Wednesday after Populus Sion, the Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 9, 2020 by under
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 (NKJV)
3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Devotion
“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.”
God has inspired all Scripture. And that Scripture is given that “the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Note those words: complete, thoroughly, every. One of the hedges that some people wrongly use on the Scriptures goes something like this: “Yes, the Scriptures speak in a general way to situations such as this. But they do not envision my specific circumstances. So they do not really apply in my case.” This is an evasion of the doctrine of sufficiency. And that is what those words—complete, thoroughly, every—are telling us. The Scriptures are sufficient, and clear.
As life comes at us, it may take some time, study, contemplation, and prayer to understand how the Scriptures apply to our specific circumstances. But they do apply. Everything you need—for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness—is right there. At the core is the simple basis of Law and Gospel, repentance and the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ Jesus. God grant us repentance and humility to look to His Word for all wisdom.
Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine Only-Begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
