The Mighty Word of God

2 Timothy 3:14-17
P. G. Mathew | Saturday, June 25, 2016
Copyright © 2016, P. G. Mathew
Language [Japanese]

There is nothing more precious than the word of God. The word of God is found in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as stated in the first chapter of the seventeenth-century Westminster Confession of Faith. The psalmist says of God’s decrees, “They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb” (Ps. 19:10). He also declares, “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path” (Ps. 119:127–128). To put it positively, “I take every right path.”

The word of God is the most precious thing in the world. It is also powerful and mighty. Paul says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4). He is speaking of the powerful weapon of God’s word. He reminded Timothy “how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). To the Roman church he wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).

In this study of 2 Timothy 3:14–17, we want to make seven points about the mighty word of God.

1. Dwell/Live in God’s Word (v. 14)

Paul begins, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it” (v. 14). Paul was telling Timothy, “You must abide in God’s word. You must dwell in, live in, and obey the word of God.” God’s word is for us to obey and be blessed.

Paul knew that false ministers, energized by demons, would go from bad to worse, deceiving the members of their churches and being deceived themselves. Such people never preach the truth of God’s word. They are deceived by the devil, and so they go about deceiving people by their lies.

Paul was saying that Timothy must be totally different from such deceivers and agents of the devil. He must be governed in all of life in the things he had learned from the Old Testament scriptures and the gospel. He must hold on to faith and a good conscience, unlike those who “rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith” (1 Tim. 1:19).

Elsewhere Paul instructed Timothy, “Do 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” (2 Tim. 2:15). Let God be true and all men liars. John wrote, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9). John also admonished, “See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24).

Timothy was to abide in the word of God. To the Colossian believers Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (Col. 3:16). Timothy was to believe the word of God, live the word of God, preach the word of God, and always be governed by the word of God. God alone is truth, and so his word is truth.

Not only did Timothy learn the Scriptures, but he was also convinced of the truth of God’s word by the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. We not only read God’s word but we also become convinced that it is the very word of God as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts.

We believe in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit baptizes us and dwells in us. The Holy Spirit comes upon us and regenerates us. The Holy Spirit enlightens us as we read the Bible, and we become convinced of the truth of God’s word by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The application of salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is not just a theory or doctrine. The infinite personal God lives in us and guides us.

Timothy must also keep in mind those from whom he learned the holy Scriptures and consider their character, godliness, and moral authority. This is what the Hebrews writer says, “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7).

From whom did Timothy learn the holy Scriptures? He learned from his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and others, especially Paul himself, whom Christ appointed “as a herald and an apostle and a teacher” (2 Tim. 1:11). Through Paul’s ministry Timothy became his “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2).

Timothy was to closely follow his teachers who had taught him the whole truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Tim. 1:13–14). He instructed, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2). He also said, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance” (2 Tim. 3:10). Timothy was to follow very closely his mentor, the apostle Paul.

Timothy was to continue to abide in, delight in, and be governed by the holy Scriptures, especially in the following ways:

He should not be ashamed of the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8). Why should we be ashamed of the gospel? We are ashamed when we are valuing the world’s view of things, when we value secularism. But we do not believe in secularism and worldliness. The whole world lies under the control of the evil one. Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Paul was proud of the gospel, for there is no other way of salvation from the wrath of God.
He should be ready to suffer for the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8).
He should proclaim the gospel (2 Tim. 1:11).
He should guard the gospel (2 Tim. 1:14).
He should study the gospel and interpret it correctly (2 Tim. 2:15).
He should entrust the gospel to others (2 Tim. 2:2).
He should teach the gospel, knowing it is the word of God, the word of truth, the good news, the health-giving teaching that makes people wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 2:2).

Paul was admonishing, “Timothy, abide in the word of God, obey the word of God, and persevere in the word of God.” Earlier Paul had written, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them” (1 Tim. 4:16). And Jesus himself said, “If you remain in me and my words will remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). Remaining in God’s word means to obey God’s word.

Like Timothy, we are to abide in the gospel, persevere in the gospel, and obey the gospel. Blessings come to those who abide in God’s word; therefore, let us obey God and be blessed! Read Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. There we see blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

2. The Word of God Is Mighty to Save

Paul writes, “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are mighty to make you wise for salvation” (v. 15). The second point is that the word of God is mighty—mighty to save, mighty to heal. He sent out the mighty word to heal them (Ps. 107:20).

Paul was reminding Timothy that he had been learning the Scriptures since infancy, from five years of age or even earlier. Note, he says “holy Scriptures.” The Scriptures are holy because they are the words of God who is holy.

