The gain of godliness . . .

 

READ Titus and Philemon

In my fifty years of being a Christian, I’m very thankful that each church we attended taught sound doctrine. None were perfect yet all were determined to know the truth and share it with one another. In that time, I’ve known a few people who started out well by putting their faith in Jesus Christ but began attending services in churches that were not committed to God’s truth. These folks stopped growing in their faith and their lives were strongly affected in negative ways.

Titus begins by making a connection between knowing the truth and living a godly life:

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness . . .  (Titus 1:1)

A few other verses emphasize this connection between how to live and the foundation for that kind of life:

For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (1:7–9)

Sound doctrine is vital because without it, I would not know when I was running on my own steam rather than being filled with the Holy Spirit. Even if I did realize that my life was selfish, I would not have the power to change it, or even the desire. The truth of sound doctrine not only builds godliness, it confronts sin:

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. (1:10–14)

Living like Jesus is foreign to the average mind. Even when a person becomes a believer, the old life has formed habits that may not be recognized as contrary to the Word of God. We need to hear it to recognize it.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

This is why the NT urges pastors and lay people alike to form our lives according to what the Bible teaches. It is not ‘normal’ and so radically different from the world’s notions and from the old ways of life. Even those converted to Christ as children must learn truth or they will also succumb to the self-rule of the flesh. Besides that, we need to be encouraged by one another:

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good . . .  (Titus 2:1–3)

This is also practical. The more I learn and obey the truth, the more useful I am to God. “The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” (Titus 3:8–9)

Paul also wrote, “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” (Philemon 4–6)

The alternative to sound doctrine is not only unprofitable; it is dangerous. The NT says:

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:3–5)

This is practical — with extremely good reasons for spending time in the Word of God each day and letting it do its work in my life. I’ve not yet ‘arrived’ but am convinced that godliness is far better than doing my own thing.