2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
¹⁶  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

All this week we have considered the power of God’s Word.  The passage above not only reveals to us why the Word of God is so powerful (it is God-breathed), but gives us a few more examples of the power that it possesses.  In this final blog of the week, I want to emphasize the power God’s Word has to equip us for every good work.

The Word of God tells us what good work is.  Too many people in the religious world think they are doing something religiously good when the Word of God does not identify what they are doing as good work.  Since it is the Scriptures that equip us for every good work,  the good work that God wants us to do can be found in the Bible.  Just because society thinks something is a good work, does not mean that it is.

The world thinks that abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, sexual immorality, social drinking, legalization of marijuana, etc., are all good works.  Obviously, the world is not the standard for determining right and wrong, let alone what good work is.

Another source that people mistakenly believe decides what constitutes good work is the religious world.  When preachers, pastors, and religious professors proclaim something a good work, that is what it becomes in the mind of the majority in the religious world.  Thus, the social gospel, infant baptism, worship with musical instruments, women preachers and pastors, celebrating Christmas religiously, etc., are all considered good work.  We must keep in mind that it is not the opinion of man, religious, or otherwise, that determines what good work is in the realm of religion.  Only God’s Word can equip us for every good work.

The word equipped in 2 Timothy 3:17, means to completely furnish.  This means that any good work that God wants us to do can be found in the Word of God.  This is why it is fair for God to demand that we do His will if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).  He has revealed to us exactly what His will is.  Albert Barnes, in his popular commentary, put it well:

Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament.
“The Greek means, to bring to an end; to make complete. The idea is, that whatever good work the man of God desires to perform, or however perfect he aims to be, he will find no deficiency in the Scriptures, but will find there the most ample instructions that he needs.”

Because of the power of God’s Word, we can be what God wants us to be.  We can do the right work in the right way, pleasing God and furthering the cause of Christ because the Bible tells us just how to do it.  When it comes to doing God’s will, there is no guesswork; there is only clear, unambiguous instructions.  Thank God for the power of His Word!  By it, we are equipped for every good work.  Now it is up to us to do it.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.