2 Timothy 3:15, commentary and pictures

From childhood Timothy had known the holy writings, taught from babyhood by his believing mother and grandmother whose example and instruction kept him pure and prepared him for gospel work. Those writings are God's own inspired voice and communication, containing all that is needed for salvation and plain enough for even a child to understand without depending on human tradition or teachers. They are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus by revealing God's love in redemption and the knowledge of Christ as sent of God, sin-bearer, substitute and way to eternal life. That wisdom is not gained by mere hearing or memorizing, but only when truth is received into the heart by living faith, believed and obeyed and taught by the Holy Spirit, otherwise greater light only brings greater accountability. It therefore calls for thorough, prayerful, daily searching with comparison of passage with passage and childlike teachableness, which sanctifies the life, guards against deception and evil, forms Christlike character, and fits for every good work.

Timothy's Childhood Instruction

From a child Timothy had known the holy Scriptures, even from babyhood through childhood and youth, and that early knowledge is the setting in which they are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The Scriptures so known contain all necessary information and give a sure guide to salvation, and therefore are to be learned and trusted as the guide to salvation and safeguard against deception. Believers are urged to continue in what was learned from them and to study them carefully as God's message of warning is proclaimed.

Timothy knew them because he was taught by his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, with father and mother working humbly and devotedly in the home to bring children up in nurture and admonition, the first claim on this early education belonging to the mother. Their faith in God's word gave him a living example of the blessing of doing God's will, for they treated the sacred writings as the rule for life. The spiritual power of their lessons kept him pure in speech and unsullied by evil influences around him, guarded him against pleasure and selfishness, and established principles that fitted him to bear responsibilities in gospel ministry. Kindly and patient instruction from them taught him that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, not leaving him careless in associations because of danger of learning wrong habits, and so prepared him to become Paul's faithful companion and a laborer in the gospel ministry.

That home training illustrates God's direction that Hebrew parents themselves teach children His requirements and His dealings with their fathers, a special duty not to be delegated to stranger lips but given by loving hearts of father and mother. It associates thoughts of God with all events of daily life, often recounts God's mighty works in deliverance of His people and promises of the Redeemer to come, uses figures and symbols to fix lessons in memory, impresses God's providence and the future life on the young mind, and trains the child to see God alike in nature and in revelation. The same training was given to Moses in the cabin home in Goshen, to Samuel by Hannah, to David at Bethlehem, to Daniel before captivity separated him from home, and to Christ at Nazareth. Christ was taught the Holy Scriptures by Mary, learned to read them and studied them for Himself, with instruction from God's word rather than human teachings in schools that contradicted what God had taught through the prophets, and His close knowledge of Scripture in ministry shows the diligence of His early study. The young Waldenses likewise were taught Scripture from earliest years to honor God's law and to instruct in God's goodness and greatness especially as revealed in His law and in Israel's history, and because Bible copies were rare many learned large portions of both Old and New Testaments by heart, with God's law expressing His character and its principles received into the heart forming God's image in mind and soul.

The verse is joined to the charge to continue in the things learned and assured of, remembering from whom they were learned, which keeps believers and churches from a self-satisfied, indifferent, backslidden condition and from turning to fables. In a time when many depart from the faith, will not endure sound doctrine, and evil men grow worse deceiving and being deceived, continuing in the Scriptures provides the sure guide to salvation. Continuing requires drawing near to God, confessing sin, living in harmony, clearing the King's highway, being on hand at meetings armed for service, praying and working for the lost, sustaining evangelistic work, and receiving precious light with wisdom and grace to understand and open the Scriptures to the people while trials perfect grace and faithful workers watch for souls and point out defects in the church.

Scripture's Nature and Sufficiency

The holy Scriptures are revelations given by inspiration of God, His voice and oracles and actual divine communication for instruction in righteousness. They contain all necessary information for salvation, what the Father and the Son in the councils of heaven from eternity judged essential, with nothing needed left in obscurity. Known from childhood, they teach how to live rightly, serve others by sharing truth, and equip the person of God to be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. They are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, grounding the charge to preach the word, be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, and to watch, endure afflictions and do the work of an evangelist when many will not endure sound doctrine but turn to fables. They deserve reverent attention rather than superficial knowledge, with their words studied for full meaning so that those who possess truth also communicate it to glorify their own lives and the lives of others.

