FBC Daily Devotions

THE BIBLE

Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

“We believe the Bible is the final authority for what we believe and do.”

We often refer to the Bible as God’s written word – His words to us concerning Himself and all His creation. That includes heaven, earth, and everything we see and cannot see. God gave us the Bible to learn more about Him and our life in this world. It is not exhaustive (though it can be exhausting at times!). It does not say everything that there is to say about everything. But it is enough. It is what God determined was enough for us to live for now.

The passage today says several things about the Scriptures:

1. They are holy – set apart from this world; truly, they are out of this world!
2. They impart wisdom that leads to salvation – our salvation is based on truth, not feelings/ emotion. The words of Scripture provide the true path to salvation.
3. They are God-breathed – not man’s words about God, but God’s words through man.
4. They are useful for teaching – the Bible is our text book for life.
5. They are useful for rebuking – exposing the sin in our lives.
6. They are useful for correcting – correcting wrong thinking and ideas.
7. They are useful for training in righteousness – give us the necessary instructions to grow in the ways of God.
8. They are able to equip anyone for every good work – they enable us to do what God created us to do – His good work.

That is a long list and a lot to consider for today. Why not take a moment and give some thought to a few of these areas:

-The Bible doesn’t just contain truths from God; it is the truth of God. It is a privilege to be able to read and hear God’s words. This is God speaking – how important can you say listening has been to you?

-How well am I applying what I learn to my life?

-What does the Bible say about specific sins in my life?

-Are my thoughts and ideas being shaped by the Bible or some other source?

-How is God’s word training me to run the race of faith?

-What impact have the Scriptures had on furnishing me with the things I need to live for Him?

Read His word. Learn from it. Grow from it. Act upon it. It is God’s truth to us.

RIGHT BELIEFS PRODUCE RIGHT ACTIONS

Read 2 Timothy 1:13-14.

The third command Paul gave to Timothy in this chapter concerns the content of what Timothy believes. What we believe determines how we will live, and how we live expresses what we believe. This week, Craig’s message focused on three areas of doctrine:  The Interpretation of Good Doctrine, the Ingredients of Good Doctrine, and the Importance of Good Doctrine.

When it comes to interpreting scripture, Paul tells Timothy to keep the pattern of his teaching, meaning it didn’t need to be identical in words, but in keeping with the principles of good doctrine. Good interpretation takes into account the culture and people when communicating the principles of Scripture.

The ingredients of good doctrine are faith and love. Good doctrine is not enough. It must move from knowledge to the heart and then into action. Acting on good doctrine is walking by faith. We are also instructed to walk in love. We can’t wield doctrine around like a club, trying to beat people into submission. Faith and love applied to good doctrine provide the needed balance and foundation for any church.

And lastly the importance of good doctrine is seen in Paul’s command to guard it – keep an eye on it, watch for predators. The best way to guard truth is to keep it active by using it regularly. We are to put the pattern of sound teaching over all our activities. With the help of the Holy Spirit, there is power to guard what God has entrusted to us.

What do you believe? What are the non-negotiables of Scripture, and how do we put them to use in faith and love? How do we guard what we believe? This week we will look at what we believe to be non-negotiable truths at Faith Bible Church. There are seven in our list. We will try to cover them all this week, God willing!

For now, what are some truths you learned from last Sunday’s message? How can it make a difference this week?

Read 2 Timothy 1:12.

Depending on the circumstances, suffering can sometimes be terribly humiliating.  Take for example Paul, who was probably seen as a troublemaker, or a man seeking gain but never succeeding, maybe even a criminal being that there was always “police” everywhere he went. A common person might get tired of looking like the fool. How many times does a person have to be wrested from a mob, imprisoned for open air preaching, or criticized for evil intentions before beginning to shrink back for fear of continual suffering? What keeps a person going despite constant harassment and condescending looks?

Have you ever witnessed the arrest of someone? Or perhaps more common, witnessed someone pulled over by the police for apparent speeding? Or even worse, have you ever been in the driver’s seat in that situation?! It’s humiliating and embarrassing! You just want to sink in your seat and hide so that no one will see you and hope that no one recognizes your car.

Perhaps that is how Paul could have felt everywhere he went. He could have quit in order to alleviate the humiliation, but instead he kept right on going. Why? Because he knew the living God well enough to know that whatever he did in the name of Christ, He would protect.

