In 2 Timothy 2:16 the Apostle Paul exhorts us -- “Study to show yourself approved unto God.” Just what does it mean to study so as to be approved by God? Is it truly necessary for us to study? If so, how do we study so as to obtain His approval?

The Apostle Paul also said “that the man of God must be thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim, 3:17). What did he mean? And more importantly -- what are you and I doing about it?

In almost all of his Epistles, the Apostle Paul stresses the need for Christians to grow up in Christ – to mature. He insisted that no true follower of Jesus, no true convert to the Gospel, remains a babe in Christ. What is a babe in Christ? A babe in Christ is a beginner; one who has only the first principles of the Gospel and as such has a faith that has not yet grown deep roots. He is like a child who perhaps knows his alphabet and can count but is not yet able to write sentences or do mathematical problems. A beginner -- with only a little knowledge of God’s Word -- is often vulnerable, weak, and powerless.

The Apostle Paul forcefully emphasizes the need for every Christian not to remain a spiritual babe all his life; but rather to boldly and quickly proceed beyond these simple principles, going on towards spiritual perfection or maturity. Since babies have no teeth, they must be fed milk; but when their teeth are grown then they should be eating solid foods, even meat which must be chewed, so that they can grow healthy and become strong.

Applying this principle to our own spiritual life, we read in Hebrews 5:13-14 and 6:1: “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the first principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection …”

He also insists that all must come to a “unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). With these words the Apostle is telling us we must grow toward perfection. To grow is surely not to stand still. How do we grow? Our Lord has given us the perfect answer to this question with words that we have known for years; but perhaps we have not given them as much thought as we should have. You will find these words in Matt. 4:4: “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Here in a few words, the Lord is giving us full instructions to turn to God’s Word -- the Bible, and let every word from that which has come from the mouth of God, direct our lives by teaching us what He requires of us.

We can read the Bible, but just reading it is not enough; we must study and meditate on it, and even more than this we must apply these things in our lives. Sounds simple, but to apply it properly is sometimes quite difficult. Paul clearly tells us that just grasping the principles of the doctrine of Christ with our mind is not enough. Will knowledge alone save us? No, rather than save us, knowledge alone can destroy us. How can this be, you ask? Well, knowledge alone can give a swelled head by making us proud and boastful. Knowledge alone can make us take on the attitude of a know it all and can make us feel superior to others and look down on those who know less than we do. Yes, knowledge alone, Paul said in 1 Cor. 8:1: “puffs up.”

While knowledge can be good and valuable, but by itself -- when it is accumulated to boost a sense of superiority -- it causes one to become intellectually vain and thus useless to God. Pride is at the top of the 2 list of what God hates. On the other hand, humility is a virtue that truly pleases God. It is written, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” ( Jas. 4:6). Therefore, “Whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:12).

Note also what James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good (knows God’s truth and ways) and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

If we have grasped this important truth, we should seriously ask ourselves: What are we doing about what we know? What are we doing with the knowledge God has revealed to us by His Word? Are we practicing it or merely reading and then forgetting to put it into practice? We might ask another question -- Why do we study the Bible in the first place? Is it so we can use what we learn to help us grow more and more like Christ Jesus day by day? Are we prepared to go beyond the basic tenets of the Christian faith and use the Bible in our lives to help us, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to attain perfection?

Is it possible to attain spiritual perfection in this present life? Surprisingly -- it is possible. Didn’t Jesus in Matthew 5:48 exhorts us: “Be therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Would our Lord exhort us to be perfect (fully mature) if it was impossible? In John 17:23 Jesus again said, “…. that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them as You have loved me.” In 1 Cor. 2:6 Paul says, “… we speak in Christ must be reached and maintained.

You may have read many books in your lifetime and after reading them, you put them away and forget all about them. The Bible is not that kind of book. It is not like a textbook that is meant to be absorbed in the mind but does nothing to change or mold your life and character, both morally and spiritually. You ask: How can I come to know and understand the Bible so that it will have this effect in my life?

King David had the answer to such a question in Psalm 111:10: “A good understanding has they that do (obey) His commandments.” Yes, God expects us to act on what we learn in His Word, and as we act upon it, we will grow in a better understanding of it more and more.

The Apostle James gives us good advice in his epistle, chapter 1 and verses 22-25: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

El apóstol Santiago nos da un buen consejo en su epístola, capítulo 1 y versículos 22-25: "Pero sed hacedores de la palabra, y no sólo oidores, engañándoos a vosotros mismos. Porque si alguno es oyente de la palabra y no hacedor, es como un hombre que observa su rostro natural en un espejo; porque se observa a sí mismo, se va e inmediatamente olvida qué clase de hombre era. Pero el que mira la ley perfecta de la libertad y continúa en ella, y no es un oyente olvidadizo sino un hacedor de la obra, éste será bendecido en lo que hace".

G. Boccaccio © CDMI