Their teachings are simple and authoritative, plain and clear to ordinary people and even a child, like Christ's teaching in the sermon on the mount which a child can study without being misled because every sentence comes from God. Infinite truths are put in a form finite beings cannot fail to comprehend, plainly revealing the way of salvation, the will of God, every duty, and the character to be formed for the future life. They reveal the Father and the Son and God's plan of redemption with Christ as the Sent of God and Author of salvation, whose divinity and prior existence with the Father would otherwise be unknown. Those who seek their teaching receive light without needing tradition, priest, minister, or elaborate human explanation to be understood or to save from error, and people lose their way when they follow their own judgment instead of God's revealed will. Scripture is to be explained by clearer texts of Scripture with nothing contrary added, and what is hard is only the existence of God Himself.

The Scriptures known from childhood included the Old Testament and some New Testament writings with the teachings of Christ, whose lessons shape character through practical application in life as learned and practiced in godly example. Especially the patriarchal and prophetic records are able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, with lives of piety and devotion written not to exalt the men themselves but to give treasured inspired wisdom for the present time. They show the errors and mistakes of good men and lead to imitation of their virtues, because Christ was the way by which patriarchs and prophets were saved and the old way contained plenty of light to lead every soul to heaven. Because Bible copies were rare, many of the young learned large portions of both the Old and New Testaments by heart from their earliest years.

Scripture is the perfect standard of truth and the sure and sufficient rule for Christian doctrine, life, faith and action. It is the lesson-book and guide-book to be studied, appropriated as spiritual food and brought into character-building and daily life, conforming character to Christ and making partakers of the divine nature over the corruptions in the world through lust. It directs people to God rather than to human teachers, keeping education centered on God and His Word under the Holy Spirit's influence, with faith resting on a Thus saith the Lord and no man taken as criterion. When received and obeyed it leads people to give up dependence on themselves and depend fully on Christ's righteousness and intercession, keeping His commandments as obedient children and conforming life to its principles and promises like leaves of the tree of life and a well of water springing up to everlasting life. Therefore it deserves the highest place in education as the source of knowledge of God the Creator and Christ the Redeemer able to guide to salvation.

Salvation Wisdom Through Faith

The holy Scriptures are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, guiding to salvation that is received only through faith in Him. They are revelations given for instruction in righteousness so that people may live rightly, serve others by sharing truth, and be equipped for every good work. With the verses that follow they give the Bible the highest claim to reverent attention, and bound to the heart the Bible proves a friend and guide in perplexity with a sanctifying, uplifting influence upon the mind. They reveal God's love in the plan of redemption and give the essential knowledge of Christ as sent by God, the Author of salvation, the sin-bearer and surety and substitute for humanity, divine and pre-existent, and the way to eternal life, with truths that concern both present and eternal interests.

That wisdom is true science and heavenly knowledge, the knowledge of how men are to be educated for the future immortal life and of the graces needed for spiritual growth. It teaches the object of human creation and the means to attain it, how to use the present life wisely and how to secure the future life, answering the questionings of the mind and satisfying the cravings of the heart as no other book can. Obtaining this knowledge of God's word and giving heed to it lifts men from the lowest depths of degradation to become sons of God, associates of sinless angels. Through faith the gospel promise fulfills in believers the righteousness the law requires, for the law reveals that people cannot make themselves loving, humble, meek, or holy, and points them to what God gives through faith. It is the one thing needful, more precious than earth's most costly jewels, gained as Mary did by seizing every opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus with a calm, devotional spirit and store the mind with His precious words, with less anxiety for things which pass away and more for things which endure forever. Once chosen it shall not be taken away, and even careful, energetic workers for Christ must first gain it, so that diligence, promptness, and energy are sanctified by His grace and the life becomes an unconquerable power for good, expanding and strengthening the mind through spiritual understanding and teaching men and women to unite their weakness with God's strength in Christlike work that impresses the image of Christ on minds.

