Sunday School Class // January 28, 2024
View Series
This is a lesson I prepared for a Sunday School class and is based on the video series “The Basics of the Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson | Ligonier Ministries” (Lesson 4)
2 Timothy 3:14–17 (ESV)
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
God has spoken and opened his heart to us through His Word. There are a myriad of ways to learn about God that are not the Bible itself. One can easily find himself listening to teachings, lessons, podcasts, stories, and even watching movies or television shows. These can all be helpful supplements but they are not meant to replace our daily engagement with the Bible. It is through the Scriptures that we become familiar with the heartbeat of God. The Bible is God’s chosen means to convey his heart and speak to our souls. It is not enough to just talk about the Bible or even learn its facts. Our Father wants us to meditate on His Word and listen. Listen to the Words of God written and kept for his children. Words that will convey the unconditional love of our heavenly Father.
Wise for Salvation
The Bible is the source of understanding that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. It is the Word of God that illuminates our hearts and minds to not only our need for salvation but the necessary answer of how to attain salvation. It is through the Bible that God reveals the depth of sin in our lives and the absolute incapability we have to save ourselves. God makes us wise for salvation through his Word by revealing that we are dead in sin and in need of a Savior. God’s Word then makes us wise for salvation by pointing us to that singular Savior, Jesus. It is important to remember that the Bible does not save us. The Bible is only the means by which we are pointed to Jesus and his death on the cross for our sins.
Speaks to Us
God speaks to us in the Bible using the words written through his servants. Even though these words were written so long ago, they are the means by which God communicates his presence to us. As we read and engage with the Word of God, we are engaging with the Spirit of God in the here and now. We are brought into the presence of God as we read and meditate on Scripture. Engaging with God’s Word is not simply just reading the words written on the page and moving on. We must listen… We must open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word of God and let his presence fill us through his Spirit. This means being quiet as we contemplate what God is revealing.
Picture Jacob wrestling with the angel all night in Genesis 32. Jacob wrestled and refused to relinquish until he was blessed by the Lord. In this wrestling, the angel put Jacob’s hip out of joint to humble him. Our engagement with the word of God should be so intense and intentional that we wrestle as long as it takes to be in the presence of God. In so doing, we will be humbled. Just as Jacob’s hip was put out of joint, the Word of God will strike our hearts and produce the necessary character to bring about humility in our lives. How can you know if you have been in the presence of God? You will be humbled.
Transform Our Lives
As we are engaging with the Word of God in this manner, having it teach and reprove us, it will necessarily transform us. This is a great mystery of the Bible working in our hearts. God meets with us through his living and active Word. He teaches us about himself. He reproves us and points us to Christ for healing. He humbles us and produces within us the character of Christ. Transforming us into a state of spiritual health and well-being through the renewing of our minds. It is through this transformation that we are then able to serve the Lord with all of our hearts, being equipped for every good work.
So what is the takeaway? Get into the Word of God. Wrestle with Jesus. Engage with the Father. Listen to the Spirit. Grow more in love with our God each and every day.