Is the truth you understand driving you to stop sinning?
While we understand that we will sin till the day we die, but must be actively trying to stop sinning. If we have received and internalized truth, we will be doing just that. If we are not doing that then we have not understood the truth. That is, in this section we see that receiving truth causes us to aim for perfection.
Paul was a man who was inspired by God and he was given the task of spreading sound doctrine to the New Testament churches. After that, he had the responsibility of teaching that sound doctrine to responsible men so that they could continue teaching sound doctrine to others after he had gone.
Here is what Paul told Titus and Timothy concerning one important characteristic of sound doctrine.
Tit 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
1 Tm 6:3-5 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
A sound doctrine conforms to godliness, and the words of Jesus. That is, we are on the right track when we concentrate on understanding how to be godly.
We are not to have a morbid interest in controversial questions or to dispute about words. When we see that we have a morbid interest in controversial questions, and that such an interest results in our disputing about words, which in turn results in envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions and constant friction then we must humbly acknowledge that we are conceited and understand nothing and that we have a depraved mind and have missed the truth. Then we must repent and return to concentrating on how to be godly.
Ask yourself then: which kind of Bible studies interest you? Are you more interested in the end times than in godliness? Are you more interested in mission statistics than in godliness? Are you more interested in getting rich or getting healed than in godliness?
Don’t waste your time. Focus on becoming godly.
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