CONTINUE IN THE WORD YOU HAVE
LEARNED.
2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17
In
the name + of Jesus.
In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon wrote, “Dedicate a child to the way he should go, and even when he becomes old, he will not turn away from it” (Proverbs 22:6). I am sure that you can provide examples of people who were raised going to church and attending school here only to turn from it later. But don’t let exceptions refute the rule. As a general rule, it is true.
Children will be as faithful to the Lord
as you let them be. If you attend church
only occasionally, you will teach your children that it really doesn’t matter
that much. When those children get older
they will find other things to do. They
will find entertainment, sports, or opportunities to increase their income to
be preferable. So, if your example
teaches your children that coming to God’s house is merely one of many Sunday
morning options, don’t be surprised when they search for other options when
they are older.
I recall a conversation with my neighbor
when I was maybe 9-years-old. He asked
me, “Why do you have to go to church every Sunday?” As you may have guessed, I did and he
didn’t. His question confused me because
he used the phrase, “have to.” I had
never considered going to church every Sunday something I had to do, as if it
were some kind of punishment. There was
never a doubt where my parents would take us on Sunday morning. It’s just what we did. We eat our vegetables. We brush our teeth. We go to church on Sunday and on other church
festival days. For that matter, there
was not a doubt about where we would go to school. My parents had us enrolled in our Lutheran
school because they wanted us to hear God’s word every day.
If
you want eternal life, continue in the word you have learned. If you want to see your children in heaven, have
them continue in the word you have learned.
If you want to see your grandchildren in heaven, encourage them to continue
in the word you have learned. When you make
it clear that coming to God’s house is of utmost importance, your children will
learn that it matters even more than eating their vegetables and brushing their
teeth. I think any parent would agree
that having their children eat their vegetables and brush their teeth is
good. Care for the body has value for a
long life. But training your children in
God’s word has eternal value. That is
why we dedicate ourselves, our money, our time, and our energy to maintaining a
school that is founded on God’s word. We
certainly could find other ways to spend our money, time, and efforts, but not
better ways.
The last letter that St. Paul wrote was to
his protegee, Timothy. Paul and Timothy
had served together for almost twenty years.
But Timothy’s place in God’s family began long before that. St. Paul wrote, “I remember your sincere
faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I
am convinced that it also lives in you” (2 Timothy 1:5). These godly women made sure that Timothy
heard God’s word. The faith was
preached, practiced, and reinforced at home.
These women held God’s word in high regard, and they impressed that upon
Timothy as well.
St. Paul urged Timothy to continue in that
word. Even though Timothy at this point
was a pastor, Paul did not suggest he had mastered or outgrown what he had
learned. St. Paul implored him, “As
for you, continue in the things you have learned and about which you have
become convinced. You know from whom you
learned them and that from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which
are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2
Timothy 3:14-15). From a tender age,
Timothy had been trained in the way he should go. Paul urged him to continue in it—not because
Paul stood anything to gain by Timothy’s faithfulness, but because Timothy
did. The Scriptures were given to make
us wise for salvation. They reveal God’s
love for us in this life and especially for the life to come.
One reason we might be tempted to think
little of faithfully continuing in God’s word is because we think we’ve heard
it all. After all, if you come to church
on Christmas, you know you will hear about the birth of Jesus. When you come to church on Easter Sunday, you
know you will hear about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We hear the same readings throughout the
years. If you’ve memorized the Catechism
and observed the Rite of Confirmation, you might even think you’ve mastered all
of this. If you know it, why continue in
it? What more is there to know?
It is important to understand this: Being
wise for salvation is not just knowing facts.
Unbelievers know what happened on Christmas and Easter. Some atheists claim that they know the Bible
better than you do. And St. James wrote,
“You believe that God is one. Good
for you! Even the demons believe
that—and shudder” (James 2:19)!
Unbelievers, atheists, and demons know many facts from the Bible. That knowledge does not save them. We are saved by faith in God’s word.
St. Paul wrote, “Faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ” (Romans
10:17). Did you catch that? “Faith comes…” It is not that faith came to you once a long
time ago when you first heard God’s word.
