Faith Series: Receiving Reproof and Admonition by Faith

Faith Series: Receiving Reproof and Admonition by Faith

Please, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 13. We want to look at another aspect of faith this evening in 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 13 beginning. And it's here in verse 13 we read, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished, unto all good works. And we'll conclude the reading there in verse number 17 this evening.

So far we've seen in this series that the nature of faith is to rest oneself on God. To trust in the promises of God. We've seen that the body of doctrine that we call the faith is what informs our personal faith. The faith of the Gospel. The faith once delivered to the saints. As we take the faith of the Gospel by faith, we're believing that it is the truth. We've said, we've said numerous times in this study that it only, it's only reasonable to put your confidence in something that's genuine or true. It would be foolish to put your faith in something that was a house of cards, a mirage, a fake. To put your faith in something that is not solid. It is just, you know, something that is, is, is fake and, and, and, uh, not, not truly a good foundation.

And we saw that we believe that the record that God has given of His Son, and because we believe that record, we believe the love that God has to us, that's the, that's the basis. I, I think about children. How children trust their parents. Children trust, little children trust what their parents tell them because they know that they're parents. And we're obviously assuming this is not a lie. We're obviously assuming this is not an abusive situation. But, uh, even a, a good father and mother, and of course we know any good father and mother are not perfect, but, but the, the child trusts that the parents are telling them, and they, the truth, and they take them at their word, and they believe that they love them.

Um, we see that God's love for us was not merely in word. God's love for us was in deed. We talk, we, the whole Easter cantata this morning was about God's love and deed toward us. And our faith in Him, which we saw in one of the messages, is a faith that operates, uh, in response. Uh, we might say responsive love to Him is not only to be seen in word, just as His love to us is not in word. Our love in responding by faith is, and, and, and operating by the energy of love is not to be merely seen in words. It's to be seen in action. It's to be seen in, in, in what we, not only what we say, but what we do.

We saw that faith, if it hath not works, is dead, right? Being alone. And so our faith operating by love is expressed in works, in good deeds, in good works, obedient works. A faith that works, not working to be saved, but a faith that believes the love God has to us and works because it is genuine faith. And then we saw that faith is so simple that Jesus gave us a child to serve as an example of what it is, what it should look like. And if we have this simple childlike faith, we'll obey God humbly out of love. A responsive love. A love that responds with gratitude for what He's done for us. Not out of, uh, accomplishing our own salvation, but out of, out of gratitude.

We have a debt of love. We don't have a debt, a sin debt to pay. That's already been paid. We have a debt of love that we owe to the Lord, uh, and a debt of, of gratitude for all that He's done to us as we, and that's what motivates us as we, as we walk by faith, as our faith is expressed in the form of, of good works. But tonight, we have read this passage here in 1, or 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 13 through 17, and, and, uh, Paul writing to Timothy is showing that the Holy Scriptures are able to complete, mature, perfect us unto all good works. The, the Holy Scriptures that we've known from a child are able to complete, to perfect, to mature the life of the believer to the glory of God as we simply take God at His word.

The thing is, um, if we trust the promises and believe the teachings of God's word, we must also receive the reproofs of, reproofs of God's word. We must receive the correction that God gives as well, just as well as we must put our weight on the promises that He's given us in His word. We must also embrace, put our confidence in the things in God's word that reprove us, that admonish us as well. We must take those things to heart just as well as we do the promises. It is good. There's nothing wrong with having those little books that say, you know, uh, promises, you know, God's promise books, or those little books that go through the promises of God. But, you know, we can't substitute that for the whole Bible. We can't just read the promises of God. Those promises also have conditions, don't they?

Those promises, there, there, there are surrounding in the context many times of those promises, there are, there are corrections and instructions to be given as well. Warnings, reproofs. And we need to be attentive to the Holy Spirit as believers, as children of God. We need to be attentive, I need to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and hear what He's saying to me even in the form of, even in the form of reproof or admonition that He may bring to my life. I've been reminded this week, um, none of us, thinking of myself, none of us are perfect. But we have in the sense that we don't have blind spots because we all do. I have blind spots. Um, I hope that I, I probably would take any word of reproof or any word of caution best from somebody like my wife. I would hope, and that's not always perfect that I take that anyway, but things that she might tell me, honey, what are you, you know, what are you thinking about this? Or why are you saying that? Or, you know, have you thought that through? Whatever the case may be, I, I hopefully, I would take it from her because I know she loves me, right? I know that she loves me.