Here “holy Scriptures” refers to the Old Testament, which spoke of the coming Messiah—his perfect obedience of the law and his death on the cross as our substitute. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is our atonement. The Old Testament Scriptures also spoke of Christ’s resurrection, as Jesus himself taught: “[Jesus] said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:44–47). Paul wrote, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify” (Rom. 3:21). In Acts 17:2–3 we read, “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said.” Consider what Jesus told the sinful Samaritan woman: “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah” (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he’” (John 4:25–26). Jesus was confirming that he was the Messiah, and the woman believed and was saved.

The holy Scriptures today include both the Old and the New Testaments. These Scriptures are mighty to make us wise unto salvation—salvation from sin, guilt, death, devil, and from the wrath of God. The Scriptures point to the Messiah, Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to all who believe in him. It was upon him that God poured out his wrath against us so that he can be just in justifying sinners who trust and obey Jesus.

Who is Jesus? He is the eternal “I AM.” He is the bread of life; he is the king of Israel. He is the Son of God, and he alone is the Savior of the world. He is the light of the world and the gate for his sheep. He is the good shepherd. He is the resurrection and the life. He is the way and the truth; no one comes to the Father except through him. He is the true vine; apart from him, no one can do anything to please the holy triune God. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all his creation. He is God. He is the Word become flesh. This Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. He is the Judge of the living and the dead, and he is coming again.

All Scripture points to Jesus, and God uses his holy Scriptures to make his people wise for salvation. The psalmist declares, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7). “Simple” here means the wicked and fools.

The world is full of fools—rich fools, educated fools, political fools, religious fools, scientific fools. The vast majority of people in the world are fools, meaning they are godless, wicked God-haters. Paul writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Cor. 1:18–20).

Jesus alone makes us wise unto salvation through the miracle of regeneration through the holy Scriptures. So James the Lord’s brother says, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (James 1:18). Peter says, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). And Jesus himself said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water [that is, the word] and the Spirit” (John 3:5).

Jesus saves us through faith in him. By faith, we receive the gift of salvation. Christ Jesus is the basis of salvation, the efficient cause, and the gift of saving faith is the instrumental means. By saving faith, we trust in Jesus and obey him all of life (Rom. 1:5).

A faith devoid of obedience, a faith of mental assent only, is not saving faith. In fact, it is the faith of demons (James 2:19). Scripture, being God’s word, is our life and our ultimate authority. He who trusts in Jesus alone for his salvation trusts in the holy Scriptures.

Consider what Moses said: “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (Deut. 32:45–47).

Are you truly wise? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ alone for your eternal salvation? John said, “But [the Scriptures] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Do you have life in his name?

3. The Source of Scripture

Then Paul says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). All Scripture is God-breathed (theopneustos). The source of Scripture is God. Scripture is the product of God’s creative breath. Thus, it is the very word of God. In the Scripture, God himself is speaking to us. Therefore, Scripture is God’s word.

4. The Nature of Scripture

There are seven aspects of Scripture.¹

Inerrancy of Scripture. There is no error in the Bible.
Clarity (perspicuity) of Scripture. The word of God is clear to all people, yet knowledge of the Scripture results in salvation only to the elect. The unbeliever understands the truth about God from the Scripture, but he suppresses the truth because he is an enemy of God.
Necessity of Scripture. Without Scripture, we cannot be saved.
Sufficiency of Scripture. We must not add to Scripture or subtract from it.
Power of Scripture. Not only was the universe formed by God’s word, but as we said earlier, Scripture is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
Comprehensiveness of Scripture. All Scripture is relevant to all of life.
Authority of Scripture. God’s word has absolute, supreme authority because God himself is speaking in his word.

5. All Scripture is God-Breathed

In verse 16, Paul says that all Scripture (pasa graphê) is God-breathed. It is not the word of men; it is the very word of God. Peter says, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along [completely controlled] by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20–21).

What the apostles and prophets wrote in its totality was the very word of God. It is true in the Old Testament and true in the New Testament. Peter says, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:15–16). Peter was affirming that what Paul’s writings were the word of God; they were Scripture.

Paul himself was conscious that God was inspiring him as he wrote his epistles. To the Corinthians he wrote: “If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command” (1 Cor. 14:37–38). In Titus 1:14 he said, “Pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.” What Paul wrote was not his opinion; it was the commands of God. In 1 Timothy 5:18 he began, “For the Scripture says,” and then he gave two quotations. One was from Deuteronomy 25:4: “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” The other was a word spoken by Jesus himself in Luke 10:7: “The worker deserves his wages.’” Notice, the word of Jesus is Scripture as well as the word of Moses. So pasa graphê, the whole Scripture, means both the Old and the New Testaments.

