Study, Shun, and Sanctify is a sermon from II Timothy, where Paul explains how we should always be prepared, ready, and be aware of those who profess false doctrine, and how we can be set aside to do the work God wants us to do. Christians need to know and understand the bible and study the bible to increase their walk with God.

The God of Second Chances

If we are dead in Christ, sacrificing our old ways to be with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we die to ourselves, we are lifted up with Him. If we suffer, enduring trials and temptations, we will also reign with Him. Just as Jesus suffered and endured, so shall we and will be with God. But, if we deny Christ, He will also deny us.

If you reject Jesus, you still can accept Him as long as you live on this Earth. There must be a time when you accept Jesus as your Savior to be able to reign with Him. We have a God that still invests in us even if we rail against Him. The ultimate sin against God is unbelief. If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, that is the ultimate separation. You have all your life to make one simple life-changing decision, and yet people want to push it off. Lucky for us, our God is a God of second chances. God will not give up on you until you breathe that last breath. Salvation is so simple, just come to Jesus with the faith of a child to receive this free gift of eternal life. Jesus will not deny us a chance to salvation. He will not barge in but must be invited to enter your heart.

Put the faithful sayings into remembrance. Do not launch into a speech that leads to nowhere. When speaking about the Lord, people will try to lead you into circles, don’t partake in that. You may win the battle but not the war. Who are you trying to attack, the person or Satan who is trying to prevent that person from coming to you? There are people who will try to throw you off from giving your main message about the Lord. They intend to overturn or demolish those who are in the faith through empty arguments and vain deceptions to try and subvert and turn people away from God. There are people around today who are actively against God and people of faith.

We Need to Study

We can avert those situations by studying the bible. We learn every day and we should never stop learning. We should study to show ourselves approved by God. We must study the bible to know what God has for each of us. It takes effort to study the Word of God, and it is a choice. Diligently seek God so that you will not be ashamed. When you have a chance to speak about the Word of God, don’t even hesitate, especially if you are teaching it truthfully. We ought to be able to teach the Word of God. We ought to rightly give the Word of God the way it should be given.

Sometimes there are things that need to be taught that are uncomfortable. There are people apprehensive about defending their faith and not be bold in preaching the whole counsel of the Word of God. They neglect the doctrines that need to be addressed and rather teach things that make people feel good and not tied or convicted by the Holy Spirit. They just want people to come to church and hear a feel-good message. But there are things in the bible that may not be comfortable to talk about, but they are there because we need to know about them and maybe it’s something that needs to be fixed in our lives. We need to study and remain faithful to God.

We Need to Shun

We need to get rid of a few things to help us with our walk with God. Don’t cause people to flee the faith. The bible teaches us to shun or cast off profane and wicked babblings leading to fruitless discussion. Stay away from those who want to lead you the wrong way, to take you away from God. Their intention is to alienate the soul from God and lead you away from the Word of God. Their words will eat at you like a canker, spiritually.

There are those who have erred and gone away being corrupted by others who intended to overthrow the faith of anyone who would listen. They caused those of the faith to rebel against the faith and brought other people along with them. That is what people try to do today. They will shake your faith if you are not well grounded, making Jesus your cornerstone. God knows you. You know you’re His when you hear His voice and He hears yours. You cannot be a Christian and live a sinful life. Christians are to depart from iniquity, moral wrongfulness. Some things are going to last, others won’t last. You need to follow the things that last.

We Need to Sanctify

We need to set ourselves apart by purging uncleanness from our lives. Remove ourselves from that old lifestyle we had before accepting Christ. We became new creatures. If we do this, we become vessels that are sanctified and meet for the Master’s use and prepared for every good work. Focus on the things that are going to last. Avoid youthful lusts and follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace with those of the faith.

We need to remove ourselves from things that cause our hearts to sin and corrupt our relationship with God. Foolish and unlearned questions are pointless, avoid listening to such people. The servant of the Lord must not dispute. That can be difficult as we naturally want to defend ourselves and let the other party know that they are wrong. Avoid the controversy because we are to be gentle with all men, apt to teach, and patient. Don’t be quarrelsome or cause disputes, because God wants us to teach others to be patient. Maybe it’s because they just don’t know.

Do not be angry if someone falls away from the truth. There are people who are going to fall, just teach the truth in love. We should help them and pray for them to open their eyes to understanding. Maybe they were taken away by those who had profane babbling and they decided to follow that. Christians tend to alienate people once they’ve done something wrong and they go elsewhere. We still need to care for them so that they can recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. God is trying to save people while Satan tries to keep them away from God. Make sure what we teach is biblical, otherwise, it’s heresy and tears up people in churches.

As Christians, we need to know and study the bible as there are new things to learn daily from the Word of God. There are things we need to get rid of in our lives to keep our walk with God, shun things so that we can keep our focus on God. When people go astray we should pray for them, show them why they need to come back to the faith. Stay studious and get rid of things that hinder our work and our walk. Keep ourselves focused on the truth and not turn others away from the truth.

Study, Shun, and Sanctify sermon starts with verses from II Timothy 2:11-26:

¹¹ It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

¹² If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

¹³ If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

¹⁴ Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

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

¹⁶ But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

¹⁷ And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

¹⁸ Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

¹⁹ Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

²⁰ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

²¹ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

²² Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²³ But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

²⁴ And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

²⁵ In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

²⁶ And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Romans 6:8:

⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Matthew 10:32-33:

³² Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

³³ But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Revelation 3:20:

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Acts 17:11:

¹¹ These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Galatians 4:16:

¹⁶ Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Ephesians 2:19-20:

¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

John 10:7:

⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

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