2Tim 3:16 Archives – Sonshine's Journal

June 24, 2021June 24, 2021

“What Voice Do You Listen To?”

2Chron 10 -12 Voices can be misleading, or they can lead to the truth. Take a page out of Rehoboam’s life. He is a foolish king who listened, not to the Spirit, but his “boys from the hood.” God gave him wise counselors, but he rejected their wise counsel on having a peaceful transfer of power. Instead of choosing wisdom, he chose war. He forsook wisdom for folly, righteousness for power. The kingdom experienced a “divorce” of a magnitude never before was seen. God hates divorce, and He hated that His beloved kingdom would suffer over a foolish decision.

Rehoboam might have avoided this had he followed the counsel of God as his grandfather David had done. When we listen to the voices of the Tempter, we sacrifice godliness for ungodliness.

Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of God who is ever and always wise and discerning to counsel us aright. Perhaps that is why He put 2Tim 3:16 into His word: Wisdom from scripture is useful for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

Learn from the mistakes of Rehoboam. Listen to the voice of the Spirit speaking the words of God. Have you experienced the indwelling Spirit of God? Are you listening to His voice?

February 3, 2019

Ye Shall be Holy

We often are reminded to be holy but what does that mean and how do we become holy?

holiness Lev 20a

Lev 20 -23 The theme of Leviticus is holiness. Over and over the Lord spoke to Moses saying ‘I am the Lord,” You are to be holy. How can we know holiness? We know it through spending time in God’s Word every day. It is our guide to holiness, the holiness of God. Without His Word, how would we know His character, His ways, His standards?

And how do we learn about Him? How do we learn about our own holiness apart from the Word? The Word, that is “every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work”

Think about it this way: “The Father gives you to the Son, the Son gives you to the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost gives you back to the Son changed and sanctified. Sanctified, but still a poor sinner. And the Son cleanses you with His blood, and clothes you with His own righteousness, and gives you back to the Father, through Him and in Him holy, holy enough for heaven, holy enough to stand in God’s holy presence” [Jas Vaughan, M. A.]

April 29, 2014

“Pearls of Wisdom”

In studying scripture and doing homiletics one is encouraged to be succinct. Homiletics is a tool to help you analyze a passage in scripture. It incorporates a succinct outline, succinct divisions and succinct biblical truths. One of the most challenging are chapters like Proverbs 10 because of its many pithy sayings. These provoke us to think about how to practically apply what each says in our daily lives. Look at this chapter as God’s oyster filled with His pearls of wisdom. Just as the diver seeks to find the best pearl in the oyster so we must dig in His Word to find His pearl for each day.

One question that arises is why did the Holy Spirit not arrange this chapter or any of the following chapters so that we could study one topic in full? But, perhaps the answer is found here: “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” [Is 28:10] Thus we learn best when we take in a bit, meditate upon it and then find that same tidbit further on which brings that same truth to light but given differently. For example:

Prov 10:1 says a wise child makes a father rejoice and Prov 23:15 says if your heart is wise then your heart will be glad. Same principle but written in a different way.

As you read Prov 10, look for the pearls of wisdom that the Holy Spirit will use to instruct you so that you might grow up and in turn instruct others. Let these words sink into your heart with the goal of applying 2Tim 3:16: all scripture is profitable for gaining wisdom in teaching (doctrine–biblical principles), reproof (rebuke), correction (challenging us to walk uprightly) and training in righteousness (that is the way of God) so that we may be capable and equipped for every good work.