“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your  
progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them; because if you do, you  
will save both yourself and your hearers.“

1 Timothy 4:15-16 

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September 16, 2025

Just as Timothy was to be devoted to public reading of Scripture, preaching, and teaching in the Ephesian church, Paul admonished his understudy to carefully monitor his personal life. 

Timothy’s guide for daily conduct and his source for truth was the Word of God. There is no substitute for conformity between our lifestyle and creed. Christian belief must be manifested in our behavior. None of us achieve this perfectly, but our intent as followers of Jesus is to live lives that reflect our faith. When we fall short, as Timothy undoubtedly did, we ask for forgiveness, first from God and then, when appropriate, from others. The latter may involve making restitution as well. 

The Word of God is our standard in all of this—which is why we need regular preaching and teaching from the Bible. We have much to be thankful for in that the pastoral staff, teachers of Adult Communities and Sunday school classes, and leaders of Life Groups at Wheaton Bible Church are committed to this end. All of us are in the process of learning to walk more and more by faith, and part of this endeavor is to receive consistent spiritual nourishment from the Bible to mature in Christ.  

Paul challenged Timothy to be persistent in his pursuit of righteousness and proclamation of Christian doctrine. Obedience to this admonition did not save Timothy. But just as Paul’s modeling of the gospel led to Timothy’s salvation, Timothy’s consistent deeds of faith would provide Ephesians with an opportunity to put their faith in Jesus, and manifest the reality of salvation through their transformed lives and community.        

Questions for reflection and discussion:  

  • Think of an example of how the Bible impacted your life through the preaching and teaching at WBC.  
  • How well does your lifestyle illustrate what you say you believe?  
  • How has the transformed life and clear articulation of the gospel by someone been instrumental in your coming to faith or in your spiritual growth as a follower of Jesus?  

Church Reading Plan: 2 Samuel 12; 2 Corinthians 5