02 06 08 GOD-HONORING ACTIVITY


“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
(2 Timothy 2:15 NIV)

Paul is not just simply telling us to study the Scriptures, but to make this our highest priority, or pour ourselves into this task. What does it mean to present ourselves before God? It has the connotation both of being tested and of passing the test. In other words, this process takes time. When used of silver, the phrase means legal tender (genuine silver with no filler). It is sometimes used of the refining of gold through fire. The fire burns off the dross so that only the pure gold remains. If we truly present ourselves to God, we can be assured that He will slowly, but surely, burn the dross away. All that remains is the authentic person that God has been fashioning in Christ. Paul tells us that we are to present ourselves, our whole selves, to God. We must long for his approval and no one else's. We live for an audience of ONE. We yearn for His applause: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

We all, every believer, needs to commit to a life given over to the control of our Savior. Every believer also needs to be able to properly share the Gospel in one’s unique perspective, to give a defense of his or her faith! The greatest danger in American Evangelical Christianity is the danger of anti-intellectualism. We are to offer to God the whole person. For every believer, holiness is not an option. But neither is knowledge. I heard someone say recently, "I'd rather know a dozen verses and obey them than the whole Bible and do nothing with it."

Quite frankly, if our study of Scripture does not make us uncomfortable on a fairly regular basis, then we are not really, wholeheartedly, pursuing Truth. This isn’t just the pastor’s job, or the minister’s and deacon’s responsibilities, it’s every believer! Start with one verse, 2 Timothy 2:15…Romans 12:1-2…Proverbs 3:5-6… or 2 Peter 1:5-8 and live it wholly. It’s a GOD-HONORING ACTIVITY and an obligation we all have.