Right Division of The Word 2
By Pastor Raphael Adegoke
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2Timothy 2:15)
Glory be to Christ who is the author and the finisher of our faith. It is by divine providence that we are here together once again to dine and wine at the Lord’s table. May we take enough to release into us enough energy to run our ministerial race! Amen! Last week, we began to examine “Right Division of the Word” with emphasis on the sacredness of the Scripture and the essentiality of holiness for the handler of the same, but today the emphasis shall be on sincerity.
Every believer who believes in the scripture knows that it is our manual for living. The scripture contains all that man will ever need for life and godliness “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3), and all that ministers of the Gospel need to be thoroughly furnished unto every good work.” 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Just as much as we know God has made every necessary provision that we need so we must also know that it is not natural (automatic) that we enjoy such provisions. For every divine provision, there is an expected attitude or response.
A major attitude to enjoying the provision of the scripture is sincerity. What is sincerity? This is the absence of pretence, deceit, or hypocrisy. Scripturally, sincerity is from the Greek word sincerus, which means “without wax such as in honey separated from the wax, perfectly pure. Sincerity is opposed to double-mindedness, or deceit, when the sentiments of the heart are contrary to the language of the lips.
It is unfortunate that many ministers of God today have lost sincerity. What they preach or teach differs from what they practice in principle. Meanwhile, to enjoying the wholesomeness of the scripture and to communicating the same to a people, sincerity is non-negotiable.
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-2). Sincerity does not begin with desire, but preceded by a laying aside. What are the things to be laid aside? Malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking. They are common manifestations in the lives of ministers of God. These are things that block the channels of our spirit. These attitudes, most times, are aimed at hurting another, but unknown to us that they are satanic weapons against us and what God is capable of doing in us and through us. Meanwhile, it takes only the fruit of the spirit to overcome these.
For everyone familiar with newborn babes, it is observed that everything they need for survival (water inclusive) is the mother’s breast milk. It is also observed that these are not picky when offered breast milk. The entire milk is taken, as there is no room for separation of the components of the components.. As ministers desirous of being used of God to rightly divide the Word, we must firstly be ready to take the full counsel of God without being selective or picky. Hearing the Word is not the same as taking the Word. We take the Word when we are intentional about making it work out the righteousness and the holiness of God in us. This will aid our spiritual immune system and will help get rid of every foreign body that negatively impacts on our spiritual health. This enhances our spiritual maturity, intellect and makes us fit for the custody of the kingdom treasure for onward dispensation of the same.
Pastor Raphael Adegoke is a Pastor in Christ Apostolic Church (Nigeria & Overseas) and a Lecturer in Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary.
