Listen and download a recording of this song from Bandcamp:
How Dear and Treasured Is the Church
“If I delay, [I write so that] you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
How dear and treasured is the church, With voices joined in praise and prayers, For God has made us one in Christ, To share our sorrows, joys and cares.
Entrusted with the truth of God, Called out to make the gospel known, We boldly as His church proclaim: There’s grace and hope in Christ alone!
God fashions us as living stones; Assembled as His dwelling place. Though we were dead, He gives us life, Each soul a miracle of grace.
Built as a buttress of the truth, A pillar rising to the sky, God sets His church before the world, His Word and name to magnify.
To all the world we testify, Our lives display in word and deed The matchless worth of knowing Christ, The boundless depth of our great need.
Brought near to God by Christ’s shed blood, Loved and adopted as His own, A household built upon the Word, With Christ Himself the Cornerstone.
Built on this Rock, the church will stand, The gates of hell shall not prevail, All who are Christ’s shall be raised up, The Word of God will never fail.
Below is a list of psalm settings, hymns, and spiritual songs that teach on the doctrine of Scripture: Special Revelation. The songs are arranged under 17 theological statements, including one for which I have not yet found related songs
If you have additional suggestions for songs related to the doctrine of Scripture that should be included in the index, please comment or send me a message.
Note: The songs are listed below by title and author. For more complete entries (including tunes and hymnal page numbers) see the page for Songs and God’s Word in the Theological Index of Music for Worship online. I will be updating the online Index with more songs and topics in the days ahead as I receive recommendations.
In Titus 2:11–12 Paul summarizes how we are to live together in this present age.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.
Because “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” we must live and walk in ways that commend and adorn that gospel. Our identity must be in Christ and we must live for Him. Paul tells us that in this present age we should live soberly, righteously and godly.
He says we are to live soberly (sophronas) — This is the word that Paul has used throughout this chapter to describe the conduct of older men (verse 2), younger women (verse 5), and younger men (verse 6); and the teaching (sophronizo) of older women (verse 4). We must act wisely according to the light God has given us in His Word illumined by the work of His Spirit.
We are to walk justly— Walk in a right way with integrity in our relationships and dealings with one another.
We are to walk in a godly way— Walk with our minds fixed and our passions focused on the things of God, desiring to see God magnified and His glory displayed in our lives.
Paul instructed Titus to “speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (2:1). Sound doctrine is a faithful companion and a fitting counterpoint to “things which are proper.” Things that are foolish—things that are trivial—things that are superficial—these things will be uncomfortable where there is sound doctrine. But those things that are wise and just and godly—these are to accompany sound doctrine.
There must be a connection between the doctrine we profess and the conduct we display. Both must glorify and exalt God.
Doctrine must be lived out in devotion. We must believe what is right and then do what is right. The truth we know with our minds and cherish in our hearts must be lived out in our hands and feet. The truth we hold must be made evident as we love God and love one another.
