“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for four things:
1. Teaching – knowing truth
2. Rebuking – knowing when and where we err
3. Correcting – knowing how to live correctly
4. Training in righteousness
How does the Bible train us in righteousness?
Growth happens over time. Maturing happens only when we are intentional about taking the steps to grow.
Here’s the thing about faith, growing up and maturing – it doesn’t happen by itself, nor overnight.
The main requirement in training in righteousness is obedience. It’s doing what the Bible says. God doesn’t give us his word to make us smarter sinners. God gives us his inspired word to transform us. Transformation happens over time as we obey God’s word.
God’s word is not for us to edit and tinker with. God’s word is to be obeyed.
When we obey God’s word, God’s truth transforms us.
That’s training in righteousness.
Like many other kinds of training, the key is consistency. You keep at it whether you feel like it or not. You keep working out. You keep exercising. You keep obeying even when you don’t feel like it.
Going to the gym one day and working your butt off is not training. That’s a start. And, if you don’t keep going to gym, it’s just a waste of time. But that’s not training.
Training is when you get your butt into the gym day in and day out, whether you feel like it or not. The same is true for training in righteousness.
The more we obey, the more God’s truth changes us.
That’s training in righteousness.
Praxis: Faith in Action 