Purposed
eph. 1:9
Doctrine: Truth to Walk in
A general trend is growing in many churches in our day. From the south-east, listening to Christian radio, to the larger camp meetings, even churches overseas; the immaturity level amongst the Christian is overwhelming. Most pastors are extremely exhausted and spend the majority of their time training “Christians” that have been in the faith for years. I must say for someone with typically good health at age 20 to still be unable to walk is an unheard of thought. I’m grateful Momma helped train me to walk as a little tike and soon enough the crawling days were over. I am sure you too can reflect on those days when learning how to walk. Many times when we see a typical older child in good health still crawling we look at the parents and ponder “why haven't you helped your child to overcome this natural phase in their life?” We clearly understand it’s not the child's fault. Although this may be a feeble illustration, I think the point is understood. Much is realm.
the same in the Church Christians crawling for
years in the faith yet still not walking in victory or there is no stability when difficulty arises. One of the main problems is not found in the pew but behind the pulpit. Let us be honest with ourselves, we live in an era with very little doctrinal preaching. This saddens and challenges my heart. I greatly appreciate the “Camp Meeting” messages that help your heart and stir you to a more compassionate love for our Saviour. However, looking back over my own life the preaching that has firmed me in truth and established my life upon the solid foundation and faith in Christ has been Doctrinal Preaching. Paul used the word “Doctrine” some sixteen times as he spoke to Timothy and Titus. He continues to reiterate the importance of “Sound Doctrine.” As men, we are to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15 Timothy and Titus were to study and search the Scriptures asking God to lead them into truth and enlighten their spiritual understanding (Eph.1:18). Paul had no desire for those God
“...give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
I Timothy 4:13
placed under him to merely preach about the truth, but rather to actually preach the truth. To make it their own, in which God Himself would reveal. When the Lord had made it real unto them, as He had made it real unto Paul, they then could “...speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” Titus 2:1 In other words Paul didn’t just want them merely repeating what he had said, but rather he wanted them to experience the truth for themselves. Many men only preach what they have been told or only what they have heard (tradition), never searching out the scriptures for themselves; this has major effects on the future generations. Look and you can see the snowball effect it has: ex. the first generation preaches God’s revealed truth from the scriptures. The next generation preaches the same truth but only from what they have solely heard, never making it
their own. Finally, the last or third generation is so far from the real truth that it becomes in their minds truth based on tradition and not the scriptures. This is error and very dangerous. Let me ask you a few valid questions, “Why do you believe what you believe?” “Do you believe it to be truth?” “How do you know that it is truth?” “Do you speak about the truth or do you speak the actual truth?” Everything that establishes and enables a christian for the victorious life in Christ is found in doctrinal truths. Doctrine is essential and a must in our day! Doctrine is the saint’s positional “how to do” in order to perform the “what to do.” Let us live our Christian life in truth & victory for the Glory of God and for the future generations to come.
Jesus Christ counts as service not what we do for Him, but what we are to Him, and the inner secret of that is identity with Him in person. “That I may Know Him.” - Oswald Chambers
Looking unto Jesus the author and
“
the finisher or our faith;...”Hebrews 12:2
I have confidence in you. Paul faced many different problems while away from the church at Corinth. Back-bitting, bitterness, pride and division began to set in. Immorality, incest, fornication, and idolatry had also taken root in the church. They had turned the Lord’s Supper into a pot-luck dinner. Little “clicks” had formed because of the various personalities of preachers. “I like Paul!”, one would say while another pipes up and proclaims, “Apollo is my preacher!” Honestly we would have given up on them. However, in the midst of that problem riddled church Paul says in Chapter 7 verse 16 of II Corinthians, “I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.”
Wow! what a paradox, a contrasting statement. It is almost as if he sees something others don’t see. Each time Paul addressed the problems he reiterated the Doctrinal truth of their position in Christ. Once they got a hold of that truth and repented, the sin stopped and their attitude was no longer on themselves, but on others. They sent a large gift to further the gospel and to encourage Paul. Not only is it important to see ourselves positioned in Christ, but it is also of great benefit to see others as God sees them: positioned in Christ. That’s Confidence the Grace of the of the gospel will work!