“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”
2 Tim. 4:1-2 (read chapter four)
Why the focus on the Word of God? Why is it our endeavor to preach nothing but the Bible? To use only God’s Word to reprove, rebuke and exhort?
The answer, of course, is the command of God. Not only are we to “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus,” we are to preach and proclaim the Scriptures, because they are God-breathed and “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:14-17).
As the apostle Paul charged Timothy, so our Lord Jesus charged us when He said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20).
As Paul commanded Timothy, pastors today are still to “preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” But what has happened? Instead, so many preach other things and attempt to reinterpret the Word to support their own ideas and opinions. And, sad to say, as a result, their hearers don’t know the Word, don’t recognize true doctrine and are easily swayed by the perverted doctrines of the devil and his preachers (v. 3-4; cf. John 8:44).
We preach the Word of God, nothing more and nothing less (cf. Deut. 4:2). Even when the world opposes us and people would rather not hear us, we exhort and proclaim the true doctrine with all long-suffering and patience, leaving the rest to God, who convinces people of the truth and creates faith in their hearts.
“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Thus, we continue to preach and proclaim the Word of God that men might be made “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” and be “throughly furnished unto all good works.”
Grant that we preach Your Word and nothing but Your Word, O Lord, that the Holy Spirit might reveal to us and our hearers our utter sinfulness but also the mercy and forgiveness You offer and give to sinners for the sake of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice upon the cross for the sins of the world. In His name we pray. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll / Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible]