Prayer, Week 3, Day 4

Book The Essentials of Effective Prayer

Week 3, Day 4, page 41

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15; Matthew 4:4

What did you learn from marking references to the Word of God in these verses?  How would you describe its importance in the life of a believer?

I found the 2 Timothy 2:15 word/Word study so appropriate for this list's name:  TruthHimself. In this verse, I noticed that we are to handle accurately the word of truth (emphasis mine). Before this study,  I remembered this verse as reading "accurately handling the Word of God," which I believed to mean accurately handling the Bible as the Word of God.  But as I looked up truth/alētheia (225) I found Jesus, Truth Himself!

• Truth/alētheia (225) is the essence of a matter.  Think about that.

• "In philosophy, essence is the attribute or set of attributes that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it loses its identity." -wikipedia

And the essence of any matter is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21), Truth Himself.

From the BlueLetterBible:

• "The truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ (emphasis mine), and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians."

What does "the essence of any matter is in Jesus" mean really?  

When we receive a teaching or inductively study the Word ourselves, the truth will

• draw us closer to Jesus so we can magnify Him.
• free us from sin and self so He will increase.
• humble us rather than puff us up so His life is manifest in ours.
• equip us for Godly living so He can use our lives to build His kingdom.

How can we discern Truth from error?  Errors will

• magnify the teacher, not Jesus.
• bind us so that we are focused on our sin or self, not focused on Jesus.
• puff us up so our life is manifested not His life.
• build our self-focused kingdoms, not His kingdom.

Yes, Jesus is the essence of Truth! 

For example, marriage reflects Christ/the husband and His Bride/the Church (those who are believers, disciples, and bondservants).  Any other definition of marriage is does not magnify or increase Christ but rather focuses on sin or self.  The essence of marriage is in Jesus.

Other issues you may want to consider are modesty, parenting, eating, entertainment, government. Perhaps you can think of more.

My personal paraphrase of 2 Timothy 2:15:

Be zealous (characterized by devotion) to live the kind of life that shows that God has approved of me because I am in Christ, because of what Christ has done (1 Cor. 10:18), not because of what I have done.  As I carry out my responsibilities in this life... in Christ, I need not be ashamed, and as I abide, I will be able to discern Truth and error.

As a citizen of heaven what should your food be?

Like Jesus, my food is to do the will of the Father (John 4:34) and finish his work.

What does the amount of time you spend with God's Word reveal about your allegiance?

I know the author of this study is trying to get us to say that the amount of time we spend in the Word will reveal our allegiance; but while spending time in the Word is important, our allegiance goes much deeper than how much time we spend in the Word.  Some churches spend loads of time in the Word and are oppressed by man's leadership because the people in those churches don't really have a relationship with the Lord but, rather, have a relationship with the man-created church and its doctrines.

God's Word is both living and written.  Some days, quite honestly, I don't spend time in the written Word, but on those days it seems I spend more time with the living Word.  In other words, I am given opportunities to work out what Christ by His Spirit has put in during my times of prayer and study (Phil 2:12). 

In fact, this past weekend, my daughter had another episode of cyclic vomiting.  She needed rehydration, so I didn't spent time in the written Word because I was spending time taking care of her, but I certainly spent time with the Lord in prayer-- not on my face on the ground or hours away from routine duties.  He was near and I was comforted as I continued to grow in trusting Him.  I do see that I have grown (thank You, Lord!) as I was not so upset this time during her sickness.  I felt a little edgy :-/ but not angry with God, more angry at the effects of sin over time.  Our bodies are definitely not evolving over time but rather devolving because of the effects of sin.  I hate sin. 

So my allegiance to God is measured not only by how much time I spend in the Word-- yes, I read the Word and I study the Word.  Yes, I receive teachings and evaluate them prayerfully-- but also, just as importantly, through my daily tasks I spend time with the Living Word in me because my allegiance is to Him.  I worship the Lord in Spirit (by being with Him) and in truth (by seeing that all issues in this life, for the Christian, find their essence in Jesus).

Lord, free us to truly live the life you have called us to:  one of simple surrender when anxious or overwhelmed and one of thanksgiving and praise at all times.

Linda

Moderator

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TruthHimself/