Be Approved of God! - 2 Timothy 2:14b-19
Be Approved of God! - 2 Timothy 2:14b-19
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 7, 2008 AM
Every human being wants to be loved and accepted. We value what others think of us so much so that we know being accepted or rejected as a child can influence our entire life. Many of us can relate a time when we were rejected by our peer group and recount the hurt that this social dismissal caused. But how do we feel about being approved of God? Does it give us the same feelings of loss or of anxiety if we realized that God may not be happy with our lives? What if we discovered that God did not approve of us?
Paul wrote his pastor friend Timothy to do “your best to present yourself to God as one approved.” Timothy, like all Christians should, needed to be able to handle the “Word of truth” correctly without hesitation so that God would surely approve of Timothy’s life lived for His kingdom. The questions remains for us therefore, “Are you approved of God?” Let’s discover what Paul writes to Timothy that can encourage us to be approved of God.
READ: 2 Timothy 2:14b-19
How one handles themselves while under pressure says a lot about their character. Recently, this is just as true for Vice Presidential candidates as it is for those who claim Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Words are powerful and they affect our lives daily. The laws we live by, the ideas we hold to, the education we seek, or the faith we adhere to are all founded and based on words. In fact, words mean so much that those who are branded as liars are held with contempt in our culture. Paul writes Timothy that in order to be approved of God…
I. The Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord (vv. 14b, 16-18)!
1. Words mean things! These past two weeks we have heard how words compete for our attention with the two political conventions. Paul tells Timothy that he is to be very careful with the words he uses. In fact, Paul related that it was to be Timothy’s regular practice to “Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.” Why? Words mean things, and if you constantly bicker over nuances then it becomes spiritually defeating. This is in fact why James, Jesus’ brother, said: “Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned.” Some people never learn and get into trouble just by opening up their mouths! Paul is blunt and writes, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” Evidently, there were those who were trying to undermine Paul’s, and thereby the gospel, teaching. Allowing such ungodly talk had literally, “given their words a feeding place like gangrene.” WOW! Paul had earlier (1 Timothy 1:20) wrote that he had handed these foul-mouthed men “over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” How was it that they blasphemed God? They had “wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” Jesus warned, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37) True Christians would never deny the resurrection. These men were not approved of God. The Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord!
EXAMPLE: “That’s not fair!” was my brother’s response to my Dad’s punishment. He had to stay home and work in the yard. It was not about “fairness” it was about character. My brother had promised my father that he would do his assigned work before going anywhere. Dad told him, “Your word is only as good as you are.” I have found that people will judge you by your words and whether or not you actually believe what you say you do and if you follow through on what you say. The same is true for politicians who say one thing, but their lives say another, or spiritually with those who claim they are “Christian,” but deny that Jesus was actually raised from the dead: Christian Science, Unitarians, and such. If we say we are “Christian,” then what we believe about Christ means something. Words mean things. The Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord!
How one completes the job they are assigned, says a lot about their personal conduct as well. This is true for those who want to become President as well as it is for those who want to be seen as devout in their faith. Your past and those you see as mentors in life will influence how you follow through today. In fact, I have learned that what you do often speaks louder than what you say. This is why those who claim Jesus as Savior and Lord are held to a higher standard. They are measured not only by their lives but by the life of the One who they say they follow. This is why Paul writes Timothy that in order to be approved of God…
II. The Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord (vv. 15, 19)!
1. A life lived for the Lord will shine! Paul wrote to Timothy that he was to do his “best to present [himself] to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth!” Handling the word of truth, the gospel, is more than just speaking it or just knowing it. You “handle” it by understanding it and living it. It takes time and practice. It is not learned overnight or by some simplified method. It is a daily thing. Peter would write that Christians should “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12) Jesus taught that His followers were to be “the salt of the earth,” and the “light of the world.” However, if they did not shine like it or if they lost their “saltiness,” they were no longer good for anything, except to be “thrown out and trampled by men!” (Matthew 5:13-14) Can you imagine God’s own truth being trampled on because His followers did not live like the salt and light they were supposed to be? That is the idea Jesus was trying to teach here. It happens far too often. We learn that “God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’” Paul’s words carry a warning also. If you confess Christ, you had better live like it or face the consequences when He returns. Jesus prayed to God the Father, “Now they know that everything You have given me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent me.” (John 17:7-8) Those who “know” Jesus are known of God and are approved by Him. Jesus also related that “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (Matthew 12:35) The Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord!
EXAMPLE: Notice that the words of Paul “correctly handling” literally mean to “cut straight.” A workman knew how to “cut straight” stone or wood because in those days both were expensive and there could be no waste. One of the few things I was taught in High School Shop Class many years ago was how to cut a straight line with a handsaw. It is not an easy thing to do and there are few who still have the ability to do it well with all of the new power saws and such. I remember that my first few attempts were miserable, especially when I tried to cut a straight line with the grain of the wood. Believe it or not, it is tougher than cutting against the grain to get a perfectly straight line. It takes patience, persistence, and staying power to do the job right. But isn’t that true for any job the Christian is to do in life? James related, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18) Paul said to Timothy, “present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” The Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord.
Conclusion:
How do you handle the word of God and how do you live out the word of God? Both speak to the fact of your Christian faith. Paul would say that to be approved of God the Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord and the Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord. Are you?
