FULLY FURNISHED. 2nd Timothy 3:17 In times of danger and darkness, the guidance and encouragement we need are found in the holy scriptures, which will mature, fit, and prepare us for every good work. The scriptures "furnish"—equip the man of God with all he needs to carry out the work he has been given. I need to spend time in the scriptures to be equipped, stirred, challenged, motivated, and enlightened to be ready for every good work. “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” [2 Timothy 3:17].
Christians should remember that the purpose of the scriptures is to equip us to do good works. They are the source of all the knowledge we need to follow God’s will in our lives, in our service to the Lord, and in our commitments and responsibilities to the church we belong to. We need the scriptures to deepen our knowledge of God and prepare our hearts for worship, witnessing, and winning souls for Christ. When we apply the knowledge of God’s word to ourselves, it will strengthen and grow our faith, guide us to act in ways that please God, help us work effectively in His mission, and make us strong in spiritual warfare against our enemies — the world, the flesh, and the devil.
We cannot understand what the scriptures say without reading them. We might hear teachings, learn in schools by reading books about the Bible and biblical topics, pass tests to check our understanding, and still lose it all in the flood of knowledge dumped on us quickly. Spiritual virtues, vitality, and vision come through the practical application of what we learn, “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.”
In scripturally gathered assemblies, Christian education continues throughout a lifetime. We listen to teaching, practice what is taught, participate in the Lord’s Supper, hear more teaching and Gospel preaching, and share thoughts about what has been taught and learned with other believers on the Lord’s Day. Then, we apply doctrines and principles we have learned in daily life, and we grow even more when we gather in the middle of the week to pray and continue learning.
Sometimes, we hold a series of meetings where we explore specific topics or books in the Bible. The cycle of teaching, learning, and practicing continues, sometimes as a review of what we’ve already learned, and other times as gaining a new and deeper understanding of what we knew or heard before.
Being called a “man of God” is my highest goal in life. I realize it might seem presumptuous even to think that way. Still, I believe setting high goals is never wrong. Life would be meaningful if even one person saw me as such a person. If God is the ultimate focus of my life and His concerns are my aim, maybe I can hear Him say, “You did okay.” Hearing, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” would be even better. To be known as a “Man of God” would bring honor to the Lord in a way that glorifies Him.
I need God’s help to be dissatisfied with mediocrity, complacency, apathy, and self-satisfaction. I need His help to see each hour and each day as a special gift from God to help meet needs unto “all good works.” Being even one word away from “God” is a powerful motivation. I want the “of” to be a living reality in my daily life, and maybe then it will please my Lord and bring glory to Him in a way that could never be achieved otherwise.