“Continue in what you have learned ...”

Second Timothy 3

John T. Mabray, Pastor

Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Lynchburg, Virginia

August 29, 2004

8:30 and 11:30 AM

THE PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Almighty and ever-gracious God, our Father, we pray, in the name of Jesus our Savior, that through Him You will send forth Your Holy Spirit upon us afresh; to illumine our minds and to open hearts, that we may spiritually understand and rightly receive Your Word. Help us, O Lord, not only to hear Your Word, but to respond in true faith, gladly obeying Your Word, and living henceforth for Your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE:

One of the great joys of the “back-to-school” routine is seeing how the children and youth of our church family have grown physically over the summer. Over the summer they have grown taller, and broader; and in our youth we can detect the marks of their emerging maturity. It is a blessing to witness this process of growth taking place in the life of our children, our grandchildren, and our covenantal children of the church family.

            The Gospel of Luke tells us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). This verse is a favorite because it reminds us that our great Savior, the eternal Son of God, was once a little boy. He went through the process of  “growing up,” just as we once did or are now doing. And because Jesus was once a little boy who had to grow up just as our children and grandchildren and church family children are growing up, He can perfectly identify with them; and, by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, He can minister to them now so that they, too, like Him, may grow “in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

            But there is a great mystery here which has to do with each and every one of us, no matter what our age or stage in life. The eternal Son of God became like us, so that we could become like Him. He became like us, physically --- and in the fullness of humanity --- so that we could become like Him, spiritually, in terms of our own personal maturity as human beings created in the image of God for His glory.

            Physical growth is the process of becoming physically mature. Spiritual growth is the process of becoming spiritually mature. The standard or definition of spiritual maturity is Jesus Christ Himself. Spiritual maturity is a matter of Christ-likeness. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians that the goal of the Church is that

...we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood (mature personhood), to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ ... (Ephesians 4:13).

            What does it mean to grow spiritually? It means to grow and to become more and more like Jesus Christ. But what exactly does that mean? What does that look like? What specific attributes are evident in those who are spiritually mature? Is it measured in how much we know in our heads? Not necessarily. A better indicator of spiritual maturity is the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, which the Scripture identifies as: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit in our lives is the evidence of the presence of Christ in our lives. As we grow in Him, into His maturity, the fruit of the Spirit will be more plentiful and beautiful in our lives.

The chief fruit of the Spirit is “love” because love is the first and true mark of the Christian personality. But in Scripture, Christian love is not described as a mere feeling or emotion, but rather a deep and abiding inner attitude and orientation toward others which expresses itself in behavior toward others which communicates the spiritual maturity of Jesus Christ to others:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1^st Corinthians 13:4-7).

This kind of love, Christ’s love shown to others, is a specific expression of spiritual maturity. That’s our goal in terms of spiritual growth. Spiritual maturity is not merely a matter of knowing more stuff in our heads, or of being able to debate abstract ideas; spiritual growth toward true spiritual maturity is a matter of putting flesh and blood on what we know in our heads and say we believe in our hearts.

But how do we become spiritually mature? How do we grow into the likeness of Christ? First of all, as with healthy, physical growth, we must get the nourishment we need for healthy spiritual growth. First Peter 2:2 exhorts us, “Like newborn babes, hunger for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation.”

            You may know that old saying, “You are what you eat.” That is as true with spiritual life as it is with the physical life, even more so. What we feed our hearts and minds is vitally important to our spiritual growth. But where do we find this good food, this pure spiritual milk?

            The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:

...continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is God-breathed 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 (Second Timothy 3:14-17).

            Paul looked upon Timothy as his “beloved child” in the faith. Paul was concerned about Timothy’s continued spiritual growth, for he knew that Timothy would face difficult times ahead. And so Paul reminded Timothy that the sacred Scriptures are the source of nourishment for healthy, Christian growth toward spiritual maturity.

            As Presbyterians, we affirm that the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God written, all of which are given by the inspiration of God, the only rule of faith and obedience. But it is not enough to say that theoretically; we must live by it in the reality of our lives, listening and responding in faith to the voice of God speaking to us in Holy Scripture.

In other words, the Bible is not intended to be an encyclopedia of theological trivia which we store in our brains. The Bible is the word of God written, so that we might live in a real, “real-life,” relationship with God, living lives that are in sync with His will, lives which are “pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10). The deepest “spiritual truths” of the Bible ultimately have to do with how we live our daily lives in this fallen world, because if all our spiritual wisdom and doctrinal understanding doesn’t get out of our heads and into our hands and feet, it is worth nothing. As the Apostle Paul himself said,

If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge … but have not love, I am nothing (First  Corinthians13:2).

So, all theological education must be aimed toward theological living, Christ-like living. 

Today marks the beginning of a new Sunday School year in our congregation. This congregation has a blessed heritage of Christian education and a strong, continuing ministry of Christian education for all ages. And at this point, today, as we begin the new Sunday School year, I think it’s appropriate that we give thanks to God for the ministry of Rodney Suddith, who for eighteen years has served as our Director of Christian Education. Rodney will continue in that capacity until the end of December, the Lord willing, at which time he will become the Executive Director of Sports Outreach Ministries, a local and international missions agency. Under Rodney’s leadership here, Christian Education has been developed into a key component of the life of this congregation. Be sure to thank him for that.

