Scripture:
Titus 1:9
“ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Observation:
In Titus chapter 1 the author lays out the qualifications of those who are in church leadership. Included within this are not only a life that is being lived above reproach but also the directive to be solid in doctrine and a learner of the Scriptures. In this sense sound doctrine is guarded by those who are followers of Jesus. The imperative in Titus is that leaders within the church are not only able to teach doctrine to others but also to guard from those who seek to sway people away from the belief of the Scriptures.
Application:
In my life I need to be a learner. Doctrine is not something that I just have or possess but it comes from learning and from instructing in others. Am I surrounding myself with people who I can learn from? Am I active in the word every day allowing God to refine my doctrine? It is also not enough to simply have the head knowledge of doctrine without truly walking it out in faith. I believe that the true test of my doctrine may not be if I can answer the test questions properly (although that is important) but, if I have sound doctrine then it will be reflected in the life that I live. Today, I want to be a learner of God’s Word and a doer of what I learn.
Prayer:
Thank You Jesus that you through You we can have relationship to God. That I can be a person of the Word because Your Holy Spirit is revealing truth to me. Help me as I live today to not only have sound doctrine in my head but also give me the faith to walk it out in my life. Amen.