“Preach The Word”

II Timothy 4:1-5

1) I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

O

ften, when this type of statement is made, we try to exempt ourselves. This is particularly true if we have not professed a call to the ministry.

What we need to understand is that this passage is speaking to all who are saved. We are all required to have this witness. Really, this only stands to reason since we who are saved are best able to communicate with the unsaved.

We are hampered in our requirement to be a witness by not having a witness. Too often, in order to avoid the responsibility of being an example, we run from gaining experience. This, of course, ensures that we remain unable to communicate Him for we lack experience in Him.

God, Himself, admonishes us to “preach the word,” effectively illustrating for us the importance. It is any wonder, then, that Satan fights so hard to keep us from standing on the same “platform?” No one is won to any ones “movement” if its members do not show unity. What is written in the Word, revealed, and illuminated by God should be what all proclaim as the source of what God requires.

Today, it is popular to try to circumvent the reading of the unadulterated Word by reading “how to” books, telling us anything from what to “do,” to what to “get” to give us some spiritual “power.” The fact is, that it is a matter of spiritual health, welfare, and spiritual survival that we become more “Word-oriented.”

This is absolutely the only way to survive those deadly times of false doctrine and deception.

When will we ever accept that being allowed to do as one wants is not salvation? Doing any and all that one pleases shows that he is saved from nothing, for he remains a slave to the whims of his flesh. Is it any wonder, then, that Jesus, Himself would state that any man who would follow him would “…deny himself, and take up his cross..?”

There us never a time when the child of God has the luxury of “taking a vacation” from proclaiming or living the Word. What it contains is much too important. Indeed, it is the “life force” of the saint and essential to his birth, existence and survival. We can no more disassociate ourselves from the Word than from our names. Our name is that which defines and separates us and our adherence to the Word is what spiritually defines and separates us.

Nothing about God ever changes. Oh, yes, He may reveal more of Himself too His creation, but whatever He reveals is what He already was and always will be. In that He remains constant through circumstances, life changes and catastrophes, we are to adopt the Word and are to do likewise. That which is powerful enough to cause the world to begin to be, is certainly powerful enough to regulate our lives.

One thing that one will find to be true of the Word as one dedicates himself, is that not only will he teach, but he will be taught, as well. You see, as one becomes emboldened t open his mouth and speak, he also hears what comes out and is forced to reckon with how he “measures up.”

Even though scripture speaks of the responsibility of the teacher, no one is required to be more save than another. The student, as well as the teacher, are held to the same standard of salvation. For too long, man has viewed God’s requirements as the dictates of man. And, if “I don’t feel that it is necessary,” it is not necessary for me.

The Lord wants us to understand that others must be shown that the power of God is sufficient to save as well as to keep. Of course, it will be our manner of living which will testify of the power of God. However, we have an additional responsibility to speak nothing but what God wants said. We are neither required to interpret not defend the Word. The requirement we must embrace is simply to proclaim it.

Particularly today, with so many visible purveyors of lies as well as truth, we must guard against deception. Yes, God is a God of love, but His word rebukes and reproves as well as encourages and uplifts. It is the job of a father to correct his children. When a father knows that he has the answer to the provision, protection, and success of his children, he is bound to extend himself to those children. The Lord already knows that it is His unadulterated Word, alone, which will bring the lost to salvation. Now, He wants us to embrace this truth.

Somebody “preach(ed) the Word” to us and through it, we were blessed. Most importantly, we were blessed with salvation and after that, all of us benefits. Don’t others deserve the same opportunity?