The last three weeks, during our study of 2 Peter in our worship gatherings, we have looked at 2 Peter 1:5-15, with verse 5 being a point of emphasis. Like many of you, I have been meditating on the charge to “make every effort” (with all diligence, earnestness, haste) to feed my faith and persevere to the end. If you missed any of these three weeks, go back and listen to these important messages that I hope will exhort you to press on, striving for growth in Christlikeness.
The next few weeks, we’ll look at passages that are critical in our doctrine of Scripture and the importance of sound teaching versus false teaching and teachers.
Today I was thinking about the sequence of those two ideas in Peter’s letter, specifically about the role of the Scriptures in feeding our faith that results in godliness, conviction, and perseverance. One passage among many that always comes to my mind when I think about the importance of the Scriptures is 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.” – 2 Timothy 2:15
So, I recited it to myself and then looked it up and read over it again slowly. Do you know what I noticed that I don’t think I’ve ever noticed or thought about before? Paul uses the same root verb in that verse as Peter did in 2 Peter 1:5!
“Do your best (be zealous, diligent, earnest) to present yourself…”
How does Paul say we are to be diligent in our pursuits before the Lord? One way is to make sure we are “rightly handling the word of truth.” Friends, how can we please the Father and rightly handle his Word if we don’t study it? How can we study it if we don’t read it? Can you honestly say you’re making every effort or doing your best to grow in Christlikeness in the area of Bible study?
One way we try to facilitate an environment for everyone to grow in the discipline of Bible reading, study, and application is through GO Groups. This Sunday, two new GO Groups are launching that focus on learning what the Bible says about what happens to us as we become new and grow in Christ (New Life In Jesus – 9:30am) and what it means to find our awe in Jesus (Treasuring God Through Worship & Awe – 11:00am). If you’re not currently studying God’s Word with others and growing in your ability to handle the word of truth, this is a great week to jump in. You can view all current study options and register at tcbchurch.org/gogroups .
I want to leave you with this brief statement explaining the sufficiency of Scripture from our Principles document
“The Bible makes known the way of salvation and sanctification. No other special revelation is needed to know God and His will for our lives. God’s Word is unchanging and will stand forever. Thus, knowing God and growth in Christlikeness is built on a Spirit-empowered devotion to the Scriptures.”
Wes Tucker
Connections Pastor/Elder Wes Tucker serves on staff as our Connections Pastor. He served in various leadership roles for six years at TCBC before coming on staff in the fall of 2013. He earned a Master of Arts in Church Ministries degree through The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary while participating in Cohort 1 of the Tri-Cities Leadership Training Program. Wes and his wife Jennifer have four children: Cameron, Grayson, Hayden, and Caroline.
