Don’t miss this- Paul is about to die and he is telling us just how he has been able to run his race so well.

Paul was thoroughly equipped for every good work-including sitting in a prison and writing this powerful letter of truth we are studying all these thousands of years later.

Paul would never leave that prison but had all he needed for everything he would ever face-including the moment he would be executed for the cause of Christ.

And, we have what we need for every day, every hard thing, that will come our way, available to us as well; but God won’t force it on us.

It is His Word.

God gave us the Holy Scriptures, “which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”(2 Tim 3:15)

Paul says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”(2 Tim 3:16-17)

The Word, the Holy Scripture, the Bible, are the inspired words of God.

But it is not just to be read, it is only equipping and profitable when it is APPLIED to our lives.

Otherwise, remember Paul told us, we will be “gullible”, “captives”, “loaded down with sins” , “ always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.(2 Tim 3:6-7)

Likewise, the half-brother of our Lord, James, said, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)

So, if you want to be “thoroughly equipped”, able to “persevere”, and “blessed” in your “doing”, rather than “gullible”, “captive”, “loaded down with sins and unable to come to the truth”, then continue to read and apply the Word to ALL your life, for ALL your life.

No matter how old you are, or what you have on your plate, or what you think you know about God already, Paul says, “you must continue “ (2 Tim 3:14).

We are in dangerous waters if we don’t spend time studying and applying the Word to our lives, think we know it well enough, or think we can pick and choose the parts we like and ignore others.

God meant what He said. ALL of it.
Yes, those things He said are wrong are still wrong regardless of what the culture says.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isa 40:8

FOREVER is forever
from a God who does not change
and will do what He says!

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num 23:19)

Yes! The Word is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, and as it is used in this way, His people are complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work!

Oh God, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path! (Psalm 119:105)

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