“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1 ESV)
If we are to teach what accords with “sound doctrine,” how do we know what is “sound doctrine” and what is not? First of all we must be in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ by faith in him via dying with him to sin and now living to him and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to him. Then we must be listening for the Spirit’s voice guiding and directing us as we study the Scriptures (IN CONTEXT) in showing us what they are saying. And we must be testing everything we read and hear from others to make certain that what they are teaching is the truth and not the lies.
But as we read through the Scriptures, we should not read them with our minds already made up based on something we had learned previously from our parents or former preachers or others of influence in our lives who may or may not have taught the Scriptures to us correctly. So as we study the Scriptures fresh we must be willing to unlearn what we learned wrongly and to change our doctrinal beliefs if, as we study the Scriptures, and we compare Scripture with Scripture on the same subjects, we find that what we had believed all along is not really what the Scriptures teach in context.
And CONTEXT is always critical to correct biblical interpretation. So many people today are teaching certain Scriptures out of their context and they are making them say what they do not say if taught correctly in context. And when I was growing up that was done much in gospel presentations where we were taught to use certain Scriptures, one after another, to present the gospel of our salvation. But they were out of context and so they did not give a completely accurate picture of the gospel of Christ. And what many did then is to adopt a diluted and altered gospel message, instead.
Let me give you a few examples of what I am talking about here. Many people are teaching Ephesians 2:8-9 absent of verse 10 which is critical to the whole message. And so they are teaching people that God requires no works of us at all. And many of them are teaching that we don’t have to repent of (turn from) our sins, and that we do not have to obey our Lord’s commands (New Covenant) but all we have to do is “believe,” without really defining biblically what it means to believe. But verse 10 says that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus “for good works” which God prepared in advance that we should “walk in them.”
But God’s grace is not free license to keep living in sin while claiming salvation from sin and eternal life with God. His grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say ‘No’ to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And his grace, which sent Jesus to the cross, delivers us from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we can now walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in holy living. And death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord are required for salvation from sin.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]
Another example of this is John 10:28-30 which leaves out verse 27. Verse 28, which is most always quoted first, begins with “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish…” But verse 27 tells us who “they” are. So why is it so common to leave out who “they” are? Because they are using these promises broadly to include everyone who gives lip service to having faith in Jesus Christ. But verses 28-30 do not apply to everyone who professes the name of Jesus. Read verse 27. They apply only to those who are listening to the voice of the Lord and who are following him in obedience, in practice.
And another big one is Romans 10:9-10. Many are teaching this as “the gospel” message, but out of context of the whole of Romans. And so they are teaching that all we have to do is to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, and we will be saved. But Romans 6 and Romans 8, in particular, do not teach that. They teach that we must die with Christ to sin and that we must no longer let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to our Lord is what we obey, its end is eternal life with Christ Jesus our Lord. (see Romans 6:1-23)
And they teach that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if we live according to the flesh, doing what our flesh desires, and we do not walk in obedience to the Lord, then the end result is death, not life eternal. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (see Romans 8:1-14)
So, don’t read the Scriptures out of context and then apply them broadly where they do not apply or in the wrong way. Study them IN CONTEXT.
Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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