All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16.
When I was a kid, I learned a song about the Bible at church that went like this, "The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the book for me. I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E." The tune to the song was cheesy, but I am so grateful for the message that the song taught my young heart: The Bible is the book for me. It is the book for me to read, learn from, and shape my life after because it is the word of God. Not only does understanding, reading from, and learning from Scripture help us in our walk with Christ, it helps us guard against false teaching about Scripture.
1 John 4 reminds us to watch out for false teachers. "Do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit" (verse 1). This is a reminder to us that not everyone who claims to speak truth brings truth from God. As we consider this warning, one way we can guard against false teaching is to weigh it against the truth we know from Scripture. With this knowledge, we have been given a true and trustworthy way to test teaching and know what is true: to know our Bibles. If we know our Bibles and know what they say, we know when we are taught something that is not true to Scripture.
The apostle Paul says it this way in the book of 2 Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16). You see, Scripture, according to these verses, can show us what is true and how to live our lives. We have only to look to Scripture, which points to the truth.
In order to know our Bibles well, we have to spend time reading them. We have to study them for ourselves. When we spend time doing deep Bible study and learning it for ourselves, then we will know it so well that we recognize when something we are learning is contrary to the Bible. My friend, let's be students of God's word together. My hope and prayer is that we "stand alone on the word of God," the only Book that truly sustains us, strengthens us, and supports us.
My friend, in our own personal faith life, we have to come to a point where we commit to being personal students of the Bible, and willing to actually study it ourselves. One tool to help in that commitment is called Blue Letter Bible, a website that gives access to Bible commentaries, Bible dictionaries, maps, and much more. Spend some time today studying this website and getting to know it. The Blue Letter Bible help center, which can be located here, is a great place to get started. Let's be committed to our own personal Bible study as well as learning from trusted teachers and mentors around us.
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-17 (NLT)
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.
But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
