Sunday, January 15, 2006

Titus - Doctrine

Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

The Judaizing teachers not only taught a false doctrine, but they led an unholy life; Titus was to act directly opposite; he must teach a sacred doctrine, and the things which become it; he must proclaim the truth, and illustrate that truth. The people must not only be well instructed, but they must be holy in their lives. Principle and practice must go hand in hand. (Clark)

One new Christian said, why don't Christians agree? Why are they always arguing?

Sound doctrine is the word of God taken in context. It is accurately spoken and it is God's absolute truth. If the word of God is not clearly understood, probably others do not understand either. Do not supply the answer if something is not clear. We are not to assume something is true and then look for support for our view in God's word. We must examine all the word to understand about a teaching. Doctrines that divide, probably are not the whole truth but part of a larger truth. We cannot preach one verse and overlook all others.

2 Tim 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Tim 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Preach the word as it is and do not speak words to make an audience happy or to entertain them.

2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Tim 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Sound docrine has Jesus at the center.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

He is the way of salvation and restoration to God, the Father. We were originally created in his image, to have fellowship with him. Satan tempted Eve and Adam did notcorrect her.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

The result was through believing the lie, they died in body and in spirit. Blood sacrifice was required for the covering of sins. By faith in God's promises, the Son, the seed, salvation comes to us.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

What are basic doctrines that we should teach? Perhaps we should examine some of the assumptions that we hear?

Assumption: God loves everyone.

God loves us through receiving Jesus as Lord. His justice will send the non believer to hell. We cannot separate his love from his justice.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Assumption: We are all God's children, he would not send anyone to hell.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

The sheep are those who believe and follow Jesus, the shepherd. The goats are those who do not believe and do not belong to him.

Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Hell was created for the devil and his angels. Those who go to hell would not repent from their sins and come to Jesus for forgiveness and a new life.

Assumption: Water baptism in Jesus' name is salvation.

We are commanded to be baptized as a sign to men and spirits that we identify with Jesus Christ. Baptism is in obedience. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, wherein we receive grace to become the eternal children of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Assumption: We are saved by keeping the law of Moses

The law cannot save us, for only Jesus could keep all the law. The law brings death because of sin. After salvation through faith in Jesus, we do good works and the fruit of God's Holy Spirit.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The new life is in Christ, we are to conform to his mind.

1 Cor 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

There is only one God - Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; Gal. 4:8-9

  Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (Always was, always will be.)
Isa 43:11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Jesus is God.)
Isa 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there wasno strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Isa 43:13  Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? (We do not command God.)
Isa 43:14  Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
Isa 43:15  I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
Isa 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.   Jesus speaking in Revelation:   Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.


Isa 44:7  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them. Isa 44:8  Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Isa 44:9  They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.   1 Cor 8:5  For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
1 Cor 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.


God is a Trinity, Triune - 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1John 5:7

2 Cor 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

1 Pet 1:2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1 John 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Eaglewings New Testament Studies

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good post.    Few churches will say we have 75-90% of the truth and the rest we just don't know. Everyone likes to think they have a handle on it all. When 90% of those who name Christ as Lord have not read the entire Bible; much less studied it; you are going to have more opinions than foundation. I see many people that say they believe in God but deny what Jesus said about Himself and attack the NT as false and call the apostle Paul a liar and heretic.
   People come up with some strange ideas. For instance; the passage in Mark chapter 16. Some people feel the need to prove their faith by handling poisonous snakes or drinking a small percentage of arsenic. Paul did not do things like that to prove his faith. In Acts; he was bitten by a snake...he just shook it off in the fire and went on. There was not a public display.
Still others as you mentioned think they can get to heaven apart from Christ shed blood by keeping the Law. If this was not sad enough they are teaching others the same view.
   It all comes down to who do you say Jesus is. Jesus considered who men believed Him to be of fundamental importance. C. S. Lewis, who was a professor at Cambridge University and once an agnostic, wrote: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be GOD.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of GOD: or else a madman or something worse."