God's Breath - Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I think that when many of us read this passage we think about how we can use scripture - we can use it to rebuke (all those who mock us) or correct (all those who aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do). We get excited to think that we can use scripture to help guide those around us. But is that entirely what God means here? Is He talking about our using it for others, as though we already have it all figured out?

I think that there is a much broader, much more important message in this that I think is easy to over-look. While it is true that we can use scripture to teach and rebuke and correct and train others, and that God would desire that we use it in such ways, I think that the last person we think of really benefitting from the scripture in these ways is - us. I love verse 17, "that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." We all want to be obedient, and do the good that God has for us to do, but if we’re not in the Scripture, and letting it teach us and rebuke us and correct us and train us up in righteousness, then we aren’t ever going to be prepared to do any good work that God may have for us.

I love the King James Version of verse 17 that says, "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The word perfect, in it’s Greek, means, "complete - having reference to ‘special aptitude for given uses.’" I love that Scripture doesn’t work in us in a general way, but God uses it to mold and make us in a specific way. The Word of God gives us the specific tools we need for what God has in store for us. In fact, the "good works" in this verse refers to any good or honorable thing that we are occupied with - anything that God has us doing, even that which we do in our everyday life that we may not even consider ministry. It is essential that we be rooted in the Word of God if we are to be ready to tackle life.

Scripture is crucial - it is a tool God has blessed us with to really hear and learn from Him, and He expects that we would use it! We need to immerse ourselves in it, let it get in us and really change us. We should each be able to look back at our lives 5 years ago, a year ago, maybe even 6 months ago, and see how Scripture has changed us. Those around us should be able to see the change as well - that’s how drastically Scripture remakes us! Are we learning from God? Are we letting Him teach us? Scripture is so important for our growth, but also for our service. So, let’s dive in, so that we would be "perfect," "thoroughly equipped for every good work."