To consider: Everything we do for the kingdom, no matter how much we suffer for it, no matter how foolish we may look, no matter how humiliating a situation may be, we must remember Who is at the controls. Keeping in mind that our work is never in vain when it is under the care and power of God enables us to persevere under the load. The more we know God, the more confident we will be that He is able to guard all that we do so that we may never say our work was in vain. If there is only one thing you remember from this passage this week, let it be that our work is never in vain when it is entrusted into the hands of our sovereign Lord.

Read 2 Timothy 1:11; Acts 21:27-29.

Suffering as a teacher? Really, do teachers suffer? If you’ve ever taught a class, you know that half the battle of teaching is in the classroom: keeping the students engaged and keeping the material relevant. It can be a painful experience not just for the students (J) but for the teacher as well. The other half of the battle is the impact of the teaching. Most teachers recognize that life change is the ultimate purpose of bible teaching. In our passage today from the book of Acts, we see a crowd of people who are violently opposed to Paul’s teaching. What they claim is true, although they understood within the framework of their own resistant attitudes. Ultimately they are opposed to the changes in Jewish tradition. For people to follow Paul’s teachings meant they would trade in their old wineskins for new wineskins. Perhaps the most difficult part of teaching is the impact it can have on people’s lives (which is a good thing), but not to the liking of others. When people change, others can feel threatened by the change, even if the change is good. As teachers today in our society, we may not feel the suffering of Paul. People generally don’t try to take down teachers for the threat of their teaching! So how do we suffer as teachers in our various capacities?

I was talking with Lyanne about this (since she is an elementary school teacher), and she shared that as a teacher you want your students to succeed. Sometimes a student will come through and a teacher will work hard to help the student overcome difficult challenges. As a teacher, sometimes you can see a student’s situation leading to a difficult if not tragic future. Such was the case with one of Lyanne’s students who when reaching middle school was arrested for some serious crimes. (Sadly, this has happened with more than one student.) In many respects, there is suffering in knowing a former student did not go on to succeed. There is suffering in feeling that you could have done something to prevent it. There is suffering in believing that your efforts were in vain.

Parents can experience even greater suffering of this kind as teachers of their children. A child may grow to ignore the advice and warnings of their parents. Bad decisions can lead to disappointed parents. What parent doesn’t suffer when their child makes unhealthy choices? Another difficult area is when children don’t want to obey the instruction or discipline of their parents. They can come to resent their parents. How difficult it is to hear the words from a child, “I hate you!”

Anytime a teacher (whether a parent, a classroom teacher, a supervisor, a mentor, etc.) tries to bring about life change in their teaching, there is bound to be some amount of suffering. As said yesterday, we ought not be surprised. As Paul did, we must continue to instruct those under our care despite any negative effects. We must remember that our instruction will far outweigh any suffering we might experience. It is also good to consider that if not for our instruction, things could be far worse for our “students”. Your efforts are never in vain. Persevere in your teaching and pray for God to work through it!

Read 2 Timothy 1:11; 2 Cor. 11:28-29; Acts 21:30-36.

We have already seen in past weeks that apostles did more than preach the gospel. They were viewed as leaders of the Christian movement. As such they faced the hardships of leadership, which included suffering. How did they suffer?

I was watching a documentary on Martin Luther King, Jr. a few days ago – a man thrust into leadership, as one person noted, not because he wanted it, but because it seemed to be his divine calling. In the years that followed, he faced the scrutiny, threats, criticism, and agonies of leadership – leadership not for his own sake, but for the sake of a people unjustly oppressed. He worked constantly, traveled extensively, and sacrificed his health for the cause. His leadership ultimately came to an end in his tragic assassination. As I watched, I could not help but see the similarities of these two men’s journeys, King, Jr. and Paul. There was suffering caused by the opposition (and it was fierce!). There was suffering caused by internal criticism. There was suffering in the bearing of the pain and weaknesses of those under their care. No question about it, leadership and suffering are inseparable.

Has God called you into a position of influence and leadership in some capacity? Know that along with that calling will be the inevitability of suffering. We mustn’t be surprised. We will face criticism, unjust accusations, misunderstood motives, and the heat of consequences in difficult decisions. Whether it be at home, at work, at church, in the community, wherever, be prepared to face the suffering that accompanies leadership. In a few days we will look at how Paul was able to persevere under the weight of leadership. For now, however, stand on humble ground in your leadership roles. Don’t compromise your message if it is of God. Don’t settle for the comfortable route. Be willing to suffer as a leader.