Titus 2 Men And Women

School days! Oh, the memories. Some children can’t wait to start school and others of course hope they never have to go to school. Some love school and their teachers...some never want to go back. Many things factor in to the way a child views learning and their attitude toward school.  As parents we can become very frustrated with a child’s childishness.

I must say that I never enjoyed school after I was about eight-years-old. Oh, I went to school faithfully until I was in high school, then I discovered I had a minor acting ability. I had some real health problems but I magnified them. I even went to school some days and let the teachers send me home. While that allowed me to be home doing what I wanted to do, it didn’t help me establish good work patterns. 

I was sure that I would love Bible College but I found out that just because someone is a Christian doesn’t mean I enjoy being around them. Thank goodness school is over for me! Well, at least sitting in a classroom is over for me but my days of learning aren’t over yet.

As we travel through our lives are we willing to learn or do we fight against any change God brings into our lives? Do we resist doing anything differently, sit down and pout when things don’t go our way? God expects us to continue to learn all the days of our life. We will never reach a place where we know all that there is to know.

God expects us to study the Bible and to keep on studying. Look at

2Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Did you ever take a class in school that just really frustrated you? You didn’t understand the subject or you couldn’t see any reason for learning that particular subject? Someone, mom, dad or your teacher said; "You have to learn this. Someday you will need to know this." Maybe they were wrong and you have never needed that information but you still benefited from the class. You earned their approval and now God wants you to study so that he can approve of you. You passed that class and were un-ashamed. Now God wants you to know Him and be unashamed. You knew the subject matter from that class and could explain it to others. Now God wants you to be able to divide His word...to explain it to others.

Let’s take a few minutes and look at what benefits we get from Bible study.

2Peter 1:1-8 "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"

First of all Peter identifies who and what he is, who he is writing to and how we became Christians. Don’t you feel important? Peter wrote us a letter. Granted he didn’t know our name but it’s still our letter. Now let’s keep reading:

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,"

Did you see what my pal Peter said? Knowledge of God and Jesus multiplies grace and peace. He didn’t say that when we get saved grace and peace are added to our life. He didn’t say if we don’t study grace and peace will be subtracted from our account. He said the more knowledge we have of God the more grace and peace we will have.

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:"

Jesus used his power to give us all things that have anything to do with life and godliness. Shazam! No, not that kind of power. Jesus’ supernatural power is bestowed through knowledge of him. We do not need a college degree but we do need knowledge of Jesus. That knowledge also enables us to live virtuous lives and promises us glory.

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

Knowledge of God will create in us as Christians Jesus’ divine nature. Certainly Satan will tempt us and we will not be perfectly sinless this side of Heaven but it will see progress in ourselves. Further more, we will bear fruit.

"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Studying the Bible helps to keep us from being lead into false doctrine. There are many religious groups who use parts of the Bible and who practice kind generous actions that draw un-learned Christians away into false religions

2Peter 3:17-18 "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

Here is another passage that emphasizes the importance of studying the Word and of praying for one another.

Colosians 1:9-11 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

Did you see the answer to all of those troublesome questions?

• "How can I know God’s will in my life?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.
• "How can I get wisdom?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.
• "How can I understand spiritual truths?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.
• "How can I live in a manner that will please the Lord?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.
• "How can I bear spiritual fruit?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.
• "How can I can I find the strength to keep on?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.
• "How can I handle the problem and the frustrations in my life?" Increasing in the knowledge of God.

There is another reason for us to study the Bible. God has commanded us to teach others about him. We are to begin teaching at home. Day in and day out we are to find the answers to how to deal with problems, how to react under stress, how to love one another in the Bible. Bible principles (rules of conduct) and precepts (moral commands) should be taught daily in the home. Our walk must match our talk at home and out into the community.

Deuteronomy 6:5-13 "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name."

God not only commanded us to teach but He authorized us to teach. A good teacher studies continually. Remember in school the teacher that made the subject matter come alive for you...that teacher wasn’t resting on last years notes...that was a teacher who studied continually to keep his/her material and excitement fresh.

Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

2Timothy 3:17 "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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

Remember that as God breathed these words through Paul for Timothy, He looked through eternity and saw us. The only way that we can stand steadfast on Bible doctrine, the only way that we can comprehend guilt, the only way that we can make things right, the only way that we can teach others godly living, the only way that we can be complete and able to do right is through knowledge of the scriptures.

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