It’s Worth the Effort

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.  II Timothy 2:15

Of all that Paul had taught Timothy which Timothy had passed on to the members of the Ephesian church, the most important thing was in how they lived for Christ.  One of the things that Paul urged Timothy to do was for him to caution the believers to not get caught up in arguments about words which undermine the truth of God’s word.  Most of the time, an argument ensues over some small matter over which people disagree.  All believers can agree that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation (John 14:6), but they might argue about the color of the new carpet in the sanctuary.  These types of arguments only cause friction among the church members.  Of course, there are more weightier matters that people disagree about, such as who will be the new pastor, but humble believers will allow God to choose the one to fill that position.  As Matthew Henry wrote concerning petty arguments, sometimes the “truth is often in danger of being lost”.

One of my former pastors used to say that if he didn’t study God’s word and prepare to preach, then God would fill him with hot air in the pulpit.  Paul urged Timothy to study hard so that God would be pleased with his efforts.  We know that we can’t work for our salvation for it is a gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), however, when we have been saved, we are to work to please God (I Thessalonians 4:1; Hebrews 11:6).  A married couple who truly love each other will strive to please each other.  That is another example of how the relationship between Christ and the believer is like that of a man and his wife (Ephesians 5:25-32).  People desire to please whom they love.  If we truly love the Lord, we will desire to please Him and not do anything that brings a reproach upon His name.

Paul encouraged Timothy to “rightly divide the word of truth”, that is, to dissect and expound upon every word, every precept, and every truth of God’s word.  That should be the goal of any pastor or teacher so that people can be uplifted, encouraged, and enlightened to the holy scripture.  I have been a student of God’s word for many years.  I find the time that I spend in His word the best part of my day.  It is astonishing at how much one can learn when he or she diligently studies the Bible.  Listening to preachers and teachers of God’s word is good but is only supplemental to one’s personal study.  My philosophy about studying God’s word, other than it is a necessity in order to live a life that is pleasing to God, is that if I intend to spend eternity with the Lord, then it behooves me to learn as much about Him as I can while I am still on this earth.  Many people say that they don’t spend much time in His word because they can’t understand it, but if they will only trust the Lord and listen to the Holy Spirit, they can understand much more than they think they can.  Of course, there are some parts of scripture that are very mysterious, written in symbols and analogies which are difficult to understand.  I just finished studying the book of Zechariah, a prophet who wrote after the captivity of Judah by the Babylonians, and I found it even more difficult than the book of Revelation.  Nevertheless, it was a good study, and I did learn from it.

Paul had warned Timothy in his first letter (6:3-5) to steer clear of those who do not teach and speak the truth, but rather they desire to argue about and question the gospel which would only lead to strife.  In this second letter, Paul again emphasized the need to avoid profane and empty babblings.  Profane means words that are irreverent, debasing, and/or insulting, basically blasphemous.  These words are like a canker sore that grows bigger and more painful, taking a long time to heal.  Matthew Henry wrote that error is downhill.  One ill word accepted leads to a thousand more.  False teachings, notions, and doctrine must be “nipped in the bud” as Barney Fife would say, otherwise the harmony of the church could be destroyed.

Paul spoke of two men in the church who were spreading false doctrine.  They taught that the resurrection was already past.  They did not refute the bodily resurrection of Christ, but taught that for everyone else, resurrection was only spiritual, that is, the spirit of a person who is dead in sins is resurrected to life in Christ, which is true, but that there was no bodily resurrection.  However, scripture is clear.  I Thessalonians 4:16 states that the dead in Christ shall rise from the grave when Christ comes to claim them.  I guess the problem with some folks is that if they can’t understand a doctrine of scripture, then they refuse to believe it.  It is a mystery to the human mind how a dead body can actually be raised again and be alive, healthy, and strong.  However, without the bodily resurrection of believers, then salvation is practically non-existent.  The reason that God raised Christ from the dead was in approval of His sacrifice on the cross to provide salvation for sinners.

What’s wrong with people, anyway?  Why can’t they believe what God has promised in His word?  He could have just let us all die and go to hell, and He would have been perfectly justified in doing so.  He created man and woman, gave them free will, and a heaven to gain or a hell to shun.  He made it easy for mankind, but it was very difficult for Him to allow His Son to suffer and die for the likes of us sinners.  I am grateful that He thought enough about me to give me the opportunity to repent and trust in Christ.  I wish all people would consider His offer.