Elsewhere Paul writes, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1Cor. 2:13). Notice again his understanding and self-consciousness that he is being inspired by the Spirit to write. Paul knew that what he was writing was Scripture. He also said, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thess. 2:15). Elsewhere he says, “After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea” (Col 4:16). Paul clearly understood that his epistles contained commandments of God to be read to the churches. He told Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture [which included his own writings], to preaching and to teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13).

6. All Scripture Is Profitable, Valuable, Useful

Verse 16 also says the word of God is profitable, valuable. It is not profitable to fools or those who reject the Bible. But to the people of God, it is profitable; it is more valuable than fine gold.

Elsewhere Paul wrote, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8). He uses the same word, ôphelimos (profitable). Fools only have hope in this life. They are without hope and without God. Their hope is in the so-called golden years in which they try to enjoy life as much as possible before their inevitable death. They should be asking, “What must I do to be saved?” And the answer is, “Believe on Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

The word of God is very profitable to those who believe. Paul says, “If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed” (1 Tim. 4:6).

PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING

What is God’s word profitable for? First, it is profitable for teaching. Our primary task as fathers, mothers, pastors, and fellow believers is teaching and preaching the Scripture, because without it we cannot be saved. How can we call upon the name of the Lord unless we believe? How can we believe unless we hear? How can we hear unless someone preaches the word? How can someone preach unless that person is sent? God does not send elect angels to preach his gospel. He sends human beings. Therefore, we must respect and honor those who bring us the word of God, which is valuable for teaching.

Paul repeats this idea of the profitability of teaching throughout these epistles:

1 Timothy 4:16: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
1 Timothy 6:3–4: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.”
2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
2 Timothy 2:15: “Do 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.”

Teaching, then, is of first importance: The early disciples “devoted themselves [first] to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). God is not interested in emotional and mystical fools. We must stand for the primacy of the intellect. God wants us to understand the gospel that we may trust in Jesus Christ alone for our eternal salvation. That is why it is important to preach and teach.

Elsewhere Paul writes, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). When everything crumbles, the people of God have hope.

PROFITABLE FOR REBUKING

Scripture is profitable not only for teaching but also for rebuking (pros elegmon). We must appreciate those who rebuke us. According to Jeremiah 1:10, over fifty percent of the pastor’s ministry is negative, which includes rebuking and correcting. (PGM) Why does a pastor rebuke? His rebuke is based on love. We must expose the errors of false teachers and false teaching so that those under our care are not led astray.

Scripture is the norm by which we must make judgments. We should rebuke any deviation from it in doctrine or ethics. The psalmist says, “You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth—each man is but a breath” (Ps. 39:11). Paul writes, “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning” (1 Tim. 5:20). He also says, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). That is why we must appreciate those who rebuke us because they alone care for us. Parents who let their children sin are wicked and must give an answer on the last day because they did not teach, rebuke, correct, or train them in righteousness.

Those who do not conform to Scripture need to be corrected and rebuked because Scripture tells us how to lead our lives in the family, in the state, and in the church. For example, if we want to know the duties of children, wives, husbands, and fathers, it is all stated in Scripture (Eph. 5:18–6:4). It tells us that husbands are to provide for their families (1 Tim. 5:8). It tells us that on the Lord’s Day, we are to come and worship God (Heb. 10:25).

PROFITABLE FOR CORRECTION

Scripture is also profitable for correction. The Greek word speaks about setting things right (pros epanorthôsin). Correction is the positive side of rebuking.

The positive side of rebuking is that we must straighten out in doctrine and conduct. For example, if a wife does not submit to her husband, she should begin to do so, and to do it again and again until it becomes habit. Professor Jay Adams taught that if a person does the right thing for six weeks, then it becomes habit. And once it becomes habit, we do not have to work at it. We will do the right thing naturally.

Paul used the same word in Titus 1:5: “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” When there is no leader, there is chaos and confusion. The church is to be governed by the elders. The state is to be governed by the agents appointed by God to do so. The family is to be governed by the head, the father. A Christian home should be a place of order, not disorder. It is the kingdom of God, the rule of God.

Everything crooked becomes straight through the application of the gospel. In Luke 3:5 we read, “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.” So Paul instructs, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28). And after his resurrection, Jesus met with Peter and straightened him out, asking him, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? . . . Do you love me? . . . Do you love me?” Then he said, “Feed my sheep.” And Peter was straightened out (John 21:15–17). Thank God, he enables us to be straightened out through the agency of God’s people. Even a brother or a sister in the church has the authority to speak to us and straighten us out. As believers in Christ, we are competent to counsel (Rom. 15:14).

