Sound

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. - 2 Timothy 1:13-14

This passage really got me to thinking.

A couple of things jump out at me about it.  The first is we are to “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me.”  Which means there is no need to be making things up as we go forward in the faith.  Everything we need for faith and practice can be found in Scripture – which was simply what Paul’s “sounds words” often were referring back to.  Sounds words that themselves we now accept as Scripture.  This does not mean that every answer to life’s individual problems can be found in Scripture – but what we need to know is all found there.  All things “in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” are there.

Which leads to the second thing. We can study Scripture all we want, but if we are not relying on “the Holy Spirit who dwells within us” it will be a dead exercise.  I think another way of saying this is found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians when he wrote, “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (Visit 2 Cor. 3:6)

Even the soundest of words, spoken or listened to without the Spirit will mean little; in fact it can be used to crush people.

Be sound.  Be about life! Be about the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Trust His Spirit to work in and through you. 

And see what happens.