Worth Repeating - March 5, 2017

I Timothy 4: 16 Watch yourself and your doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (NIV)

Regardless of what its bearer may claim, any message not in harmony with Scripture is not true.*

Paul urges us, through his words to Timothy, to be careful of the doctrine we adopt. This is good advice for everyone, of course, but especially for preachers, teachers, group leaders – and me. Every day I run the risk of leading someone astray with faulty conclusions and misunderstandings when I post another installment in my blog. 

How do you “watch yourself and your doctrine?” The short answer, according to Paul, is to persevere. Here is how to put Paul’s advice into action: 

1. Base your doctrine on what the scriptures say, not what you read somewhere else (including here!). It’s fine to discover what others have to say, but compare their words to the Word and see how they measure up. If you can’t back it up by scripture, you need to back off! 

2. Pray – for wisdom to discern the truth for yourself and that your students, congregation or other audience will be blessed by what you are saying. 

3. Practice what you preach. There’s no better way to grasp the meaning of a passage than by living it. Your impact on others becomes more powerful when you model the message. “Living holiness,” as opposed to just “preaching holiness,” “puts power in the message.”* 

By persevering in the Word, we save ourselves and our hearers. That’s what Paul said. It’s in the Bible. Look it up and see!

It is only when truth is discovered that it is appropriated. When
a man is simply told the truth, it remains external to him and he can quite easily forget it. When he is led to discover the truth himself, it becomes an integral part of him and he never forgets.*