Training in Righteousness
Training in righteousness, although not a popular concept in today’s lawlessness, Holy Spirit found it necessary to pen this message through the hands of Paul to Timothy for our benefit.
All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 2 Timothy 3:16 (AMP).
As I read through this chapter from the Amplified Version of the Bible, (2 Timothy 3) and I strongly encourage you to do the same I find this purpose for God’s Word striking. And if possible, read it in this version, and allow its wordiness to sink in a bit. Throughout this portion of Scripture, he prophesies to us what it will be like in these latter days. And his prophetic writing is spot on.
But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. 2 Timothy 3: 1-5, (AMP).
I don’t know about you, but I find all this ungodly behavior going on around us stressful, and it’s troublesome to my soul. I know the end result of sin is death, eternal death, and that God does not desire this for anyone, but it is a decision that all need to make. Will we choose to live a sinful lifestyle and bear the consequences of this decision (hell), or will we choose to “live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately–behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage”? If you choose the latter, to live in conformity to God’s will then we have His training manual in our hands–His Word.
So, next time we grab our bibles, let’s look at it in a new light. Let’s take hold of its message as our training manual to live in His righteousness, His godly ways, to free us from the stress and trouble from all of this world’s profanity, and to keep ourselves protected from this world’s infection–sin.
Let’s pray.
Father God, I thank You for Your God-breathed Scriptures that You so graciously gave to us to overcome the stress and trouble of this sinful world around us. You knew that we would pass through a time of lawlessness, and that it would be difficult to bear. But as always, You are faithful to us, and You have supplied us richly with Your Word to train us in righteousness even during such perverse times. We thank You, Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, you show us how-to live-in conformity to Your Word. In Jesus’ name, we thank You, amen.
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© 2023 Author Becky Dvorak–Healing and Miracles International, All rights reserved.
