Nothing is more important to the Christian than knowledge of God's word. The Church cannot be built on ignorance. Ignorance cannot do God's work. Ignorance will make it impossible for a Christian to serve or to worship God properly. God once said of the Jew, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject youÂ…" (Hosea 4:6). Just as the lack of knowledge of God's word destroyed those people, it will destroy Christians also. Do not be deceived. Being sincere is important but being sincere alone is not enough. Sin done in ignorance is still sin. Paul wanted the Jews, his own people, to accept Christ and be saved. The Jews knew the true God. They worked hard for God, but they were ignorant of God's righteousness. Because they were ignorant of God's righteousness, they made their own system of righteousness which could not save them (Romans 10:1-3). Ignorance, lack of knowledge, kept them from receiving salvation. It can also cause you to lose your salvation.
Paul told Timothy, "Be diligent (study) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing (handling aright) the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15). Every Christian wants God's approval. All want God to say on judgment day "I accept you: I approve of your life." Paul says there are two things a Christian must do to receive God's approval.
First, a Christian must be an unashamed workman for God. A Christian who is lazy and who refuses to work for God will never receive God's approval. A Christian who works for God, but who would be ashamed for God to examine his work will never receive God's approval. The Christian who works for God seriously trying to do the things God wants done will receive God's approval. Second, a Christian must rightly divide or properly handle the word of truth. It is easy to study the Bible improperly. One must never ask when studying, "What do I want this scripture to mean?" Many Christians and many sinners try to force the Bible to teach their own ideas. Such a person will never receive God's approval. One must always ask, "What does God and the inspired writer mean in this scripture?" The only proper meaning of any scripture is the meaning the inspired writer had when he wrote the scripture. That meaning never changes. It will be the same in every age. When a Christian learns what God means in scripture, and he believes in and trust that meaning, he will receive God's approval.
Proper knowledge showed you how to become a Christian. It told you how to worship God. It will tell you how to live for God, how to serve God, and how to work for God. Proper understanding of scripture will teach you everything you need to know to be saved" (II Timothy 3:16-17).
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