Hearing the Scriptures gives no benefit unless faith is mixed with hearing, and minds filled with temporal interests leave spiritual truths with no influence. Knowing, memorizing, or mastering them in debate is not by itself enough to make a person wise unto salvation, for ambitious, prideful study or skill in controversy cannot produce salvation wisdom or regenerate the heart. Benefit comes only when the Word is received into heart and life, believed, obeyed and practiced, with a yearning for God, honest self-examination and searching of heart, and the Holy Spirit's work. That receiving gives a precious experience that leads to perfection in Christ, who is our righteousness, enables believers to do Christ's works and live with joy in the Lord, and shows itself in divine love and Christlike character expressed in love for others, in the love, humility, and gentleness of Christ. Receiving light and truth brings responsibility to follow them and to keep growing in knowledge of God and in knowledge and holiness, bringing truths preached into the home life, or there will be no advance and a continual sliding away from God. Knowledge alone does not save: turning away from understood truth leaves that truth as a witness against a person, failure to grow in keeping with light received brings condemnation, and unbelief can keep God's blessings from being received while greater light brings greater accountability.

Wisdom unto salvation is God's purpose for men and women, given by His grace through the Holy Spirit as divine Teacher, not depending on human wisdom or power but on divine testimony and divine power revealed to those He chooses. The Spirit's lessons must be carefully guarded in the heart and repeatedly obeyed, attended to with fighting against self, because people may forget heavenly instruction and follow natural inclinations; faithful attention makes its impressions enduring. His welcomed presence makes believers complete in Christ, replacing impure thoughts, rebellious actions, and unholy affections with holy thoughts, heavenly affections, and Christlike actions. The rich endowment of grace He gives and strengthens in those who believe makes them wise unto salvation, patient, forbearing, alert to heavenly guidance and quick to recognize heaven's work, able to discern Satan's devices, and strong to resist sin.

Unbelief prevents people from receiving this grace and keeps God from doing His mighty work for them, shutting them out from the gift. Pride of position or intellect and resistance that calls His work fanaticism likewise shut out the gift and harden the heart, for only divine power can regenerate heart and character and fill the soul with Christ's love.

The saving instruction of Scripture must be remembered and heeded, for its truths include prophecy that plainly reveals the close of probation and the preparation needed for the time of trouble. Christ's disciples had been told that He would die and rise again, yet their expectation of deliverance from Rome kept them from taking in His words, so that when His death came they were unprepared and their hopes collapsed. In the same way, those who do not understand or retain revealed truth will be unready when the time of trouble comes. Satan tries to remove every impression that could make them wise unto salvation, seeking to erase it from mind and heart where it must remain to prepare people for testing.

The word of God is the lesson book able to make teachers and students wise unto salvation because the Bible is the voice of God speaking and opens the words of life by making persons acquainted with Christ, who is our life. True, abiding faith in Christ comes only by knowing Him as He is represented in the word. Faith is trustful, not fits and starts according to impulse and emotion of the hour, but a steady principle founded in Jesus Christ, and it must be kept in constant exercise through diligent, persevering study of the word. Studied in this way the word becomes a living agency by which believers are sanctified through the truth.

Diligent Prayerful Bible Study

Gaining the wisdom the holy Scriptures are able to give requires far more than superficial reading or reading many chapters or merely memorizing them without thoughtful attention. Their words must be studied thoroughly for their full meaning and for how each passage relates to the plan of salvation. That thorough knowledge is sought with thought and patience, with prayer and asking the Lord for wisdom, by comparing passage with passage and digging as for hidden treasure. Such reverent attention is what the Scriptures claim, for they are given by inspiration and are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Christ and to equip fully for good works.

This study must be humble and teachable, prayerful and reverent, with a mind free from prejudice. Preconceived and inherited opinions must be set aside in order to listen to what God says, letting Scripture correct past beliefs and practices and bringing them into agreement with the Word rather than forcing the Word to fit them or studying to defend them. The learner comes as a little child, and as Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, seizing every opportunity to store the mind with His precious words. That posture refuses to study to win controversy and refuses to rely on the standing or authority of prominent persons, obeying the truth learned from Scripture even at personal cost. So received, this wisdom is knowledge concerning the future immortal life and the graces for spiritual advancement, the one thing needful, more precious than costly jewels, requiring a calm devotional spirit with less anxiety for passing things and more for enduring things, and once chosen it shall not be taken away but sanctifies diligence, promptness and energy into an unconquerable power for good.

