Session 29

Why you should get passionate about your spiritual health

From Letters of Paul: 30-Day Bible Study

As the early church grew, Paul spent much of his time writing to younger leaders to encourage, equip, correct, and impart wisdom. He tasked a young leader named Titus to raise up church leaders in each town on the island of Crete. But Paul wasn’t looking for just anyone. Paul gave clear guidelines about the kind of leader Titus was looking for.

Throughout his letters, Paul mentions the idea of sound doctrine or being “sound” in the faith. The Greek word here is where we get the word “hygienic.” Paul is talking about being healthy in our doctrine, in our teaching, in what we believe and tell others about God and Jesus. He’s stressing the importance of raising up spiritually healthy leaders.

Paul warns Titus that people will come who teach unhealthy doctrine. Part of Titus’ job as a pastor is to avoid giving those teachers a platform. He’s to correct unhealthy teaching when he hears it and protect others from it.

“... 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” (Titus 1:13-14).

We’re always being taught. You can’t avoid all the messages coming at you, but you can choose which voices or messages you listen to. Are you listening to God, as He reveals His will and His character in the Bible? Or are you listening to your peers, the culture around, the lies Satan throws at you or the sinful desires we were all born with?

Someone is always feeding you a set of beliefs, a doctrine, but is it sound? We all believe things about God, but are those things true?

If we consume unhealthy doctrine, we will be spiritually sick. We’ll have wrong views of God. But if we consume sound doctrine, we will be spiritually sound. We’ll have healthy views of God and our relationship to Him.

Sound doctrine is crucial for our spiritual growth because, without it, we’ll be open to believing what Paul calls “empty talk” and “deception.” Without it, we’re bound to fall for anything.

Psalm 29 says God is powerful and majestic. It describes God sitting on a throne over all the earth, in command of nature. The psalm says God’s voice has the power to strip oaks bare and break cedars — cedars, which can grow 120 feet tall and 30 feet around.

God’s voice is powerful enough to change our hearts and minds and to replace lies with truth.

Reflect:

• Who are the most influential voices in your day? It could be a person, a podcast, a preacher, or a TV show.
  
• Think about some of the messages you pick up in a day? Are any of them contrary to God’s word?
  
• What’s one way you can tune in to God’s voice today?