Transcript 2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
“Be Diligent”
• “Study” (KJV)
– The idea of study is present, but more of the
way we study—diligently
– “But we, brethren, having been taken away
from you for a short time in presence, not in
heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your
face with great desire” (1 Thess. 2:17, NKJV)
SAME WORD
“Utmost”
“Do your utmost to come before
winter. . .” (2 Tim. 4:21, NKJV)
“BE DILIGENT”
“Diligence” –Lost in the World
• Worldly Definitions:
– A good person (church or no church)
– One who attends a church once in a while
– One who goes to church regularly on Sunday
mornings
– One who goes regularly, sings a few songs,
contributes some cash, ‘endures’ a sermon,
takes Lord’s supper
“Diligence”
• Luke 13:22-30
– “strive” versus “seek”
Base “agone”
the Greek Assembly
for Contests
“agonizomai”
“Strive” VS “Seek”
Gk. “agonizomai”
TRANSLATED (KJV):
•Three times as “fight”
•Three times as “strive”
•One time as “labor”
1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
PRESENT
• When we insist on baptism for salvation we
are often accused of:
“VOIDING CHRIST’S COMPLETED WORK ON
CALVARY WITH MAN’S WORK”
• Was Paul voiding Christ’s work by insisting
that you “present yourself approved”?
Whose Responsibility?
“So then each of us shall give account of
HIMSELF to God” (Rom. 14:12, NKJV).
– WHO SHALL GIVE AN ACCOUNT?
– GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF?
– GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO?
“. . .approved to God. . .” (2 Timothy 2:15)
“Therefore, beloved, looking
forward to these things, be
diligent to be found by Him in
peace, without spot and
blameless”
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
“A WORKER”
• “A WORKMAN” (NASB)
• IMPLIES A “WORK” (Jas. 1:25)
– “work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling” (Phil. 2:12)
• OUR WORKS DO NOT NEGATE THE WORK OF
CHRIST, BUT FURTHERS IT!
– “for it is God who works in you both to will
and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 KINDS OF WORKERS
• ASHAMED
– WORKERS OF INIQUITY WILL BE
ASHAMED (Lk. 13:26, 27)
• NOT ASHAMED
– NOT ASHAMED WHEN SUFFER AS A
CHRISTIAN (1 Pet. 4:16)
– NOT ASHAMED BEFORE GOD IN
JUDGMENT (1 Jn. 2:28, 29)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
“RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD”
• IMPLIES THAT GOD’S WORD CAN BE
WRONGLY DIVIDED
– DEVIL IN TEMPTING CHRIST –MATT. 4:6
• RIGHTLY DIVIDING & APPLYING THE
WORD MAKES ONE APPROVED
• WRONGLY DIVIDING & APPLYING THE
WORD MAKES ONE CONDEMNED
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be
diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and
blameless;
15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to
the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these
things, in which are some things hard to understand, which
untaught and unstable people twist to their own
destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand,
beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness,
being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and
forever. Amen.
How Do Men Mishandle
God’s Word?
• When they do not handle it all or very little
• When they adulterate it/handle it deceitfully (2
Cor. 4:1ff)
• When they reduce it to “one’s interpretation”
• When they ignore the context
“RING
AROUND
THE ROSES”
ORIGINAL RHYME 1665 LONDON:
“Ring-a-ring o’roses, A pocket full of posies, A-tishoo!
A-tishoo! We all fall down.”
• ring o’roses – in reference to small reddish spots on skin
• A pocket full of posies – belief that evil smells were the
breath of demons, wore sweet smelling flowers to drive them
away
• A-tishoo! – the sneezing that accompanied the plague
• We all fall down – death
Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need
to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.