“15Do 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 (ESV)
I was brought to this verse this morning and take it as a reminder. You see, we are saved as we believe in Christ who is the Truth. Our acceptance of the gift of salvation comes with our belief in Jesus and His death and resurrection.
But once we have been saved, we have just begun our journey as Christians. Pretty sure that I have shared my testimony. It is not one of those extreme events where I was saved from the pit of despair. But, wasn’t I? I was a small child when I took my first walk to the pulpit to profess my faith. As I grew older, at 14 I realized that whereas I was sincere in my acceptance of Christ, I did not fully understand what that meant and therefore did not feel as though I had been saved. So I took the walk to the pulpit again and this time, it was genuine. My belief was full and I was saved and I now believed in the Truth.
I know that everyone comes to know the Lord in his or her own way. I am elated when each one joins the family of God. What I want is the continued growth and development in the faith and in the Truth. In my ESV Bible I have a footnote for the “one approved” in verse 15, “That is, one approved after being tested”. That testing comes with the growth and learning that comes over time. I have grown so much since I was 14 years old and to this day continue to grow even more. Each day when I sit here and study God’s word, I am reminded and learning more about my faith and what it means to be and carry myself as a Christian. I am “approved” through my continued work with, for, and through the Truth that is Jesus Christ.
When you look at things, are you believing in the Truth that is Jesus Christ? What does your continue growth and learning look like? Are you “approved” by and through the Truth?
Trevor's Thoughts 