All Scripture Is Profitable

All Scripture Is Profitable

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for discipline in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17. [Norw.] The serious question for me is how much of this “profit” have I personally received from the Scriptures? Or, how many times have I steered clear of the opportunities to gain eternal profit from what is written in the Scriptures because I have lacked self-acknowledgment in the trials of daily life, being so preoccupied with the behavior of others?

We read here that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is given to us to be profitable in leading us to righteous, perfect, and good works. In His love for us, God has imparted eternal values in the word, and He also inspired Paul to write these things for our benefit. But we can only lay hold of, and gain more of these eternal values if we abide in the humility of self-acknowledgment. We have an ego, a body of sin, which must be destroyed so that we can be pleasing to our heavenly Bridegroom. Rom. 6:6. Love of the truth will open the door to salvation for us.

When it comes to receiving teaching, we first have to admit that we don’t know what we should know before we can be taught anything. 1 Cor. 8:2. And to be convicted of a better way, we must first see our imperfect and incomplete thoughts, words and actions. Correction then comes from the Teacher of righteousness, which increases our understanding of what is the “good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Joel 2:23 (margin) and Rom. 12:2.

By God’s grace, we partake of discipline in righteousness in our daily lives, where God gives us abundant opportunities and reminders that we can suffer and die from our self-will, and obey the leading of the Spirit. Tit. 2:11-12. Therefore, by the promptings of the Spirit, through the truth that is in the word, we “are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” 2 Cor. 4:11. Thus, the way opens for us to grow and develop as a man of God and “be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” So, by this life and example, we become a servant, and we become a blessing to others.

In Isa. 55:11 we read what God Himself says about the power that is contained in His word for all those who believe and obey it. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” And He goes on to say in chapter 61, verse 3: “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Praised be God!