And as brothers and sisters in Christ, we certainly should have fervent charity one toward another. Uh, you know, our relationship with one, you know, if, if a relationship is only about shooting another person down or reproving them all the time, then that's not based on love, is it? There, we need to have a, a, a basis of love for one another, not just con, not just when it comes to concern, right? I have concerns about you, brother. No, it's, it's, uh, you know, we're members of one another, aren't we? Uh, and, and because we're members of one another, decisions you make affect me and the decisions I make affect you. And, and, and, and we can't say that what the hand does doesn't affect the head or the foot does, it doesn't affect the hand or, uh, you know, so on and so forth. It's all interconnected. We all have an effect and we have an impact one on another for good or for bad.

Have you ever said, maybe to your child or, you know, your spouse, if you could just see yourself in the mirror right now, if you could see yourself in the mirror, maybe if you could, uh, maybe we might say sometimes children, you can smell yourself right now, you know, or if you could hear how you sounded when you said that, if you could hear how you sounded when you made that statement, sometimes we need a recorder, don't we, to hear how we sounded. When we, we said something. David, David knew he had blind spots because he said, search me. Try me. Uh, you know, see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Know my heart, try my thoughts, you know, see if there be any wicked way in me, he would say in Psalm 139.

I think of God giving parents to a child in Proverbs 6, verse 20. Let's look over there. Proverbs 6, verse 20. It's there in verse number 20. Proverbs chapter 6, verse number 20. It says there, My son, keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother. Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee. When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee. And when thou awakest, it shall talk. For the commandment is a lamp and the law is light and the reproofs of instruction are the way of life to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

You know, you remember the statement in the Psalms, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to God's word, right? Paul told Timothy here, the evil men, and seducers in our text tonight, will wax worse and worse. They will be deceiving and they will be being deceived. But in contrast, but, Timothy, even though it's true that evil men will wax worse in deceiving and being deceived, you continue in the things you've learned and been assured of. Continue in the Holy Scriptures. Let them be your authority. Let them be the lamp. Let them be the light, kind of like we read here in Proverbs 6. You know, the wording here, the commandment is a lamp, the law is light. Let the lamp and the light of God's word and its reproofs of instruction lead you, as David would say, in the way everlasting. Let God's word be your lamp. Let it be your light. Let it be that which cleanses your way and keeps you straight in your thinking.

When there's so much evil and deception and being deceived, you let God's word shape your thinking. He says you've known the Scriptures since you were a child. And those same Scriptures, doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, are what you're going to be and you're going to need to take heed to those Scriptures so that God can shape you into the person, the man He wants you to be. We were just talking to… I was mainly talking, but my wife was nodding her head and saying yes to it. With the two, we were riding on the way to lunch, but just talking about how if it wasn't for adversity, chastening, trials, difficulties that God has put in our lives, you know, if we just… I think about just the 16, almost 16 years of marriage we've had. If everything was always easy, if everything was always comfortable, if everything… If we were always right and never got anything wrong, and we were never chastened or tested or reproved by God about anything, and everything… was just a life of comfort, we would be so stagnant and moldy spiritually that we would just be… It would be almost like an astronaut in space that never had any exercise, we might say. They never worked those muscles. They never were challenged in any way.

You have spiritual atrophy just like you'd have physical atrophy. If God not just… I mean, we're thinking about our lives. Each one of us is the same way. God knows exactly why He's put certain people and certain tests in our lives to shape our lives, to… And as He's trying us, we need to be, by faith, continue in the things thou hast learned and been assured of. Continue to hear, what is God saying to you right now, Daniel? Not, you know, just some general objective truth, which is great to see, the great truths objectively of the Word of God, but even how does that apply to my life? It's wonderful doctrine, but there's also the wonderful doctrines of God's Word. When we begin to apply those things, we get some correction and reproof, or reproof and correction and instruction out of those things for our lives. We get wisdom, right? We get this furnishing of our lives. We get… Maybe some things need to get thrown out so that the better things can be put in. We need to get the drawing of the cross purged off in our lives through these various things.

