God led

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.           Titus 2.1

Paul is writing to Titus and encouraging him in regard to responsible preaching and teaching. Titus is in Crete where, as in many places where the Gospel has been presented, false teachers sought to sway believers with their own ideas of God’s Word.

The subject pronoun is emphatic. Paul is, in fact, saying, “Titus, do not be swayed by what other teachers seek to put forward. Make sure you speak out a pure and sound gospel.”

In some respects nothing has changed in the last two thousand years. Still today preachers and teachers speak out of their own bias and perspective with a possible distortion of sound doctrine, but often with great conviction.

I look on this matter personally and I take Paul’s emphatic pronoun to refer to myself. I want to be sure that I speak only in accord with sound doctrine – that is, God’s sound doctrine and no one else’s. I can share from my own experiences for this gives credibility to my witness. But I need to exercise care that I do not stray from the Word nor give a slant to the Gospel that is unhealthy and ungodly.

Lord God,

I thank You for Your Word. It is my desire to speak and to share Your Word clearly and with God-ordained meaning. I want to present the Gospel as You would have it presented. I ask You to lead me in this. I pray for wisdom and Holy Spirit led insight to understand Your focus, to present it clearly and share with those You call to hear it.

In teaching, I need to know myself. I ask You, precious Lord, to be my number one teacher. Show me the secrets in Your Word. Share with me the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

Let me speak in truth for Jesus. I ask this in His precious name.          Amen.