LANGUAGE:
The Work Of God’s Word
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
This is the third in our series on the transformational power of the Word of God. According to Romans 15, v4, we're told that the design of the Scriptures is to give us hope in the midst of the flow of life.[i]
In a recent survey, it was reported that 26 million Americans mostly or completely stopped reading the Bible during COVID. Yet, according to Guinness World Records, the Bible is still the bestselling book of all times.[ii] And yet according to Today In The Word only 10 percent of Americans currently report daily Bible reading.[iii] It would appear, though still a best seller, reading the Bible is falling by the wayside.
I have a very small collection of baseball cards. I doubt they are worth more than the cardstock they are printed on. But I have learned that there is a card out there worth having, it just not in my collection. It is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Card which is reported to have sold for 12.6 million in 2022. Think about this, at the time of its origin you could purchase this card in a pack costing only 5 cents. But as valuable as the Mickey Mantle card may be, I want us to understand that God’s Word far surpasses it. It is absolutely priceless. [iv] From Charles Swindoll, “News articles may inform us. Novels may inspire us. Poetry may enrapture us. But only the living, active Word of God can transform us.”[v]
In John 17:17, Jesus prayed to the Father, sanctify them in the truth; ‘because’ Your word is truth. Everything that God has written in the Bible is true and is designed to transform us on the inside. To be sanctified means “to be set apart”. God's Word is the only thing that can set us apart and transform our spirit, soul, and body.[vi]
Let’s begin with a Word of Prayer as we study God’s Word. “Lord, thank you for this time you’ve given me to open your Word and discover who you are. Because Your Word is the Sword of the Spirit. Give us Your wisdom and discernment as we explore Your truths. Help us not to rely on our own understanding. Amen.
For the last several Sundays I have passed on to you various character traits of the Word of God that make it a powerful tool for life transformation. Let me give us three more character traits that make God’s Word a powerful tool of transformation in the hand of the Holy Spirit.[vii]
From Martin Luther come these powerful words: "the Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me. The Bible is not old-fashioned, or modern. It is eternal.[viii]
Last time we looked at Psalm 1 where we learned that delighting and meditating on the Word of God sets the follower of Jesus apart from wicked sinning scoffers.
In Psalms 77, the writer Asaph helps us understand what it means to delight and meditate on God’s Word. In the Psalm he finds himself perplexed and troubled, and determines to steady his inner being by laying hold of truth and looking to God. So he writes in vs 11 and 12:
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
Yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will ponder all Your work,
And meditate on Your mighty deeds
How does Asaph steady his inner being in the midst of perplexity and trouble?
He does this by intentionally taking note of truth and drawing it into his thinking. He reflects on what God has accomplished by . . .
And according to Psalm 1 such reflection brings a surety, a certain stability, making one’s inner man stand strong in the midst of turmoil like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, yielding fruit. Psalm 119:100(GW), because of God’s Word David made this powerful statement: I have more wisdom than those with many years of experience, because I have obeyed your guiding principles.[ix]
In context, David is saying that his wisdom comes because he was instructed by the Word of God. So God told Joshua in chap 1, vs8, you shall meditate on ‘My Word’ day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. So if we want to have wisdom, we need to take intentional delight in the Word of God and meditate on it day and night.
And so we have this great promise given to us in Isaiah 55:10–11 (NASB95) 10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Just like rain brings life and growth to seed, God’s Word brings fruit and transformation to our inner man because His Word is living and active, Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95).[x] … and because it is ‘also’ the sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17.
In light of this, lets turn to 2 Timothy 3:14-17 where we are given an inside look as to how the word of God works in our lives. I am particularly interested in vs16–17 (ESV) where we are told that 16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. And then we are told in v17 that it is inspired by God so 17that the servant of God may be ‘brought to' maturity, equipped for every good work.[xi] We don’t study the Bible to get smarter, but in order that God can train us for good works which were prepared for us.[xii] So for us, taking the Bible as being inspired by God is a core doctrine.
As we delve into these verses, I want us to understand that the primary work of God’s Word is to bring us to salvation. That’s what Paul tells Timothy in v15. from childhood you have known the sacred writings . . . and here it is . . . which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.[xiii] Understand that salvation is the work of the Lord.[xiv] So make a note of this: the primary work of God’s Word is to bring us to salvation.
Romans 10:17 (NASB95) tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Let’s not miss this: The word hearing is more than hearing an audible voice. It’s like a two prong fork—to hear here is to actively receive the word of Christ and then to actively believe the word of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, Paul tells us that the content of our teaching is “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Faith that leads to eternal salvation comes when we hear, that is when we receive and believe the message concerning our savior Jesus Christ. So the primary work of God’s Word is salvation.[xv]
Colossians 3:16(ESV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. In order for God's salvation to take root in our lives, we must let the word of Christ dwell in us richly by spending a great deal of time in His Word learning about Him.[xvi] As a side note and by implication, if we are not meditating and dwelling on the Word of God, it is very possible that your faith is not up to par with what is needed to survive in this world and the world to come.
