Complete

December 16th

Today's Bible Reading

Complete

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Most often when we get a new job we are required to go through training. We must examine resources that have been designed to teach employees how to be effective in their work. These tools teach them what to do and not to do in the workplace. They help them to excel at their assigned task. 

God has provided such a resource that helps us flourish in our faith. His word is our resource. He has breathed out the scriptures to help us. Scripture enables us to do his work. It equips us for every task. His word removes the rough edges. It refurbishing and refinishing us. It refines us. It makes us complete. It makes us competent for his work. 

Our text clarifies the source of Scripture. It is breathed out by God. He is the author of scripture. It originates from Him. He wrote it. He used individuals to pen its words according to His design and desire. They Bible tells us “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” God directed them to write what they did. But All Scripture are His word. We can trust that God’s word is inspired and authoritative.   

Here we are told how we profit from our investment in God’s Word.  Four words in the text describe the sway that God’s word should hold over the life of every believer. Scripture should teach us, reprove us, correct us and train us. It should instruct us. As we read God’s word we must ask, “What is scripture teaching?”.  We must not miss the message that the Lord is trying to teach us in His word. If we don’t comprehend what we read, we must seek clarity to not miss the message.

To profit from God’s word we must also ask, “What do I need to turn from?”. There are times when we read scripture when we realize that we are off track and need to change course. God’s rebukes in scripture are designed to reveal areas of our life where we need to make adjustments to our spiritual walk. God reveals these aspects of our life to help us put aside anything that pushes us away from Him. Scripture rebukes us so we can be reformed.

Third when we read scripture, we must ask, “What must I turn to?”. Scripture directs us to see the things that we need to do to help us to stay on track. God corrects us in scripture to show us what we need to do to walk in a manner that pleases Him. Scripture corrects us to lead us to be conformed into the image of Christ.   

Finally when we read scripture, we must ask, “How can this text help me stay on track?”. Spirituality is not a given. We don’t come by it naturally. We must be trained in righteousness. The scripture provides this kind of training. Scripture must be implanted and implemented in our life to enable us to grow spiritually. Scripture trains us to be spiritual.

The end result of allowing the word of God to work in and through our life is that we will become complete, equipped for every good work. This is what we must strive for in our study of scripture. Without the effects of God’s word in our life we will be incomplete and ineffective as disciples. We must allow God’s word to teach us, rebuke us, correct us and train us so we will be faithful fruitful of Jesus.

Today let the word of God work in your life. Don’t just read it and set it aside. Let it do the work that God has designed His word to do in your life. Look for it to teach you and turn you in the direction He desires. Don’t despise His rebukes or disregard His corrections, but embrace both of them that you might grow into the likeness of Christ. Let scripture complete and equip you.