And you know, God uses, as we read here in Proverbs tonight, He can use parents to do that in children's lives. He can use parents bringing to children's minds and hearts what God says, this. And the words, hopefully, of a godly father and mother are going to be, based in scriptural truth, right? To those children. And those things, if they will not be forsaken, but will be embraced, will be a lamp and will be light and will help them in their way as they grow. To keep thee from the evil woman. To keep you from being deceived. To keep you from being caught up in things you would be caught up in if it was not for God intervening and giving you doctrine, instruction, and correction and reproof and all of those things. Not in that order, but you know the passage we just read in Timothy, 2 Timothy. So, we need these things. And actually, God's Word becomes to us the shield of faith, doesn't it? God's Word is the shield of faith when we take hold of it for our lives. And we're told that in Ephesians 6, 16, aren't we? Above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. It will keep you from sin. It will keep you from temptation. It will guard your life. So, the Word of God is the shield of faith.

Sometimes, it may be a brother or sister, a parent, maybe a child, maybe a son or daughter, or whatever the case may be. They may have to remind us, here's the shield of faith, take it up. For this situation, the shield of faith is able to protect us and keep us from harm if we will use it. What did Psalm 119, what did the Psalmist say there in verse 11? Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. I have hid thy word in my heart by faith. I haven't just memorized the words, but I've hid them in my heart. It's good to memorize the words, right? But I take, like the hymn says, take the name of Jesus with you. You take the shield of faith. Take the Word of God. Continue in the fight with that Word, your trusty shield. The Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance, taking the Word, the Holy Spirit will bring to my remembrance the things I've learned and help me, and keep me from those, from sins that would, like fiery darts, penetrate my heart and life.

Look over at Ephesians chapter 4 though. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15. I think of what the Psalmist said, you know, with God's Word, He was, by His Word, He was warned and in keeping of God's Word, there was great reward. But here in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15, let's look there. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 15. Each of us has, each one of us has a responsibility found in God's Word and it's seen here in these verses. Ephesians chapter 4 beginning in verse number 15. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working and the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord, that ye walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. Look down in verse 23. Instead, we are to be renewed, in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore, putting away lying, let every man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

The main responsibility that comes through in these verses is that we are to speak the truth with our neighbor. We're to put away lying and we're to speak the truth in love, one to another, as it says here, well, we're members one of another, that we may grow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Jesus Christ.

Well, we have a responsibility. Each one of us has a responsibility. We have the responsibility, first of all, we need to hide God's word in our heart. We need to hear what the spirit is saying. We need to continue in the word. The things we have learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, as Paul told Timothy. We need to hide God's word in our heart that we might not sin against him,

but know that we have blind spots. I think a major downfall is when we think that somehow we're going to get out of this without having blind spots in our lives. You know, somehow I'm better than all those before me and I don't need correction ever. I don't need reproof. I don't need to be admonished in any way. That's a bad place to be, to think that we wouldn't need that. It's pride that would make us think that way, but David would say, Lord, search me, try me. And sometimes God may bring, as he did with David, the reproof or the admonishment to us in a way that comes through another person. And the person may not, all the time, not even know that they are speaking something to us. It's the Holy Spirit bringing it to our attention through them. They may not even be fully aware that what they're saying is being used of God to, this is you. This is your need, Daniel.

I experienced something this week. It was, it was a gentle rebuke to my heart when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed in a particular situation. But I didn't even let on, I don't think I let on to the person I was speaking to about the fact that I was getting overwhelmed with something, but it was a brother in Christ speaking with on the phone. And I was just sharing something about what I had been preaching on recently. And then I said, we got to go, we got to do this thing. And then they called me up. Again, what, 10 minutes later, they said, I was just reading something that was such a blessing in light of our conversation. And so, just very briefly shared that with me. I thought, that is nothing but the Holy Spirit that put that timing in the way that it was because it was, I mean, it might as well have been Jesus Christ just stepped over in bodily form and just said to me, Daniel, this is what you need right now, at this moment.

I've had people in our church in conversations with different ones of you at different times. And the timing of it, just when I needed the rebuke or the encouragement, something that was said, the thought that was shared with me, I was able to see at a particular time, this is the Lord speaking.

