Blogging BCM: Sound Doctrine

Tuesday night Tim shared from 1 Timothy 1:3-11 a message entitled Sound Doctrine. He stressed the importance of sitting under sound doctrine in the church and called out many churches today who lack sound, Word-centered teaching. He also cited this flaw as one of the main reasons many are turned off by or have had bad experiences in the church. In addition, Tim talked about the fruits of sound doctrine and walking with a good conscience. In this post, I want to dig deeper into a certain verse from these passages. As is the purpose with this series of posts throughout each semester, I want to take a passage that, due to time, was not able to fully be examined and and look at it in more detail. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:5:

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

What Paul states in this one verse is absolutely crucial to understanding our need for sound doctrine and why he presses it so much throughout his letters to Timothy. As stated in the beginning, this is the whole aim (or goal) of this specific section of Scripture. He says that the aim of their charge is love. The charge Paul is speaking of is seen in verse 3, stating that Timothy is to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine. So therefore, the charge is to not teach anything contrary to the sound doctrine that has been entrusted to Timothy. So the goal of not teaching any different doctrine is love. Love therefore, should pour out of sitting under sound teaching. How does this love come from enduring sound doctrine?

Paul continues writing that this love:

issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

What the conclusion of this verse shows us is that when we sit under and endure sound teaching, we will develop a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, therefore resulting in love. We might ask, "well how is this possible?" When we seek out and long for sound teaching, when we listen to sermons that are doctrinally sound and find churches that preach in a Word-centered way, we will be transformed by the Truth of God's Word. We will be thoroughly convicted, be challenged to repent of our sins and therefore develop consciences that are no longer laden with guilt. We will grow in sanctification and our minds will be transformed by the renewing power of His Word (Romans 12:2) in a way that we will no longer seek the desires of our flesh, but seek to glorify God in all that we say and do, therefore developing a pure heart. Through the power of His Word being taught in a doctrinally sound manner, we will be challenged to not only speak Christ and Him crucified, but to live it out with a complete, sincere faith.

Paul cannot stress to us enough the importance of seeking and undergoing sound teaching. If we do not sit under teaching that convicts and encourages us in our faith and that is doctrinally sound, we ultimately will not be able to love to our fullest capacity in Christ. The goal of our need to sit and endure sound doctrine is that we may love by the grace of God to our fullest potential through the developing of a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith as a result of the sound doctrine we absorb. There is a lot riding on who we listen to and where we attend church. Our spiritual maturity is at stake. Our spiritual growth is at stake. Our ability to love others is at stake. Paul stresses it. God's Word demands it. We must seek out and endure sound teaching.

Throughout Your Daily Devotions:

1. Read and Study 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Galatians 5:16-26 and Romans 12

2. Are you currently sitting under sound doctrine that is centered upon God's Word?

3. In what areas of your personal life do you need to seek to be more doctrinally sound?

As always if you have any questions, or need help finding a church body that is Biblical and doctrinally sound, feel free to talk to Tim, Mike or myself.