. Any teaching that does not glorify Jesus or that does not recognize his lordship cannot be classified as sound teaching.
Sound doctrine promotes holiness, love, the authority of the scriptures as the word of God, Jesus as the only way to God and genuine repentance leading to salvation by faith and not by works. Sound teaching must acknowledge the cross and the substitutionary work of Christ in redemption. It must acknowledge salvation as the free gift of God and man’s response by faith in the gospel of Christ. Sound doctrine embraces God’s part in the plan of salvation and man’s part in receiving salvation by faith and working out the salvation in fear and trembling. Although man is not required to do good works to be saved because salvation cannot be earned but man is expected to do good works after he is saved as the fruit of the new nature.
Sound doctrine must embrace the eternal destiny of true believers in heaven and the eternal doom of sinners in the lake of fire that burns with fire and brimstone.
It is expedient that every teacher embraces and teaches sound doctrines to save themselves and the hearers. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” – 1 Timothy 4:16 (KJV).
PRAYER: Lord, help me to continue in sound doctrine.
Rev. Vincent Diolu