?How do we grow our faith
Paul gives us some practical ways in Colossians 3 for hearing the word of Christ—by teaching, admonishing (that would be the idea of reproving), and singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. In order that, according to Ephesians 4:11-13, we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.[xvii]
Second, notice v14(ESV) 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed . . . We don’t want to miss the conjunction but. It is meant to make us cast our eye on the preceding verse, where Paul describes the downward spiral of evil people and impostors, who are continuing to go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. So Paul is drawing a contrast between what Timothy had been taught as to Scripture and what was going on in the community. Apparently the local community was made up of evil people and pretenders of the faith who were spiraling out of control.[xviii] They were the wicked, sinners, and scoffers of Psalm 1.
Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:16 (NASB95)? We’re to make the most of our time, because the days are evil. In 2 Timothy 3:13(ESV) he reminds Timothy that he is living in the midst of evil people and impostors ‘who are in the throes of deception. He was very concerned about the dangers that evil people and imposters can have on Timothy’s thoughts and behavior.
Romans chap 1, vs 28ff describes for us the mindset of evil people and imposters. V29, they are 29filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and then Paul hammers it home with these frightening words 32although they know the ordinance of God who practice such things (these people he just described) are worthy of death, . . . now don’t miss this . . . these people who know the ordinance of God, and yet despicable as to behavior, give hearty approval to those who practice them.[xix] That’s powerfully scary! Evil reinforcing evil.
Folks, understand, evil has a cheering squad, and the cheering squad of evil is getting louder.[xx] And in their ‘loudness’, they are laying the ground work for the coming Evil One in Daniel 7:25(GW), Who will speak against the Most High God, oppress the holy people of the Most High, and plan to change the appointed times and laws.[xxi]
Know this: “Spiritual corruption is a comfortable and a self-satisfied form of blindness. Everything appears acceptable: deception, slander, egotism and other subtle forms of self-centeredness, giving hearty approval to everyone who practices them.[xxii] And don’t miss this, Romans tells us that there comes a moment when God turns evil seeking people lose to carry out their desires to their own destruction. When the Evil One comes on the scene he will have fertile soil. 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (NASB95) 11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. [xxiii]
So Paul warned the Corinthians to be careful of who they hung out with in 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB95) Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Nothing perhaps affects man’s character more than the company he keeps. [xxiv] So Paul tells Timothy, in light of the abounding evil, you need to be grounded in the things you have learned and have become convinced of (v14). So keep swimming against the current. When swimming against the current, you can't rely on outside reference points to determine your values, or how you feel, or what you want. You’ve got to keep your mind set on what you have learned and have become convinced of. You’ve got to stay the course. If you don’t, you will become like those on the shoreline. And mark this down: its entirely possible that some of you may have to change your swimming pattern and start swimming “against the current”. To swim against the current we must keep the Scriptures foremost in our minds, because they bear the marks of God’s holy character and desire for us.[xxv] We must hold on to them, immerse ourselves in them. 1 John 5:5 (GW) 5Who wins the victory over the world? The person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.[xxvi]
Third, it is when we believe the Scriptures, that the blinders are removed from our spiritual eyes so that we get real insight as to our sinful condition. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT) Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. … Because they are blinded, they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
And so we must believe the Scriptures, for they testify to the saving work of Christ. John 7:38 (NASB95) Jesus said, He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’[xxvii] The Scriptures prepare our minds and hearts to see Jesus for who He is and to believe in Him. So don’t walk away from the writings that have exposed you to the gospel Christ which brings us to salvation which is freedom from guilt and the pollution of sin, from Satan’s power, and the coming judgment of God.[xxviii] Salvation does not come from reading the Scriptures, but they “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”[xxix] James 1:21 (NASB95) Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.[xxx]
That brings us to v16. Let’s follow Paul’s word to Timothy. Starting with v14, “Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Remember faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Then Paul makes this remarkable statement, v16, Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed concerning the sacred writings Why? because all sacred writings are breathed out by God.” This is a faith-rock-statement—All Scripture is God-breathed.[xxxi] Now to be fair to the text, the Scriptures in view here are the Old Testament. That is what Lois, and Eunice knew, believed, loved and taught Timothy. But we also know now that it includes the New Testament writings. In 2 Peter 3:16 Peter cites the writings of Paul as being among the God-breathed writings.[xxxii] And Paul himself tells the Corinthian Church, we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:13 (ESV)) Peter further fleshes this out in 2 Peter 1:21 (NASB95) where he says no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
I love how John Piper captures Peter’s words: God’s influence was not simply on the mind of the writers in general, but his attention to the process of Scripture creation was such that when their minds and hands composed actual Scripture words, these words were so much God’s words that Paul says the writings themselves are God-breathed.[xxxiii] This is the fundamental reason for our statement of faith here at Bensenville Bible Church which reads:
The phrase, 'the Bible is without error in the original writings" flows out of v16. So what Paul was telling Timothy and us is, continue in what you have learned and believed, because the holy writings your mother and grandmother taught you, and what I have taught you are the very words of God. The point I want us to zero in on is this: Because the Bible is God-breathed, we have access to knowledge that is unshakably true and infinitely valuable. Three times in the Bible we are told outright that God cannot lie.[xxxv] Since God cannot lie, His Word is always true. So Psalm 18:30, “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless”. John 17:17, God’s Word equals truth, and it is by that truth God sanctifies us, that is, setting us apart for His Work.[xxxvi]
And further, since God is eternal and unchanging, His Word is always the same, eternal and unchanging. That’s the point of Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”.[xxxvii] Further, Jesus tells us that life itself is embedded in God’s Word, man shall live on every word that comes from the mouth of God’”[xxxviii].
