A Workman, Approved by God

A Workman, Approved by God

2Ti 2:15-17  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (16)  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.  (17)  And their word will eat as doth a canker: …

What do we do with verses like the above? Do we steer away from them because they are too serious and foreboding? Do we ignore them because they are too weighty or admonishing? It is in times like these that we need to remember that these are not just words in a book, but that they are the words of God, our Creator, and words that carry life and truth that cannot be disregarded.

These verses tell us that there is a certain way of studying and understanding God’s Word. If we adhere to this, God approves us as workmen. If we do not adhere to that specific form of study, we are not approved by God as workmen, and we bring shame upon ourselves and upon the written Word. That shame and dishonour comes in the form of profane and vain babblings. Now, just stop there and take note. What is the message we are learning here? It comes down to this. If we do not study, understand, and communicate the Word of God in a specific way, the words that come from our mouth becomes profane, and is no more than useless babble to those that listen! That useless message, over time, will increase towards ungodliness, and will spread over and consume, not merely destroying the parts immediately affected, but will extend into the surrounding healthy parts and destroy them also. So it is with erroneous, unapproved doctrines. They will not merely eat out the truth in the particular matter to which they refer, but they will also spread over and corrupt other truths.

Dear reader, this is not my opinion. This is not a theory that I have thought out. This is what God tells us. Though this is a serious and difficult thing to hear, it is something that we need to receive and account for. We cannot change a passage of scripture to suit our needs. No. It is we who need to change and adapt to what the scriptures teach us. It is never too late to allow the word to work in us, to adapt to its truth.

So, after this admonishing from Paul, what then is the advice we need to adapt to, and the approval we need to seek? Paul tells us that we need to study and understand the Word rightly divided. We need to understand that God uses two separate and distinct programs to fix creation. You see, both heaven and earth became corrupt. It is God’s prophetic plan through Israel that will restore earth. Likewise, it is God’s mystery plan through the Body of Christ that will restore heaven. These two programs are distinct and different from each other. One is physical, the other spiritual. One is prophetic, the other a mystery revealed to Paul. One is based on law, the other based on liberty in the Spirit. One is faith with accompanying works, the other faith alone through Christ. One believes in Jesus as an earthly conqueror and king, the other believes in Jesus as a sacrifice for sin and justification. The one inherits earth, the other inherits the heavens. The doctrine of these programs are based on different principles and practices which cannot be blended. As a matter of fact, the problem with such vast denominational differences in the church today is the very cause of trying to blend these doctrines together. This is where a canker has infected the whole system. This is where we find shame in the teachings within these denominational systems and where there is dishonour and ungodliness in the hearts of its laymen. The unlearned, or ignorant tutors, are the workmen not approved of God, and are not handling the Word of truth correctly, blending and mixing up doctrines to the detriment of its hearers.

There is only one way to study, understand, and communicate the written Word today. It is the only way that is approved of God and brings honour and credit to its tutors. It is the way of rightly dividing the Word, keeping Israel’s prophetic program separate from the doctrine and program of Mystery for the Body of Christ. This does not mean that we only focus on the mystery. We do not ignore scripture for just that which applies to us. Paul tells us that we preach Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, but that we also preach Jesus Christ according to the prophetic scriptures. See Rom.16:25-26 and notice how he layers our study. First the gospel, then the mystery doctrine, then the scriptures of the prophets. Thus, we study all of scripture and understand the purpose of both programs in God’s redemption plan, but when it comes to renewal of our minds and application of scripture, we adhere to the mystery doctrine only, without blending in that which belongs to Israel and prophecy. To be approved, we rightly divide.