Searching must be daily and earnest, with contrition and with fasting and prayer, praying for understanding to learn the way of life, the plan of salvation and God's claims, and to distinguish sacred truth from false teaching. Daily study has a sanctifying, uplifting influence upon the mind, strengthens and enlarges the mind, stores truth in the mind for future use, increases desire for study, and bound to the heart proves a friend and guide in perplexity that will not disappoint the seeker. Believing and obeying the truth thus received brings grace for the duties and trials of the present day, teaches what duty requires amid daily circumstances, and bears on eternal destiny. Yet many neglect this diligent study because absorbed in earthly things, worldly interests and passing pleasures, and the young especially are warned not to neglect the daily study and rule of life while other books and idle stories and light fiction are read, for without being thoroughly furnished by its plain simple truths there is lack of firmness and decision to meekly yet decidedly give a reason of hope and to stand strong in fierce conflict and the coming day of clouds and thick darkness.

No human writings, worldly learning, or craving for learned human authors can replace Scripture or make a person wise unto salvation, for the Bible is God's disclosure of eternal truths whose depth human research cannot exhaust. Its purpose is not to satisfy curiosity or speculation but to teach the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and to train for holiness, usefulness, happiness and eternal life, a lasting wisdom of greater worth than worldly learning. Filling the mind with unimportant things and with the sentiments of infidel writers leaves a person knowing scarcely anything of saving truth and building on sand that the storm of persecution and trial will sweep away. To think oneself smart enough to pick out what is precious in such authors and leave out what is vile is to be wise above what is written, for Satan cunningly interweaves error with truth, and claims contradicting God's word must not be accepted as truth. True wisdom comes by riveting the soul to the Eternal Rock and coming to the cross of Calvary for inspiration, studying the mighty subjects of the Word of God, the incarnation of Christ and the great plan of redemption with every mental and spiritual power, until though little in themselves people become strong and handle mighty subjects that make others wise unto salvation and stand like the wise man whose house founded on a rock did not fall.

Safeguard Growth and Character

The holy Scriptures known from childhood are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, and continuing in what was learned and assured of from them provides a sure guide to salvation in a time when many depart from the faith. They are therefore a safeguard against deception, for misinterpreting them and turning aside from their truth leads into false theories and deception, while abiding in them equips for discernment of truth from error and of right from wrong. That knowledge guarded Timothy against evil influences and the temptation to put pleasure and selfish gratification before duty, and children need the same safeguard through proper teaching of God's word by parents and Christ's ambassadors. It holds up a high ideal and duty of steadfastness in faith and provides abundant means for successful warfare against evil in the world. The Bible is the armory for that struggle, guarding against false teachers seeking entrance into the church, against perilous times in the last days when men have a form of godliness but deny its power, and against evil men and seducers who grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

The Scriptures make known the object to reach and the standard to gain for Christian character, which is Christlikeness and perfection in the human sphere as God is perfect in His sphere. That standard includes everything good and pure and noble and elevated, guides toward salvation through faith in Christ, and opens a path of continual advancement requiring continual striving and constant progress onward and upward toward perfection of character. Knowing and living in communion with God through His word points to salvation through Christ and to a higher, better life, helping youth develop sound religious principles and a healthy mind. They are revelations given for instruction in righteousness, so that people may live rightly, serve others by sharing truth, and be equipped for good works, deserving reverent attention and thorough study of their full meaning rather than superficial knowledge. Joined to the charge to preach the word, be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort with longsuffering and doctrine, and to watch, endure afflictions and do the work of an evangelist, they make the man of God perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works because people will not endure sound doctrine but turn to fables.