Faith comes. Faith
continues to come through the message about Jesus Christ. Faith continues to be nourished, sustained,
and strengthened as we continue to hear the word of God. That is why we continue in what we have
learned. You may come to know the Bible
better by continuing in God’s word. If
so, great! But hearing, reading, and
studying the Bible is not just about learning facts. We continue in God’s word so that faith will
grow. We continue in what we have
learned so that we will not be enticed away from the only hope of salvation
there is.
St. Paul wrote that the Scriptures are “useful
for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness”
(2 Timothy 3:16). By continuing in
what we have learned, we are rebuked for attitudes that glorify ourselves at
the expense of others. We are corrected
when we begin to drift into ideas that sound good or feel right but stand
opposed to God’s will. We are trained
for righteousness, because our sinful nature does not want to do good works
when they are difficult or costly. We
continue in what we have learned so that our faith remains focused on Jesus,
his words of salvation, and his words of direction. This faith comes from hearing the message of
Christ. If it is not fed, faith will
starve, just as your children’s health would suffer if they were fed only
occasionally. Continue in the word you
have learned.
St. John’s Lutheran School exists for the
purpose of teaching the word of God to your children, grandchildren, and future
generations. Yes, we teach all the core
subjects so that they will grow in knowledge and attain skills important for
life. We teach children to use their
knowledge and skills for the glory of God and for the good of their
neighbor. God will bless them as they
dedicate themselves to the way of godliness.
At the same time, we recognize that our
knowledge and skills are just for this life.
The day comes when we must all stand before the Lord to answer for our
lives. That day could come at any
age. So, we want our children—and in
fact, all people—to know that you do not need to fear that day because you have
a Savior. Jesus Christ has secured your
place in God’s family. God’s word
reveals what he has done for you.
God wants you to know his love and
compassion. It is not merely that he
pities you because you are a sinner who is marked for death. Mere pity will not save you. It is God’s action that saves you. In the Bible, you learn that you have a
Savior-God. He is the God who became a
man to take up your cause. The Savior did
not merely pity you because your sin has produced guilt, regret, and God’s
righteous judgment. Jesus took up your
sins and made himself accountable for them.
He suffered divine judgment for you when he was nailed to a cross. He consumed God’s wrath on your behalf. Jesus was not content to let death be the
eternal fate of all people. Jesus went
into death for you so that he could conquer the grave in his resurrection. And Jesus wants you to be wise for salvation. That is not just knowing facts about his
death and resurrection; it is receiving the benefits of them. He wants you to receive forgiveness for your
sins. He wants to remove your fear of
death and judgment. He wants you to know
that God the Father is pleased to call you his dearly loved children. And he never tires of telling you so.
St. Paul assures you, “All Scripture is
God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). The
Holy Spirit breathed into the prophets and apostles so that every word they
wrote is the very word of God. And when you
read, hear, and study that word, the Holy Spirit breathes into you to sustain you
in the saving faith. Even if you are
hearing the same lessons throughout the years, God is communicating his love to
you through them. It is like a husband
and wife who have been married for decades.
They continue to profess their love for each other. It’s not that they forget that they love each
other. It’s that their relationship
remains strong as they continue to communicate it. If you’ve been married long enough, you also realize
that you end up telling each other the same stories over and over again. Our Lord does the same.
Continue in the word you have
learned. God breathes his love and his
life into you through that word. And you
need him to do this. Life is hard. Bad things happen. When people mock you or friends turn on you,
you might think that no one cares about you.
When you suffer from an innocent mistake or from a lapse of judgment,
you might feel that you are worthless or useless. When death makes you feel its icy grip, you
may become overwhelmed by fear. This is
why you continue in what you have learned.
You need to hear your Lord profess his love and faithfulness to you. The Lord is pleased to remind you that he
abounds in mercy, and that your salvation is sure. The Lord Jesus Christ gives you a peace that
surpasses all understanding. That means
even in the bitterest moments of life, your hope remains constant. The joy of salvation sustains you because
nothing changes the fact that you are a redeemed child of God. Your world might unravel, but your faith will
not because it rests on God’s promises.
Continue in what you have learned. It shall comfort your troubled heart. It shall equip you for every good work. It shall make you wise for salvation. There is nothing better for us to teach you, and there is nothing more important for you to learn.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
