One Approved

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”—2 Timothy 2:15

Do you want to have God’s approval? The answer is simple: read the Word of God and do what it says. The Bible is the greatest document that has ever been created. It’s value, , significance, and influence have far surpassed that of the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution. The Bible is God’s peace treaty with man, a declaration concerning the problem of sin and God’s solution by providing a Savior. And our job is to study this document that will endure for eternity. As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away”—Luke 21:33.

And since God’s Word will never pass away, we need to make every effort to study the Word, understand it, and apply it to our lives. Do we study the Word of God? Do we make it a habit of holiness? If we are to have any degree of power, any certainty of our salvation, any progress in our sanctification, then we must have a healthy and hearty dose of the Word of God on a daily basis.

In order to be one approved by God, it is best to develop a habit of holiness, a steady habit of study, whereby we learn to read and apply the Word of God. The first step is to find a time and a place where you can meet with God undisturbed. This may mean alone in your room, the kitchen table early in the morning, the back porch, on the train, or in the field. And then, you must take the time to read. For myself, this means reading one Psalm a day out loud. Then I read five chapters in the Old Testament, followed by one chapter in the New Testament, then time for journaling and an extended time in prayer. Your plan need not be as extensive as mine, but whatever you decide, make sure you make a plan and stick with it! Habits of holiness are not birthed in a night, but are made through consistent amounts of time and diligent study. There are no short-cuts allowed with God! Time is a valuable commodity today, and since God is the Creator of time and He has no shortage of it, then it would behoove us to make a point to spend the time to get to know Him! In order to get diamonds, you must dig, and in order to get the great truths of God, you must take the time to study!

In short, I want to conclude by illustrating what a difference a lifetime of Bible study makes to the child of God. Billy Sunday, a famous evangelist from the early twentieth century, once said,

“Twenty-seven years ago, with the Holy Spirit for my guide, I entered this wonderful temple that we call Christianity.

I entered through the portico of Genesis and walked down through the Old Testament's art gallery, where I saw the portraits of Joseph, Jacob, Daniel, Moses, Isaiah, Solomon and David hanging on the wall;

I entered the music room of the Psalms and the Spirit of God struck the keyboard of my nature until it seemed to me that every reed and pipe in God's great organ of nature responded to the harp of David, and the charm of King Solomon in his moods.

I walked into the business house of Proverbs.

I walked into the observatory of the prophets and there saw photographs of various sizes, some pointing to far-off stars or events all concentrated upon one great Star which was to rise as an atonement for sin.

Then I went into the audience room of the King of Kings, and got a vision from four different points from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

I went into the correspondence room, and saw Peter, James, Paul and Jude, penning their epistles to the world.

I went into the Acts of the Apostles and saw the Holy Spirit forming the Holy Church, and then I walked into the throne room and saw a door at the foot of a tower and, going up.

I saw One standing there, fair as the morning, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and I found this truest friend that man ever knew; when all were false I found him true.

In teaching me the way of life, the Bible has taught me the way to live, it taught me how to die.”

May our study of God’s Word give us purpose and focus today, and whet our hearts for the joy of heaven! Amen.