God’s Purpose For Studying His Word - part 4
2 Timothy 2:15
“15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
1 Corinthians 11:14
“14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”
We know that Jesus Christ was never a shame to His Father. Some artist decided to do a painting of what he thought Jesus looked like and made Him with long hair. It is an artists imagination and sadly many people have taken a picture as their authority rather than God’s Word. For the born again Christian, even though you may have seen many pictures of Jesus with long hair, and you may have been taught that in the past, as a true born again Christian, in the study of God’s word to be approved unto God, you will see that Jesus did not have long hair and therefore, that idea needs to be dismissed from your mind. It is a lie and needs to be replaced with the truth. That requires humility. A willingness to realize that God is always right and man does not know everything and is wrong many times.
Humility is also important because in the study of God’s Word, there is the need for a teacher.
Ephesians 4:11-16
“11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
In verse 11 of this passage it tells us that God gave some apostles; and some prophets. This is a reference to the Word of God. There are no apostles and prophets today. However, God chose apostles and prophets to give us His Word. Thus we can see that through the reading of God’s Word and the study of God’s Word, we will be approved unto God. This verse also tells us that He gave some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. These are current men whom God has called and chosen to be preaching and teaching His word in any generation.