Check Your Soundness

by Terry Wane Benton

To be sound is to be solid and healthy as opposed to weakened and sickly. There are six areas mentioned in the book of Titus that we need to examine in ourselves. Are you:

1. Sound in the doctrine you believe and practice? (Titus 1:9; 2:1):  Is your belief solidly built on the word of God and not the doctrines of men? Doctrines of men make for unsound doctrine. Believe the scriptures as your basis for doctrinal soundness (II Timothy 3:16-17).
2. Sound in the Faith? (Titus 1:13): There is one faith (Ephesians 4:3-4), and if it is not the teaching delivered by the Holy Spirit in the Bible, then your faith can be in vain. The Galatians were erroneously mixing the faith of Christ with the law of Moses and were becoming unsound in the faith (Galatians 5:1-4). You cannot have a mixture of faith in the revelation of Jesus and mix it with abolished law or traditions of men. Make sure you are sound in the faith.
3. Sound in faith? (Titus 2:2): This is a little different in that it is the personal faith you use in dealing with life and what it hands you. If it hands you some difficulties, are you sound in faith that you and the Lord will handle this?
4. Sound in love? (Titus 2:2): Is your love for God sound and solid? Is your love for your brethren sound? Is your love for your enemies sound?
5. Sound in patience? (Titus 2:2):  This speaks to the temper as well as the durability of your faith. Is this solid and sound?
6. Sound in speech? (Titus 2:8): Do you use filthy words? Do you tell the truth? Do you lie? Do you speak biblically in your teaching? How sound is your speech?

Now, think about what God sees in you? Does He see soundness in all six areas in you? Let's work on becoming sound and solid in all these areas.