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.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
We
are looking this week at four operations of the Scripture that help us with our
relationship with God and each other. It’s
a connected progression.
The first of these is TEACHING – which is Scripture
helping us to understand, or being able to know the track or pathway God
would have us walk with God, and love our neighbors as ourselves!
The
second operation is REPROOF – how the Bible shows us when we’ve slid
off the track.
The
third operation of Scripture we looked at yesterday is CORRECTION - how
to get
back on the pathway of living, so that we are once again blessed, and a
blessing to others.
Today’s final operation of
Scripture is TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS - The Bible teaches us how to
live so we can stay on the pathway – so that God will be pleased with
us. Instruction is like a roadmap for
life. We can find the avenue that leads
to salvation in the Scripture. And we
can travel the highway of confident living when we "trust in the
Lord" with all our hearts.
And the Bible tells us
that the operation of the Scripture is the best you can have in your life when
it comes to living a right life:
For
the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
While it may be difficult
to accept Scripture’s teaching, rebuke and correction, training in righteousness
is definitely the most difficult. That’s
because it isn’t just for a moment, an event or a season – it’s a lifetime
practice.
God’s Word is designed to
transform our character and nature comprehensively, day by day, step by step,
down to the last molecule; it works on us until we see no trace of the carnal
nature that so controls many people today.
In place of the flesh, or natural appetites we see the operation of the
Spirit of God.
In short – when people
look at a Spirit-driven/controlled believer, they only see Jesus.
Paul, God’s great apostle
to the Gentiles, invited us all to join him in following after Jesus in this
pursuit. He didn’t claim to have arrived
– but was hot after the goal:
I don’t
mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already
reached perfection. But I press on to
possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not
achieved it, but I focus
on this one thing: Forgetting the past
and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and
receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians
3:12-14 (NLT)
This is that going
on to perfection John Wesley was fond of proclaiming. He knew there was always a rough (rocky) road
for anyone who chose to follow Jesus, but being perfected in loving God and
others IS the job description for believers.
It is the difference the
world should see when they look at a follower of Jesus Christ.
That, my friends, is what staying
on the track is all about.
For You Today
Has
God’s Word taught you?
Has
it reproved
you?
Has
it corrected
you?
Has
it been busy transforming you, until the old you is so far in the rear view mirror you can hardly remember
what living for your own desires was like?
Good! That’s what it’s supposed to feel like when
life is On-Track!
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