Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Discipline of a Joyful Life

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

"The discipline of a joyful life" - somehow that sounds vaguely familiar, doesn't it? Oh, right, that's where we left off last week as we considered together the joy of a disciplined life (1 Timothy 4:7). Here the Apostle Paul speaks directly to the issue of, first of all, the uniqueness of Scripture, followed by a vivid description of the usefulness of Scripture as God's instrument of discipline within our lives.

First, the uniqueness of Scripture - the term "inspired" means literally God-breathed in the sense of that which comes from the heart of God Himself. That one statement alone sets the Scriptures in a category all by themselves, beloved! While it is true that many today claim that the Bible has no authority because "it was written by man," the fact is clearly that it was written by God!

And what of the usefulness of Scripture as Paul declares it here to have? First, he makes clear that the Word of God is "profitable." I really like the word useful to explain the meaning of ophelimos. You see, to be profitable or useful, the Scriptures must have a practicality that many do not like to acknowledge. In fact, too often today we are more willing to study it, even memorize it, than we are to apply it!

Second, the apostle declared that the Scriptures are useful for "teaching." Here Paul's thought is that of necessary knowledge without which we as followers of Jesus Christ will never achieve personal holiness of life. Very simply, the Word of God contains all that we will ever need to know in order to live for Christ in this present world.

Next, Paul wrote that the Word of God is profitable for "reproof." The focus of that word is upon the confrontation of error. What good is any pursuit of personal holiness, beloved, if we are never willing to have our errors pointed out to us so as to remedy them?

Then, the apostle said that the Scriptures are useful for "correction." Once any error in thought or practice is confronted, it must of necessity be corrected. Restoration to a right path is always to be every believer's goal, first for ourselves and then for one another. How sad that so many today seem eager to reveal the error but not to restore the errant!

Also, we discover in the apostle's words that the Word of God is profitable for "training in righteousness." It is the truth of God's Word itself alone that can cause us to walk righteously before God in sight of a sinful world. Nor are there any shortcuts to personal holiness, that goal being reachable only as we give ourselves completely to learning and living out the Word of God.

Finally, Paul wrote that the Scriptures are useful in seeing us "adequately equipped" for the accomplishing of the plan and purpose which God has uniquely for each of us. The words "adequate" and "equipped" are from the same root and could easily be translated outfitted completely through having been made completely fit for every good work.

But unless we are willing to learn and apply the truths of Scripture, we will never be useful to God! The joy of Jesus Christ will never be ours unless we discipline ourselves through the application of Scripture.

Ron