Continue #4

Friday, May 8, 2026

“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” (1 Timothy 4:16 KJV).

A single word can mean the difference between victorious Christian living and notorious Christian dying….

Remembering they who teach “other doctrine,… fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions… having swerved [from faith unfeigned, a good conscience, charity out of a pure heart] have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law” (1 Timothy 1:4-7), bearing in mind the younger Christian widows “wax[ing] wanton against Christ… having damnation, cast[ing] off their first faith… already turned aside unto Satan” (1 Timothy 5:11-15—re-marriage, to unbelievers), having in view those who “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” (1 Timothy 6:3-5), but (especially in the context) considering those who will “depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy” (1 Timothy 4:1,2), Paul in today’s Scripture alerts Timothy to remember that God’s (and, our) chief enemy Satan diligently labors to destroy the Church the Body of Christ and prevent the work of the ministry in the local church!

Observe how the Devil attacks sound doctrine, for sound doctrine is what God uses to work in believers. The adjective “sound” in “sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9; Titus 2:1) has the sense of “healthy” or “wholesome” (so rendered in 1 Timothy 6:3). In Greek, it is “hygiaino,” from whence “hygiene” is derived. If there is a removal of sound doctrine—or none to begin with—spiritual insanity and spiritual filthiness result. Pastor Timothy therefore must watch himself and his doctrine, for lack of discretion will lead to his spiritual downfall… and his congregation will perish with him!

Today’s Scripture and the previous verse: “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.” For Timothy and his audience to be “saved” (delivered, healed, rescued) from false doctrine and its attendant spiritual illness, he must “continue” in what he has learned from the Holy Spirit through our Apostle Paul….