Text     :           2 Timothy 3:16-17

Title     :           Abounding in Good Works

Date    :           February 25, 2018

1.      Furnished Unto all good works perfectly and Throughly - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Scripture perfects a man and equips him for every good work. By "perfect" is meant complete, matured, and filled. No person is complete or mature apart from Scripture. Man was made for God and he is to live by the Word of God. If he tries to live without God and His Word, man fails in life. He lives an incomplete, immature, and mis-fitted life.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. ⁹⁸Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. ⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. Psalms 119:9, 98-100

¹¹Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Isaiah 5:11

2.      Filled with all the Fullness of God  - Ephesians 3:19

And tknow the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:19

The believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Spirit, Christ, and of God. When Jesus Christ was promising to send the Holy Spirit to believers, He promised that the trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—would all three come and indwell believers. The point is this: each Person of the Godhead has a different function within the believer. Therefore, the believer is to ask specific things concerning each. He has already prayed to be strengthened by the Spirit and to have Christ dwell within and control his heart. Now the believer is to pray for "all the fullness of God Himself"—for God and His presence in all its fullness to fill and flood him, ruling and reigning and having His perfect way in the life of the believer.

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 8:39

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

3.      Forwardness and sincerity in the grace of giving - 2 Corinthians 8:7

Paul does not command the Corinthians to give. If giving is forced or coerced, it benefits nothing; it does not please God. God is pleased only with gifts that are willingly and cheerfully given. He blesses only those who willingly help others. Therefore, giving must be based upon three things.

a)      Giving must be based upon love for those who are lost and needy.

b)     Giving must be based upon love for the Lord Jesus who has commanded us to go into all the world to reach and help the people of the world.

c)      Giving must be based upon the example of those who give sacrificially.

In the case of the Corinthians, they had the dynamic example of the Macedonians. The Corinthians should have been stirred to follow the example of such sacrificial giving. In our case, we should be stirred to follow the dynamic example of all those who give willingly and sacrificially.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 ¹Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; ²How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. ³For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; ⁴Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. ⁶Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. ⁷Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. ⁸I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. ⁹For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. ¹⁰And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. ¹¹Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. ¹²For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. ¹³For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: ¹⁴But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: ¹⁵As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

¹⁷Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; ¹⁸That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 1 Timothy 6:17-18

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