And sometimes it's amazing how people don't even know that that is, that the Lord is using them to speak. And I may not have even said, hey, you know, the Lord is using you to speak to me right now, but on the other end of the phone, you might be tears running down your face. I'm not saying that happens every day, but it happens.

God, we need, and I'm not saying I'm always as sensitive as I need to be to that. God, help me not to have a hardened heart towards that. But we need, each one of us as Christians, if we live by faith, we need to be open to reproof and admonition about blind spots that we may have in our lives. I'm just even more acutely aware of that now than ever with the things that have transpired in this past year and seeing how easily it is, how, maybe not, I wouldn't say always quickly, but over time, hardness can settle in, especially to a pastor's heart. If they're not careful, if they're not open to reproof and rebuke, needed at times.

I'm not saying it's a knock down, drag out always or anything like that. No, it must always be in love. It must always be in love. And we need, I need, if I am going to share something with someone, it may be a concern I have for them. I need to make sure the beam's out of my eye, but I also need to do it in humility and love. And charity will cover a multitude of sins. That's both in the one that may be sharing something as well as the one that's hearing it. Charity will cover a multitude of sins. That's certainly true in a marriage relationship. It's certainly true in dealing with matters with children. You know, chastening them, not in anger, right? The Bible doesn't give parents the license to chasten their children in anger. Those whom I love, I chasten, right? The Lord loves us and therefore He chastens us. Well, and there needs to be a humility in our hearts to discern when the Holy Spirit is speaking even through another individual. It may not always come in the form of someone speaking with us. It may just be as we're reading God's Word, the Holy Spirit is just knocking on our heart and saying, Daniel, that's your need right there today. Maybe a devotional we're reading. Sometimes God can use those devotionals to get a hold of your attention and really admonish you about something.

Well, let's look in Proverbs 15 together. Proverbs 15, verse 31. Proverbs 15, verse 31. It's there in verse number 31 that we read, The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction shall not be despiseth his own soul. But he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. So once again, faith in God will hear the reproof, won't it? If we trust God, we must also hear the reproof. If there's something that's not right, we'll make the matter right. Say, yes, Lord, or speak, Lord, thy servant heareth.

It may be, it may be, it may be that as we read in Psalm, I'm sorry, Proverbs 10, verse 17. Let's look there, Proverbs 10, verse 17. In verse number 17, we see he is in the way of life. There's a lot about life, isn't there, in connection with this reproving. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction. But he that refuseth reproof heareth. In other words, he's turning to the right hand or the left. We do turn to the right hand or the left if we do not receive the reproofs and the corrections of God as well as we receive the promises.

We're to, we're here to remind each other. There's a lot of reminding that we've been called to do that is, that's not reproof. It's encouragement. And all of it is to be in the spirit. I want to edify my brother, right? I want to build them up in the faith. I want to, I want to, I want to be in obedience to what we read tonight in Ephesians where, you know, as God's working in every part of the body, then we, as we say what we say and we speak the truth to one another in love, it will end up having the effect of the edifying of the body, the body edifying itself in love that we may grow up into him who is the hedge. We're to point one another to the Lord in both the words we speak, as well as the spirit of the words that we speak, one to another.

Well, and that has to come from, you know, if we're going to say something with conviction and with true love to the brethren, we've got to first of all make sure that's in our heart. So, Lord, thank you for showing that with me. I want to share it with my brother, my sister. Well, Paul told the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, one of the things we're to do is to put one another in remembrance of great promises, a great promise that God has given us. And it's there, the great promise God has given us is that Jesus Christ is coming back. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse number 16, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, seeing this is true, seeing this is our hope, our expectation, comfort one another with these words. It's a command. We're to comfort one another. We are to speak the truth in love one to another by bringing to remembrance, you know, by coming back. Maranatha spirit, right? The Lord is, the Lord is coming.

Well, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 14, look there briefly with me. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 14. It's here in verse number 14 we see these words, Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort, the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. Paul is exhorting these brethren, commanding these brethren at Thessalonica to do a number of things here and some of those things include these that we just read here and that is to warn them that are unruly. You don't love, you don't love them if you don't warn them, right? You are to comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men and all of that is in the spirit of speaking the truth in love, isn't it? Whatever the application may be, speak the truth in love. Well, speaking the truth in love includes warning the unruly. It includes comforting the feeble-minded, supporting the weak.

