SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/23/2025 10:13 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-5
“Scripture Provides Instruction For Salvation”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 3:15
Message of the verse: “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
I continue looking at the 9th chapter of John
MacArthur’s commentary on 2 Timothy. He
entitles this ninth chapter “The Work of the Word” and it covers 2 Timothy
3:15-17. He writes the following short
introduction to these verses: “No other passage in the New
Testament speaks so concisely of the nature and work of God’s Word in salvation
and sanctification. In this text, the
spiritually transforming power of divine revelation is delineated.”
John MacArthur writes about a parable: “In the parable of the sower, given before the New Testament was written, Jesus explained that ‘the seed is the word of God’ and that the several types of soil represent the different ways in which people respond to God’s Word (Luke 8:4-15). The power of the Word has always brought salvation, but its effectiveness in doing so depends on the condition of each heart. The only ones who hear it and understand the wisdom of the Word are ‘the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance’ (v. 15). For them, it leads to salvation.”
I found new insight in that parable of the sower,
realizing how powerful the Word of God is, and how very important it is in the
salvation of souls. I have written about
my salvation in these Spiritual Diaries, and I suppose that as I look back at
when the Lord saved me, as He used the sermons from Hal Lindsey “Late Great
Planet Earth” messages which tell the story of what the Bible teaches will
happen in the end times. That was
exactly what I needed to here for I was very worried about how the world would
end. However in those messages Lindsey
always ended with Scripture that would point a person to a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ. I guess that could be
called “an altar call.”
MacArthur goes on: “The heart and should of effective evangelism, therefore, is the faithful preaching, teaching, and witnessing of the truth as it is revealed in Scripture. That is the only ‘seed’ the Lord will bless and bring to fruition. When ‘a certain lawyer,’ that is, a scribe, ‘stood up and put [Jesus] to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’’ the Lord replied, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you? (Luke 10:25-26). In other words, the source of truth regarding eternal life is Scripture and only Scripture. The truth of Scripture invariably brings a genuine, Spirit-prompted seeker to salvation. This salvation is not by works but through faith placed in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom. 3:19-28; 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9).”
I mentioned in my last SD that I had to go to a funeral
of a dear friend of mine and before the Pastor gave his message he took the
time, as the family requested, to allow people to say something in memory of my
friend. I decided even before I knew
this was going to happen if it did that I would have to stand up and say some
things in memory of my friend. I talked
about when I first came to know Wade a long time of go as he was a deacon in
the church I attended. After he retired
and after I retired Wade was the head of building an addition at our church,
and out of that came what was called the WEBS team, made up of people’s first
names. My name was not a part of the
first group. Out of that team came a
Bible Study that I began and that Bible Study had a pretty long history. Wade had two children and one of those children
had a terrible drug problem and Wade asked me to pray for her before I even
meet her. He never gave up praying for
his daughter, and finally she became a believer. She was taking care of Wade, but then slipped
back into drugs and had to spend some time in a jail, and then in a home of a
lady who took care of prisoners after they were released. Wade had a family that had troubles, but he
never stopped praying for them, and he never gave up on them. He wanted to start a Bible Study at his home,
and asked me to teach it. A man named
Bob, Wade’s friend came to the study, and I think that is why he wanted to
start the study in the first place. As I
was standing before those in the church I mentioned the salvation of Bob which
to me was one of the highlights of Wade’s later life. He was 93 this past February, and now he is
in heaven with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and with his dear wife who died
25 years ago. I talked to his daughter
in law and said that He would want to see His Savior and Lord Jesus Christ first
and then his wife. I will miss Wade, but
some day I will see him again and that is the hope that all true believers in
Jesus Christ have to look forward to.
Lord willing I will continue to look at this study of
this verse in 2 Timothy in tomorrow’s SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Never give
up on a person that you are praying for and I have a couple of friends I have
been praying for and continue to pray that the Lord will open up their hearts
to receive Christ.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Never give
up as I continue to pray for my long time friend and his wife that the Lord
will save them.
5/23/2025 10:49 AM
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