March 10, 2016 | Holy Living

 

“So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:21 (HCSB)
Those who purify themselves in the Lord are useful to the Master. And the text goes on to say that when we live out who we are in sanctified lives, we are prepared for every good work. In his commentary on the pastoral epistles [Titus and the two Timothy letters], Walter Liefeld nicely summarizes why Paul emphasizes this big idea:
“His concern is for a sound faith that expresses itself in sound living. It is as though he was increasingly disgusted with the “slurry” of falsehood in teaching and living, the filthy mixture of corrupted doctrine and morals that he found in his theological opponents. He realized that what was needed desperately was not only truth in word but truth in the lives of teachers and other church leaders. What characterizes the Pastoral Letters most is not doctrine but doctrine blended with holy living.”
– Walter L. Liefeld
Friend, pray with me that by God’s grace you and I will be holy in doctrine and practice, useful to the Master and prepared for every good work.
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