Well, this is a good place to put our thoughts on pause. In recent years, what is coming across as “woke culture”, is finding its way into all aspects of society, infiltrating academia, media, entertainment, politics, and even churches. But my greatest concern is ‘wokes’ take concerning Jesus Christ. In this ‘woke culture’ the nominal Christian is caught between knowing a little bit about Christianity, but not enough to discern truth from fiction. It is absolutely crucial for us to be grounded in the truth of scriptural so that we can discern absolute truth from error and prevent others from falling prey to deception.[xxxix]
If we want to know truth, we have to look in God’s written Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) and Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 1:3). Jesus said, “God’s word is truth.” When we look at the Bible, we see truth. The Bible does not merely contain the truth; it is the truth. Every word in every part of the Bible is true. Psalm 12:6, “The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times”. How we respond to God’s written Word and the Word made flesh has an eternal impact on us. Since God’s Word is truth, rejecting the Bible is to reject Jesus, is to reject God Himself. Believing, cherishing, studying, and obeying God’s Word is the key to salvation, understanding God, and living abundantly (John 10:10). No matter what we may face in this world, we are sustained by the truth prayed over us in Jesus’ prayer in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”.
In my next message we will take a closer look at how the Word of God brings transformation to our inner man.
Let’s pray close in prayer. …
Sovereign Lord, Thank you that Your Holy Spirit helps us discern and understand your Word. Give us a hunger to feed our souls on Your Word every day, reminding us that we cannot live by bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).
Today we recognize that living according to Your Word gives us a firm foundation for this life and the life to come because “your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). Thank you that your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path so that I can walk securely. (Psalm 119:105). We ask today that You use Your Word to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us in righteousness so that we can be completely equipped to do every good work You have prepared for us. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) As You children empower us to embrace Your words of life more than we embrace our fears, our insecurities, and the lies that so easily ensnare. 24Now to You who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of Your glory with great joy, 25the only God, our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, for all time and now and forever more. (Jude 24–25 (ESV)). Amen.
[i] See Romans 15:4 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language) Romans 15:4 (NLT)
4Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 (ESV)
4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
[ii] Laura Bailey, The Bible: A True Bestseller (Jan 7, 2022, , https://billygraham.org/story/the-bible-a-true-bestseller/
[iii] Today In The Word, Study God’s Word, July 21,
[iv] Ibid., See also Jon Gold, 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History. https://www.history.com/news/most-valuable-baseball-cards. A strange backstory: In 1952, Topps owner Sy Berger let the printing presses run for some of his company's cards. But the late-summer release cooled collectors on the cards, and cases of the product went unsold. In 1960, Berger had as many as 500 cases of the cards—including Mantle's now-valuable card—dumped into the Hudson River.
[v] Charles Swindoll, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/all-scripture-is-breathed-out-by-god-continue-in-it https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/55-18/the-work-of-the-word-part-1
[vi] See Psalm 19:7–10 (NASB95)7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
[vii] Cf. Ephesians 6:17 (NASB95) tells us That the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit.