            A word of thanks is due also to those faithful members who have committed themselves to teach Sunday School --- some of them for many, many years. They do so willingly and cheerfully, but I hope that we never take them for granted. And the time has come for many of you, who for years have benefited from good teaching, now to answer the call and to pass on what you have learned to the next generation. Many of you can teach, or can learn to teach, or can assist in teaching. When called upon to teach, be honest --- be honest: sometimes “No” is a perfectly good answer, the right answer --- but first prayerfully consider that call and prayerfully examine yourself, and make sure that you are not shirking a God-ordained responsibility. No, not everyone is called and gifted to teach; but feeding yourself, without a willingness to share in order to feed others according to your ability, is self-centered, spiritual gluttony.

And, for the sake of our visitors and new members, as well as an exhortation to us all, let me say: in Rivermont EPC, Sunday School is not just for children! If you have not already committed yourself to attend a Sunday School class this coming fall, I encourage you to do so. Not only is it a significant opportunity for your continued Christian education, it is also a very good context for you to grow in fellowship with other members. We are a sizeable congregation; it is easy to fall through the cracks; it is easy to fall away. Becoming a faithful member of a Sunday School class is one good way that you can connect more closely, and more personally, as a member of the congregation. It is also provides a good opportunity for you to be involved in ministry to others, and to receive ministry from others. But most of all, it is a good way to do what the Holy Spirit, speaking in Scripture, says to do. Listen again to the Word of God: ...continue in what you have learned... .

            Paul exhorts Timothy to continue in what he has learned; that is to say, to build upon it, and to persevere in it; and implied in this exhortation is the command to continue learning: how else can we continue in what we have learned if we do not also continue to learn, building upon what we have learned? Timothy is a model for us. Paul’s word to Timothy is God’s word to us. Like Timothy, we are to continue --- continue growing in what we have learned from the Scriptures, continue in our study of the Scriptures, and continue to seek to glorify and enjoy God by living according to the Scriptures everyday of our life.

            That word, continue, is absolutely essential to anyone who sincerely seeks to grow toward the spiritual maturity of Christ-likeness. The word disciple comes from a root-word meaning “pupil, student.” To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be His student, not just academically, but in the classroom of this fallen world. He is our Teacher. And Jesus’ disciples never graduate from His school in this life. Spiritual growth is lifelong growth, through every age and stage of life, from childhood through adulthood, all the days of our lives.

            Paul makes this very point in this passage. First, he refers to Timothy’s childhood, emphasizing the importance of the Christian home, emphasizing the importance of the Christian nurture of our children in the home and in the covenant community of the Church.

...from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

            Timothy was nursed on the Scriptures of the Old Testament in his childhood, as our children --- like Timothy, children of the covenant --- are to be nursed on the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. For those of us who are now raising children, let it be understood clearly: this Scriptural instruction is not fulfilled by Sunday School alone. Christian Education, first of all, is to take place in the home.

            But Timothy’s Christian education was not completed in childhood, and neither is ours. Like Timothy we must continue to learn from the Scriptures, the very Word of God written. In this passage, the Scripture attests to itself that it is the inspired Word of God:

All Scripture is God-breathed 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 (2 Tim.3:16-17).

By His Holy Spirit, God breathed-out (that’s the literal translation of the Greek) His Word to be written down in human language so that His people throughout the ages would have an infallible guide of faith and life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

            God’s written Word protects us and preserves us in the truth. Earlier in this chapter, Paul makes reference to all manner of wickedness and perversity and false teaching. It sounds very contemporary. “Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (3:13). How do we discern the truth in our day? What path of life will we and our children walk? The Scripture is God’s Word, which He has given to us so that we may glorify Him and enjoy Him.

            The knowledge of Scripture is not to be merely theoretical or academic, but it is to be “profitable,” “useful,” and in this passage Paul lists the various uses of Scripture.

            Scripture teaches us all that we need to know in order to live in a covenant relationship of love and fellowship with God. Scripture teaches us the truths of God --- His holiness, righteousness, grace, and mercy. Scripture teaches us the truths about ourselves --- our sin, our need for a Savior, and God’s gracious offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches us how to love one another, and how to live together as God’s people.

            Scripture is useful for rebuking; that is, the Scripture rebukes our own consciences, exposing our sins, and calling us to repentance. And Scripture can help us rebuke one another in love when that is necessary for our spiritual health and growth. And along with this, Scripture is useful for correcting, or restoring, us when we have gone off the wrong path. Scripture not only rebukes our errors, but corrects them and shows us how to continue in the paths of righteousness following Jesus Christ.

            Scripture is useful for “training in righteousness,” building us up in faith, getting us into spiritual shape, and disciplining our minds and hearts so that our lives exhibit obedience to Jesus Christ.

Sinclair Ferguson has written,

God’s Word is not only a kindergarten where we receive milk, it is also a school gymnasium where we are strengthened for life. Studying it, understanding it, trusting it, and obeying it tones up the spiritual muscles and quickens the responses of grace in our lives. ...Scripture thus contains all we need to know in order to live a useful, joyful, and fruitful Christian life; all the essential equipment is here.[1]

            Why is Scripture so essential for healthy spiritual growth? Because Scripture is God’s way of speaking to us. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are indeed my disciples; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31). “If you continue in My word … .”  That word, continue, on the lips of Jesus and by the pen of the Apostle Paul, is the same word --- remain, abide, continue --- continue in My word, continue in what you have learned … .

Remember: Christ became like us, so that we could become like Him! Therefore, let us continue in His word! And to Him be praise and glory, for ever and ever. Amen!