“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
Judgment day’s too late to “present [myself] approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed.” I can become approve-able right now by “accurately handling the word of truth.”
In my chosen profession I must demonstrate proficiency if I expect to gain the approval of my clients and peers. That’s what professionals do. Negligence won’t cut it. My reputation in the industry is earned, not freely bestowed. Approval is not conferred as an honorary token of vocational competency. It is hard-fought and won in the trenches of classroom study, on-the-job training, continuing education, application for scholarships, hard knocks, a history of a few failures and a few more successes, an advanced degree or two, special designations, new certifications, licensing, positive leadership and communication skills, research and development, published articles, proven competencies, best practices, and a thorough up-to-date grasp of the subject matter pertaining to my career.
Likewise, a man or woman of God reads, studies, memorizes, teaches, lives, breathes, knows, continues to learn, investigates the claims of, listens carefully to, studies the origin of, skillfully presents, shares insights around, reads about, writes about, talks about, embraces, devours, and loves… the B-I-B-L-E.
Fully devoted followers of Jesus are determined to “present [themselves] approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed accurately handling the word of truth.” They simply... know their Bible.
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The excellent image above is entitled "Shhhhh...Quiet Everyone Study...." by wlmp whose photostream you can view at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wlmp/5049414589/in/photostream.
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2 comments:
Hi Dave!
I'm encouraged and challenged by your highlighted verse in this post. I know I have reasons to be ashamed. You are right, we should make it easy for God to approve us, we are so deeply indebted to our Saviour!
The last 8 years have been a blessing to me. I have a completely different mindset today when it comes to the Bible and its importance in my life. You stress the importance of knowing your Bible, and yes that is so crucial.
I've been thrilled to see my love for God grow, learning who He is and what he desires of me. The Bible is like a special mirror that helps us see our blemishes and shortcomings. "Accurately handling the word of truth" means that we must personally apply what we learn to our daily walk.
This morning, I am struck by the parallel reference in Ephesians 6:17 where the Word of God is referred to as the "sword of the Spirit". I love the visual picture that came to mind, that in order to present ourselves approved, we must be diligent in our desire to become "Master Swordsmen" for God's glory!
Hi Jeff,
Excellent comment. A "Master Swordsman", huh? That's a great image, Jeff. Thanks!
Dave
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