[viii] Joel Beeke, 4 Perfections of God’s Transforming Word, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/4-perfections-gods-transforming-word
[ix] Proverbs 16:16 (NASB95) 16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
[x] Cf., Psalm 147
[xi] Ephesians 2:10 (NASB95) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
[xii] Ephesians 2:10 (NASB95) 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
[xiii] 2 Timothy 1:13 (NASB95)13Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Romans 4:23–24 (NASB95) 23Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
[xiv] Romans 11:36 (NASB95) 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Ephesians 2:8–10 (NASB95) 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
[xv] Steven Lawson, Salvation Is of the Lord, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/salvation-lord. The central truth of God’s saving grace is succinctly stated in the assertion, “Salvation is of the Lord.” This strong declaration means that every aspect of man’s salvation is from God and is entirely dependent upon God. The only contribution that we make is the sin that was laid upon Jesus Christ at the cross. The Apostle Paul affirmed this when he wrote, “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Rom. 11:36). This is to say, salvation is God determined, God purchased, God applied, and God secured. From start to finish, salvation is of the Lord alone.
[xvi] John 17:3 (NASB95) 3“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
[xvii] Ephesians 4:11–13 (NASB95) 11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
[xviii] 2 Timothy 3:1–7 (NASB95) 1But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
[xix] Steve Lawson, Salvation Is of the Lord, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/salvation-lord. Adam’s perverse nature has spread to the whole of every person. Apart from grace, our minds are darkened by sin, unable to understand the truth. Our hearts are defiled, unable to love the truth. Our bodies are dying, progressing to physical death. Our wills are dead, unable to choose the good. Moral inability to please God plagues every person from their entrance into the world. In their unregenerate state, no one seeks after God. No one is capable of doing good. All are under the curse of the law, which is eternal death.
[xx] Proverbs 17:13(NIV84) 13If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
[xxi] 2 Thessalonians 2:8–12 (NASB95)8Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
[xxii] Romans 1:28–32 (NASB95) 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
[xxiii] 2 Thessalonians 2:8–13 (NASB95) 8Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
[xxiv] Cf., https://mylocalcollaborative.com/bad-company-corrupts-good-morals/
[xxv] Romans 15:4 (NASB95) 4For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 1 John 2:3–6 (NASB95) 3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
[xxvi] Revelation 1:17 (NASB95) 17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, Revelation 2:26 (NASB95)26‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; Revelation 3:5 (NASB95) 5‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:12 (NASB95) 12‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. Revelation 3:21 (NASB95) 21‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 2:11 ASB95) 11‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
[xxvii] John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me Isaiah 44:3 (NASB95) 3‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; ; Isaiah 55:1 (NASB95) 1“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. ; Isaiah 58:11 (NASB95) 11“And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. .Proverbs 4:21–23 (NASB95)21Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. 23Guard your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
[xxviii] John 3:36 (NASB95)36“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
[xxix] Walter L. Liefeld, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 279.
[xxx] Ephesians 1:13 (NASB95) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ; 1 Peter 1:22–23 (NASB95)22Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
[xxxi] Romans 4:23–24 (NASB95) 23Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ; Romans 15:4 (NASB95)
4For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ; 2 Peter 1:20–21 (NASB95) 20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
[xxxii] 2 Peter 3:15–16 (NASB95) 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
[xxxiii] John Piper, All Scripture Is Breathed Out By God – Continue In It (2 Timothy 3:14-17), https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/all-scripture-is-breathed-out-by-god-continue-in-it
[xxxiv] We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures (Matt. 1:22; 4:4; 19:4,5; Heb. 1:1-2), both Old and New Testaments (2 Pet. 3:15,16), through the words of human authors (Lk. 1:1-4). As the verbally inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20,21), the Bible is without error in the original writings (Num. 23:19; 2 Sam. 7:28; Prov. 30:5; Ps. 119:96, 160; Matt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35; 17:17; Tit. 1:1,2), the complete revelation of His will for salvation (Lk. 16:29-31; Gal. 1:8,9; 2 Tim. 3:15), and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged (Jn. 17:17; 1 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:23; Ps. 119:44,45,165). Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches (Matt. 22:29; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16), obeyed in all that it requires (Matt. 28:20; 2 Thess. 3:14; 1 Jn. 2:5), and trusted in all that it promises (Rom. 1:2; 4:21; Heb. 10:23; 2 Pet. 1:4; 3:13).
[xxxv] Numbers 23:19 (NASB95) 19“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Titus 1:2 (NASB95) 2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, Hebrews 6:18 (NASB95) 18so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
[xxxvi] Ephesians 2:10 (NASB95) 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
[xxxvii] Isaiah 40:8 (NASB95) 8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
[xxxviii] Matthew 4:4 (NASB95) 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ ”; Deuteronomy 8:3 (NASB95) 3“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.
[xxxix] Cf., Lucas Miles, Lucas Miles talks exposing threat of 'woke culture' in churches, misusing Jesus for propaganda. https://www.christianpost.com/books/lucas-miles-talks-exposing-threat-of-woke-culture-in-churches.html