---
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 7, 2008 AM
Every human being wants to be loved and accepted. We value what others think of us so much so that we know being accepted or rejected as a child can influence our entire life. Many of us can relate a time when we were rejected by our peer group and recount the hurt that this social dismissal caused. But how do we feel about being approved of God? Does it give us the same feelings of loss or of anxiety if we realized that God may not be happy with our lives? What if we discovered that God did not approve of us?
Paul wrote his pastor friend Timothy to do “your best to present yourself to God as one approved.” Timothy, like all Christians should, needed to be able to handle the “Word of truth” correctly without hesitation so that God would surely approve of Timothy’s life lived for His kingdom. The questions remains for us therefore, “Are you approved of God?” Let’s discover what Paul writes to Timothy that can encourage us to be approved of God.
READ: 2 Timothy 2:14b-19
How one handles themselves while under pressure says a lot about their character. Recently, this is just as true for Vice Presidential candidates as it is for those who claim Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Words are powerful and they affect our lives daily. The laws we live by, the ideas we hold to, the education we seek, or the faith we adhere to are all founded and based on words. In fact, words mean so much that those who are branded as liars are held with contempt in our culture. Paul writes Timothy that in order to be approved of God…
I. The Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord (vv. 14b, 16-18)!
1. Words mean things! These past two weeks we have heard how words compete for our attention with the two political conventions. Paul tells Timothy that he is to be very careful with the words he uses. In fact, Paul related that it was to be Timothy’s regular practice to “Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.” Why? Words mean things, and if you constantly bicker over nuances then it becomes spiritually defeating. This is in fact why James, Jesus’ brother, said: “Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned.” Some people never learn and get into trouble just by opening up their mouths! Paul is blunt and writes, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” Evidently, there were those who were trying to undermine Paul’s, and thereby the gospel, teaching. Allowing such ungodly talk had literally, “given their words a feeding place like gangrene.” WOW! Paul had earlier (1 Timothy 1:20) wrote that he had handed these foul-mouthed men “over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” How was it that they blasphemed God? They had “wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” Jesus warned, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37) True Christians would never deny the resurrection. These men were not approved of God. The Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord!
EXAMPLE: “That’s not fair!” was my brother’s response to my Dad’s punishment. He had to stay home and work in the yard. It was not about “fairness” it was about character. My brother had promised my father that he would do his assigned work before going anywhere. Dad told him, “Your word is only as good as you are.” I have found that people will judge you by your words and whether or not you actually believe what you say you do and if you follow through on what you say. The same is true for politicians who say one thing, but their lives say another, or spiritually with those who claim they are “Christian,” but deny that Jesus was actually raised from the dead: Christian Science, Unitarians, and such. If we say we are “Christian,” then what we believe about Christ means something. Words mean things. The Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord!
How one completes the job they are assigned, says a lot about their personal conduct as well. This is true for those who want to become President as well as it is for those who want to be seen as devout in their faith. Your past and those you see as mentors in life will influence how you follow through today. In fact, I have learned that what you do often speaks louder than what you say. This is why those who claim Jesus as Savior and Lord are held to a higher standard. They are measured not only by their lives but by the life of the One who they say they follow. This is why Paul writes Timothy that in order to be approved of God…
II. The Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord (vv. 15, 19)!
1. A life lived for the Lord will shine! Paul wrote to Timothy that he was to do his “best to present [himself] to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth!” Handling the word of truth, the gospel, is more than just speaking it or just knowing it. You “handle” it by understanding it and living it. It takes time and practice. It is not learned overnight or by some simplified method. It is a daily thing. Peter would write that Christians should “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12) Jesus taught that His followers were to be “the salt of the earth,” and the “light of the world.” However, if they did not shine like it or if they lost their “saltiness,” they were no longer good for anything, except to be “thrown out and trampled by men!” (Matthew 5:13-14) Can you imagine God’s own truth being trampled on because His followers did not live like the salt and light they were supposed to be? That is the idea Jesus was trying to teach here. It happens far too often. We learn that “God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’” Paul’s words carry a warning also. If you confess Christ, you had better live like it or face the consequences when He returns. Jesus prayed to God the Father, “Now they know that everything You have given me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent me.” (John 17:7-8) Those who “know” Jesus are known of God and are approved by Him. Jesus also related that “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (Matthew 12:35) The Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord!
EXAMPLE: Notice that the words of Paul “correctly handling” literally mean to “cut straight.” A workman knew how to “cut straight” stone or wood because in those days both were expensive and there could be no waste. One of the few things I was taught in High School Shop Class many years ago was how to cut a straight line with a handsaw. It is not an easy thing to do and there are few who still have the ability to do it well with all of the new power saws and such. I remember that my first few attempts were miserable, especially when I tried to cut a straight line with the grain of the wood. Believe it or not, it is tougher than cutting against the grain to get a perfectly straight line. It takes patience, persistence, and staying power to do the job right. But isn’t that true for any job the Christian is to do in life? James related, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18) Paul said to Timothy, “present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” The Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord.
Conclusion:
How do you handle the word of God and how do you live out the word of God? Both speak to the fact of your Christian faith. Paul would say that to be approved of God the Christian needs to be a good words-man for the Lord and the Christian needs to be a good workman for the Lord. Are you?
---
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.
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