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Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Four Trustworthy Sayings

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Alistair Begg

The saying is trustworthy . . .

2 Timothy 2:11

Paul has four of these “trustworthy” sayings.

•The first occurs in 1 Timothy 1:15, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

•The next is in 1 Timothy 4:8-9, “Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.”

•The third is in 2 Timothy 2:11, “The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him.”

•And the fourth is in Titus 3:8, “The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to do good works.”

We may trace a connection between these faithful sayings. The first one lays the foundation of our eternal salvation in the free grace of God, as shown to us in the mission of the great Redeemer. The next affirms the double blessedness that we obtain through this salvation-the blessings of time and of eternity. The third shows the nature of the life to which the chosen people are called; we are ordained to die with Christ with the promise that “if we have died with him, we will also live with him.” The last sets out the active form of Christian service, bidding us to diligently maintain good works.

So we have the root of salvation in free grace, then the privileges of that salvation in the life that now is and in that which is to come; and we have also the two great branches of dying with Christ and living with Christ, loaded with the fruit of the Spirit.

Treasure up these faithful sayings. Let them be the guides of your life, your comfort, and your instruction. The apostle of the Gentiles proved them to be trustworthy, and they are still trustworthy; not one word will fall to the ground. They are worthy of all acceptance; let us accept them now and prove their reliability.

Let these four trustworthy sayings be written on the four corners of my house.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Learning Truth

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John MacArthur

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

This month we’ve considered many benefits of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16 lists four more that will be the focus of our studies as we draw this month to a close: teaching truth, reproving sin and error, correcting behavior, and training in righteousness. We’ve touched on each of those to some extent in our past studies, but they warrant additional discussion from this verse, which is Scriptures most concise statement on its own power and purpose.

First, the Bible is profitable for teaching. The Greek word translated “teaching” refers more to content than to the process of teaching. Scripture is God’s manual of divine truth for patterning your thoughts and actions.

As a believer, you have the capacity to understand and respond to Scripture. That’s because the Holy Spirit indwells you and imparts spiritual discernment, wisdom, and understanding (1 John 2:27). You have “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).

But having the ability to understand spiritual truth doesn’t guarantee you’ll exercise that ability. God said to the Israelites through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (4:6). His truth was available to them, but they ignored it and lived in disobedience.

I’ve heard many people lament that they could have avoided much grief if only they had known the Bible more thoroughly–if only they had taken the time to learn what God expected of them in a particular situation. Perhaps you’ve felt that way. The best way to avoid making that mistake in the future is to faithfully, prayerfully, patiently, and thoroughly saturate your mind with biblical truth, then discipline yourself to live according to its principles. Now that’s the challenge of a lifetime, but it’s the only way to profit from biblical teaching and avoid unnecessary heartaches.

I pray you will be encouraged today as you study God’s Word and diligently apply it to your life.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to use the circumstances you face today to draw you closer to Him and motivate you to dig deeper into His Word.

For Further Study:

Read Exodus 24:1-8. What was the Israelites’ response to God’s Word? What is yours?

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Proper Recognition

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A phobia is an inexplicable and illogical fear of something. If you look up types of phobias, you will find an A to Z list of fears ranging from aerophobia, the fear of flying, to zoophobia, the fear of animals. Some fears seem almost comical, but they’re anything but funny to the person experiencing them.

God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. II Timothy 1:7

Phobias, anxiety, worry, or a sense that a disaster or crisis is about to occur are all forms of the “spirit” of fear. Today’s verse says this does not originate with God. It comes from the enemy, Satan, with the specific purpose of paralyzing Christians and keeping them from the purpose the Lord intends for them. When you find yourself plagued by fear, remember God has commanded His followers countless times in His Word to “fear not.”

What is it you are afraid of? Recognize it doesn’t come from God and pray for His help to use the power and self-control He gives you to overcome it. Pray also for the nation’s leaders and Christians to overcome their fears and stand up for what is right.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 41:8-13