In Revelation 2 and 3, we see Jesus correcting the churches in Asia. His eyes are like flaming fire and he sees everything. He told them to straighten out certain things, or he would come and remove their lampstands. And the lampstands were removed. Modern Turkey was once full of churches, but there are not many now.

PROFITABLE FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

Scripture is profitable not just for teaching, rebuking, and correcting, but also for training in righteousness (pros paideian). It is profitable for training, not in immorality, but in righteousness, in the way of righteousness.

So we read, “Children, obey your parents” (Eph. 6:1). We must train our children in obedience, in righteousness, just as we may have trained them to ride bicycles. Such training is not easy. They may fall down and we must tell them to get back up, and they have to do it over and over again. But pretty soon they know how to ride a bicycle. In the same way, our children must learn to obey again and again until they know how to submit to and obey their father and mother. And parents, you must say, “I will not tolerate disobedience and wickedness in my house. You must understand who I am. I am an agent of God.”

So we must do righteousness again and again. In Proverbs 3:11–12 we read, “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

Discipline has three aspects. First, there is an authority. That is why, if a person does not respect his father or mother or pastor, he is finished. Such a person will eventually walk out of the church. Consider the example of Judas. The devil prompted him, the devil entered him, he went out, and it was night, and he eventually killed himself. This will happen to every person who walks away from a church where gospel is preached. Such people leave the church because they want to sin. Like the prodigal son, they go far away to sin.

Second, that authority must be able to teach the word of God. He is responsible to tell those under him what the word of God says. And enforcement is the third element of discipline. We are to enforce compliance to the word of God by the ministry of the rod. God uses the ministry of the rod. The Bible says, “For this reason many of you are weak and sick and die” (1 Cor. 11:30). Even when the church is negligent and refuses to mete out discipline, God will (see Lev. 26 and Deut. 28). The Lord applies more and more pressure.

We must do righteousness by doing what is right in the sight of God according to what is revealed in his word, not in psychology or other secular disciplines. Consider the classic passage on discipline in Hebrews 12:

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. (Heb. 12:5–10)

God’s purpose is to make us like Jesus Christ. What is the goal of God for us? Our good. Our holiness. Our righteousness. So we read, “Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight” (Deut. 6:18).

We must do what is right in the sight of God. Then we read, “And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness” (Deut. 6:25). This is speaking about experiential righteousness. Examine yourself: Do you have righteousness? This is not speaking about the gift of righteousness, on the basis of which we are saved. But the proof that God has saved us is our obedience. If we do not obey God, we are not saved.

The Hebrews writer also says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11).

7. The Final Purpose

Finally, the purpose of these commands is found in verse 17: “in order that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” “Man of God” can refer to parents, every believer, and especially pastors. First Timothy 6:11 says that the man of God must be competent. Many ministers are incompetent. They are not pious or learned. They are not called and sent by Christ.

True ministers are Christ’s gifts to the church. They are called and sent by Christ to preach the word. Without it, no one can be saved. They are called to preach and teach the holy Scriptures, interpreting them correctly. A true minister interprets the word correctly and preaches Christ boldly so that sinners may repent and trust in Christ to be saved. True ministers must be filled with the Spirit and the sacred Scriptures.

So the purpose of Scripture is that the man of God be competent and fully qualified to do every aspect of the ministry. The word of God, when believed wholeheartedly, makes God’s ministers and all believers fully capable always to do what God commands us to do. Paul writes, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has foreordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Every born-of-God person will walk in good works.

The word of God, especially when it is preached by a true minister, is always effectual. Paul says, “To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Cor. 2:16). In other words, preaching kills or preaching makes alive. So Paul asks, “Who is competent for such a task?” The answer is, God himself will make us competent. He not only commissions and sends his ministers but he also makes us competent. So we read, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:5–6). He also says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). When Paul prayed about his weakness, the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So Paul declared, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9). And to the Philippian believers he wrote, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13).

God made Paul competent to preach the word until he was killed. Consider his last words: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure [my 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—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6–8).

Filled with the Spirit and Scripture, we will do the will of God for God’s glory and our own everlasting joy. We are more than conquerors in all things through our union with Christ. He is the vine, and we are the branches. We are to produce much fruit for the glory of God the Father. Apart from him, we can do nothing, but in vital union with him, we can do all things, for Jesus Christ is our life, our power, our wisdom, our righteousness, our holiness, and our glory. In Christ, we lack nothing. Praise be to God! God himself will make us competent to do every good work including suffering martyrdom for the gospel.

May God help us to pay heed to his word and be filled with the Holy Spirit, that we may obey him and bring glory to him by bearing much fruit.

¹ See my sermon from June 24, 2016, “The Nature of Scripture.”