The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Timothy 4:14-15,
"Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message."
Paul encountered opposition to his message, the gospel. Not only did he face opposition, he also experienced the grief of having everyone abandon him, "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me." Verse 16.
Nevertheless, Paul stood confident. He said as he faced his impending death, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..."
Even though there were those who opposed Paul and his message, those who advanced other ideas, Paul remained confident and assured in his message. He knew the Lord, he knew the truth, and he knew what was consistent with that truth.
We live in a world today that might view anyone with the confidence Paul had, as arrogant. How can anyone know for sure what the truth is? One church teaches this, another teaches that. Who's to say? I have a feeling Paul might find such an outlook with disdain, and even disgust. Paul took the trouble to find the truth. After his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he sent time with the Lord, learning directly from him.
Paul had an expectation of Timothy that he do likewise by spending time in the truth. "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-16.
"Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message."
Paul encountered opposition to his message, the gospel. Not only did he face opposition, he also experienced the grief of having everyone abandon him, "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me." Verse 16.
Nevertheless, Paul stood confident. He said as he faced his impending death, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..."
Even though there were those who opposed Paul and his message, those who advanced other ideas, Paul remained confident and assured in his message. He knew the Lord, he knew the truth, and he knew what was consistent with that truth.
We live in a world today that might view anyone with the confidence Paul had, as arrogant. How can anyone know for sure what the truth is? One church teaches this, another teaches that. Who's to say? I have a feeling Paul might find such an outlook with disdain, and even disgust. Paul took the trouble to find the truth. After his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he sent time with the Lord, learning directly from him.
Paul had an expectation of Timothy that he do likewise by spending time in the truth. "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-16.
I am thoroughly convinced we are to do as Timothy was to do. For those who claim "Jesus is Lord", he has an expectation that we get ourselves equipped in the Scriptures. Sitting in the pew, listening to the pastor tell us what the Scriptures have to say won't do. Reading commentaries and books by our favorite theologians won'd do. Although these things may be helpful, it is to the Scriptures we must go. It is in the pages of our Bibles we need to be instructed, we need to be informed, we need to be prepared, we need to be equipped.
When we do, we develop, not an arrogance, not a conceit, but a confidence. When we know what truth is, we need not be embarrassed by it, but to proclaim it. When we know the Scriptures we need to be confident, assured and firmly settled in it. Anything short of this demonstrates we really don't know the truth... maybe we have only had a passing encounter with it.
"How dare you think you know more than those theologians that debate these things..." "Greater minds than ours have struggled with these things..." These are the kinds of things spoken by those who have not invested in the effort Paul asked of Timothy.
Time to put on our big-boy pants, thoroughly investigate the Scriptures, learn them well and be confident and entirely assured about the things they speak to. There is no room in the kingdom of God for mamby-pamby weenies who either neglect the Scriptures, or supplant them with what others have to say about them and feel the need to challenge anyone who might have the "audacity" to know and proclaim the truth.
After all, why do you think the Lord went to all the trouble to provide the Scriptures to us?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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