Welcome!
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Today: Being a good workman of God
Passage: 2 Tim 3:14-17 NIV
14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.(emphasis added)
Paul’s charge to Timothy comes from the sincere heart of a mentor
Paul passed on to Timothy what he learned from God, as well as through experience
Paul was the spiritual father to many. He was the “guru” for them
His passion was missions-souls
Even while Paul admitting that All Scripture is God-breathed, he emphasizes on the importance of learning and becoming convinced of the same
In chapter 2 of the same letter, Paul encourages Timothy as follows:
15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. (2 Tim 2: 15-16, NIV)
Paul mentions some qualifications of a good workman of God:
He has to be the one who correctly handles the word of Truth, and must avoid Godless chatter
A man approved by God must have a good knowledge of scripture and should have a disciplined, transformed life
Christian education is more than learning theology; it involves the transformation of the individual
We communicate to others through our life
If people do not see in us the Christ whom we preach, the whole purpose of Christian communication is lost
That is why Paul says elsewhere, that after preaching the gospel, he would discipline himself, to see that he does not break the very things he taught
Today’s church has failed in both these areas:
In teaching people the word of truth as they need to study it,
And in teaching them the need to live a Christ-like life
Most Christians in the church are illiterate of the scripture
Even ministers, who had once studied the scripture, later ignores the need for study and even prayer
So the church becomes terminally ill and dies
There are a good number of “dead fishes” out there, stinking
As Paul says to Timothy, each one of us must take some effort to study the scriptures and to live a Christ-like life
How much time do we spent each day, with our maker, our mentor?
The word of God and the Holy Spirit are the best mentors we can ever get
So use that opportunity, to grow into the maturity that God expects us to
God bless us
BG
Pray: Lord, help me to admit my ignorance of your word. Continue working on me, Lord. Help me become the kind of person you want me to be. Amen
God willing today will be graduation day at Westminster Theological Seminary, PA, including sixteen of us from the City Seminary of New York.
Pray that these men and women will create a definite impact in the part of the world they will be ministering-contributing to the global mission of God Thanks