MYSTERY OF THE FAITH. 1st Timothy 3:9. A pure conscience and a clean heart are just as important as sound doctrine when it comes to the qualifications of a deacon. When our hearts are pure, we are freed from the power and practice of sin by truly being committed to and controlled by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to please our Lord. Guided by the word of God and taught how to serve the Lord and His people through the Spirit of God, we can live without fear of condemnation. Faith must be genuine and sincere so that our love for God and His people remains lasting. Even if a deacon’s work goes unnoticed and their labor in service is never acknowledged, we must do everything as unto the Lord. We serve Him best when we serve others.
It is not out of date—no, not at all! The faith handed down to the saints then remains the same unchangeable body of truth that the apostles taught when the Church was established on the day of Pentecost. Our duty is to teach and preach “the faith” today, and we must stay true to it. This isn’t something to be decided by elected church leaders based on whether the majority wants to believe it. These truths are profound and enduring, God-given truths that are not determined by fickle minds seeking to please human desire. To dismiss divine truth as mere opinions is a serious and grievous sin.
The deacon who speaks for God must uphold the truth against all attacks. When he proclaims God's counsel, whether in public or private, he must not hold anything back to please those listening. Truth sustains him when he relies on the unchanging facts of the faith, and he remains faithful to the truth when preaching it everywhere, regardless of what pleases the crowd.
When speaking, as Stephen did, it was clear to everyone that the deacon who teaches “the faith” and urges his listeners to obey God's Word is someone who knows what he believes and lives with a clear conscience. His teachings influence all who listen with a righteous and godly fear. The work of the Spirit in his soul provides him with clear guidance on what to say and how to say it. What he communicates to others is right and is supported by his actions.
The body of teaching that God established in the first generation has not changed and will not change because of men’s preferences. Knowing a teaching is true is one thing; living it is another. The conscience of a deacon is a safeguard for all who gather to hear the mystery of the faith proclaiming so that everyone can understand that the fundamentals of our faith are solid and will stay that way.