We notice in Colossians 3, 16, let's look there as well. Colossians 3, 16 says something very familiar to us. We looked at this passage when we were going through that series on psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Colossians 3, 16. It says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. And if the word of Christ is dwelling in us richly in all wisdom, we will be doing what it says next, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. So the word for teaching here simply means to instruct, explain, or communicate truth. What's the point of doing that? It's to help someone to understand. It's to speaking the truth in love, to share truth with someone else, to… help them to understand better. Or it may be in the sense of admonishing here. It says teaching and admonishing one another in these psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Admonishing means to warn, to correct, to gently confront, especially when someone's going off track. To put them in remembrance of something. Maybe they knew or they know but they have forgotten, by their actions you can see that they have forgotten.

You know, we do that with our children. We admonish them. What did I tell you to do? No, it's not our responsibility to say, what did I tell you to do to my brother in Christ? But what does the Lord say about that again? Putting in mind, this is true and this is the application of that truth and what it should be. A reproof, Proverbs 17.10 tells us, entereth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool. You know, we notice this with children. You might even just look at a certain child and they know. Kind of like when Jesus looked upon Peter. He knew. He knew what he'd done. If someone is sensitive to God's word, even if they have a blind spot, you almost, don't have to say, much because they say, you know, brother, I know. I know that God's word says that and I haven't been thinking correctly. Please forgive me for that. You know, sometimes what we have to do with one another is a spouse, husband and wife. You know, forgive me for that. And we can just move forward. Pride is the only thing that keeps us from moving forward, isn't it? In our walk with the Lord.

Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way, Proverbs says, in chapter 15, verse 10. Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction, Proverbs 13, 18. But he that regardeth reproof shall be honored. He that regardeth reproof shall be honored. You know, the thing about our love for one another, our respect for one another as brothers and sisters will only grow as we see each other in a variety of circumstances responding ultimately to the Lord, right? Having humility, being clothed with humility as a people. Having fervent charity for one another. Remembering that it's not about any one of us, it's about the Lord, right? It's about His Word. It's about all of us making sure that our faith is in Him, not in one another, but in Him and His Word and we are helping each other and encouraging one another. And maybe even as we go along, as we read here tonight, at times we need to admonish one another. But it's all about, brother, let's take up the shield of faith, which is the Word of God. And let's stand together. We're on the Lord's side. We are serving the King of Kings. And He goes before us. Let's always be open to what His Word has to say in our lives. Not only in the promises, all Scripture. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Why? What's the purpose of all the Scripture? It's so that we might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Let's not forget that God can use and does use the small things, the weak things, the base things, even to speak and to work. I wonder, as I wondered out loud this week, you know, the disciples said, who's going to sit at your right hand? Where'd they kind of talk? They were speaking and sort of debating among themselves. Who would be the greatest in the kingdom? I sort of jokingly said to David earlier, I said something to the effect of, well, you don't have a coat on so you're going to be less in the kingdom or something like that. Not in the service, that was the case, but I was just joking with him about when we were taking pictures. The criteria by which the Lord is looking at us, what He's looking at is, how do we respond to reproof? You know? How do we respond to Him when we get His, when He speaks to us? When He is getting, trying to get our attention, are we quick to hear? Are we slow to speak and slow to wrath and swift to hear? That's what He's looking for. Not so much on the externals, but if the internals are right, it will manifest itself in a faith that works on it. It will be seen in obedience outwardly.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You for these moments we've had in Your Word tonight. Help us, Lord, to be open, to be tender, to be submissive to the Word and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Help us to be tender and submissive to Your Word. Help us to embrace Your Word, not only when it speaks, it speaks promises to us, but also when it speaks to reprove us. And the Holy Spirit brings that, that Word, the sword of the Spirit, and pierces into the very thoughts and intents of our hearts and exposes and reveals where it is we are in need. Help us to embrace that sword of the Spirit. Help us to embrace the shield of faith, which is the Word of God, and to take it up and to appropriate it every day for our lives. We pray these things. We ask that You be with us as we conclude now. In Jesus' name, amen.