Today's Devotional

October 1, 2004

Subject:  Devoted To Doctrine 

Acts 2:5 - "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven."

1Timothy 4:13 - "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."

1Timothy 4:15-16 - "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

As I was reading through the scriptures on this issue of doctrine and why we should be devoted to it, I realized that I couldn't say it nearly as convincingly as the word already says it.  So I will simply include the passages, other than those above, concerning this significant matter.  First, however, we define doctrine in the military as being "a way to think" about things.  So if we are to think about things the way God does, we need his mind.  Therefore to think like Christ we need His doctrine or thought patterns.  

1Timothy 6:1-5 - "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.  And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.   If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

2Timothy 4:3 - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"

Titus 2:1 - "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:"

Titus 2:7 - "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,"

2John 1:9 - "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."

 Carlen