THE MAN OF GOD AND THE WORD OF GOD

The only way to defeat Satan’s lies is with God’s truth. Thus says the Lord is the final answer to every question. Evil men and deceivers are going to get worse and worse. They will deceive more and more. Why? Because they are being deceived by Satan! In these last days, there will be more deception and imitation, and the only way a believer will be able to tell the true from the false is by knowing the Word of God. Timothy had been taught the Word of God from the time he was a child. Some people are prone to say, “Well, I needed the Bible when I was younger, but I can do without it now that I’m older.” How wrong they are! Adults need the guidance of the Word far more than children do, because they face more temptations and make more decisions. Timothy’s grandmother and mother had faithfully taught him the Old Testament scriptures. Timothy was to continue in what he had been taught. We never outgrow the Word of God.

Paul made some important statements about the scriptures:

They are the Holy Scriptures – vs. 15.

The word for “holy” means consecrated for sacred use. The Bible is different from every other book because it has been set apart by God for sacred uses. We must treat the Bible as the special book it is. The way we treat the Bible shows others how much or how little we respect it. I hate to see a Bible on the floor. I hate to see a Bible with the pages fallen of. I hate to see a Bible with a cup of coffee placed on it. Paul gives us the right attitude toward the Word of God 1Thes.2: 13.

The scripture leads us to salvation – vs.15.

We are not saved by believing the Bible Jh.5: 39, but by trusting the Christ who is revealed in the Bible. Satan knows the Bible, but he is not saved. Timothy was raised on the holy Scriptures in a godly home. Yet it was not until Paul led him to Christ that he was saved.

What is the relationship of the Bible to salvation? To begin with, the Bible reveals our need for salvation. It is a mirror that shows us how filthy we are in God’s sight. The Bible explains that every lost sinner is condemned now Jh.3: 18- 21, and needs a Savior. It also makes it clear that a lost sinner cannot save himself. The Bible also reveals God’s wonderful plan of salvation: Christ died for our sins! If we trust Him, He will save us Jh.3: 16- 18. Then, the Bible becomes our spiritual food to nourish us that we might grow in grace and serve Jesus Christ. It is our sword for fighting Satan and overcoming temptation.

The Scriptures are true and dependable vs.16.

The doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is vitally important, and a doctrine that Satan has attacked from the beginning Gen.3: 1. It is inconceivable that God would give His people a book they could not trust. He is the God of truth Deut.32: 4. Jesus is the truth Jh.14: 6. The Holy Spirit of God used men of God to write the Word of God 2 Pet.1: 20- 21. Whatever the Bible says about itself, man, God, life, death, and every other subject is true.

The Scriptures are profitable – vs16.

They are profitable for doctrine (what is right), for reproof (what is not right), for correction (how to get right), and for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right). A Christian who studies the Bible and applies what he learns will grow in holiness and avoid many pitfalls in this world.

The Scriptures equip us for service – vs.17.

Earlier Paul had called Timothy a man of God 1Tim.6: 11, but here Paul states that any Christian can become a person of God. How? By studying the Word of God, obeying it, and letting it control his life. All of the men of God named in Scripture including Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, David and Timothy were men who were devoted to God’s Word. The purpose of Bible study is not just to understand doctrines or to be able to defend the faith; The ultimate purpose is the equipping of believers who read it. It is the Word of God that equips God’s people to do the work of God.