Verse of the Day 3/8

Verse of the Day 3/8

2 Timothy 2:15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.    English Standard Version (ESV)

I heard a message the other day from a series from a large church where the pastor spoke of being "approved" by Jesus.  The main point of the message is that we stand approved by God by what He has done for us and that there is nothing that we can do to "earn" His approval.  I came in at the tail end of the message and I don't know if the rest of the series would have filled in more details.  I agree with the statement but at the same time as I heard the message one of the first things that popped into my mind was today's verse, which is one of the first one's that I memorized as a child in AWANA clubs.  The name  for AWANA clubs comes from  this verse - "approved  workmen are not ashamed".  The King James Version which I had memorized starts out with "study to show thyself approved unto God".  It is an important concept which should be included in a discussion about God's approval.  We cannot earn His approval, but having received it, we should live in a way that shows that we have His approval.

I like the way that the ESV begins the verse.  "Do your best".  That's where it starts, we are all different, don't have the same talents  or abilities, but we can do our best which we can "present" to God.  I had posted a note in my Bible from Ray Ortlund who reinforced  this thought.  "Do your best — An all-out effort measured by who you are, not by who you are not and can never be. But by God's grace you can do your best with who you are....to present yourself — He may put you before masses, or he may put you before a few. But you are available to him for whatever role he thinks is most strategic for the redemption of the world in your generation. You are "ready for every good work" (verse 21)......to God — Not to people, primarily, but to God, who knows quality work when he sees it.....as one approved — By God's standards, which will wonderfully satisfy your own conscience, though your divinely approved work will inevitably dissatisfy some people.....a worker — Not a big talker, not a dreamer, not a theorist, but a lover of solid accomplishment......who has no need to be ashamed — The closer his work is inspected, the better it gets. There is nothing hidden, except even deeper quality......rightly handling the word of truth — Do not swerve from the truth (verse 18) for petty quarrels about words (verse 14) or irreverent babble (verse 16). Stay centered in hyper-focus on the "of first importance" gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-5), and tell it to them straight: industrial-strength grace pouring out on extreme sinners through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the endless power of the Holy Spirit"

We should be studying, praying communicating  with God and putting what we learn into action, to "do your best — An all-out effort measured by who you are, not by who you are not and can never be. But by God's grace you can do your best with who you are.."

Read The Message below, may the words encourage you and  challenge  you to live today as "approved by God".

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

2 Timothy 2:15-18The Message (MSG)

^14-18 Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with.