The same equipment is described as loins girt about with truth, righteousness as the breastplate, faith as the shield, salvation as the helmet, and the word of God as the sword of the Spirit to cut through the obstructions and entanglements of sin. Young people's God-given abilities must be developed and directed through education in the Bible so they can handle the word of truth rightly and use its truth in practical service to spread light. The truth has power to make men wise unto salvation, and that power must appear in a consecrated life, for to keep only a form of godliness while living an unconsecrated life denies that power and disregards God's purpose in training workers. True reception of that wisdom was seen in the apostles, who suffered poverty, disgrace, abuse and even death for the truth's sake and rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ, proving that subjects of divine grace should not refuse great effort and great suffering to attain great results. When taken as counselor and kept in heart and on lips as an anchor, God's word brings recognition of human weakness and God's power to subdue unholy impulses, keeps the soul prayerful and guarded by holy angels, raises a defense by God's Spirit when the enemy attacks, and brings harmony to the heart with faith working through love to purify the soul.

Being wise unto salvation is faith and practice together, not merely professing Christ and having a name upon the church book, but becoming co-laborers with God whose personal effort shows connection with Him. Those who take up work for the Master in the fear of God give up expedients for amusement and seeking after happiness, yet secure the most substantial happiness, becoming fruit-bearing trees with blameless lives and beauteous character, making redemption first and eating and drinking and dress and houses and lands secondary, with the peace of God cutting off selfishness, vanity, pride and indolence. Becoming wise unto salvation is what ministers are to urge everywhere, meaning receiving and valuing eternal treasure above earthly treasure, refusing to be weakened by world-loving, time-serving professors, refusing narrow money-saving contrivances in God's cause, learning to work disinterestedly and become rich toward God, placing the right estimate on eternal things, and making the kingdom of heaven first. All are accountable for scriptural light, and loving works done in that wisdom will be accepted and rewarded in the judgment.

Being wise unto salvation means each soul is individually accountable to God, loving God with all the heart and doing His will, recognizing and fearing and serving the Lord so that light remains undiminished as glory. It means living as a servant of Jesus Christ solemnly pledged by baptismal vows to be clothed with Christ's righteousness and to carry out His living example, in contrast to the angels who fell from their high estate and were expelled because they would not work in harmony with God, forgot their beauty came from the Lord Jesus, obscured that Christ was the only begotten Son, refused to consult Him, and were lifted up until controversy became rebellion. True wisdom walks wisely as a faithful steward of God's grace by keeping eternal realities in reckoning, sensing spiritual need, desiring better knowledge of God, feeling urgency for communion with Him, and valuing messages of warning, rather than letting earthly matters engross the mind or dwelling on objectionable things until they swallow up everything else. That wisdom cannot be divorced from discipline, learning patience and perseverance, removing every objectionable feature of character to be complete in Christ, and constantly guarding affection lest it be bestowed on unworthy objects. It comes by learning lessons in Christ's school, wearing His yoke, lifting the cross, and standing as God's chosen peculiar people, which gives rich practical experience, sympathy with Christ and one another, and a burden for souls that mere theoretical knowledge cannot give, while those who refuse remain weak, yield to display, and feel no urgency for those who know not the truth.

Strength in scriptural knowledge unto eternal life includes speaking carefully before people, not speaking inadvisedly to hurt influence or taking positions that cause misunderstanding, so influence for good is preserved for God's work. To be wise unto salvation of the soul is to come to God in full consecration, which does not free from trials but through trials purifies, makes white and tries, fitting better to help others and guide them in self-denial and self-sacrifice, as the disciples understood trials, discipline and sanctification through the truth only after Christ's ascension. It means laboring together with God with the privilege of understanding more fully Christ's atonement and kingdom after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, receiving precious thoughts under the Spirit's teaching while recognizing that all, even the greatest and most cultured, are only little children receiving paternal instruction from God.

Teaching Home School Church

Parents, especially mothers, are to make the Word their lesson-book, study it diligently with their children, and set before them in the home what will make them wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. By studying the Bible and seeking divine help they obtain the wisdom needed to form character, restrain evil tendencies, strengthen moral and intellectual faculties, arrange surroundings for good, and guide both their own life and their children's training. Home conversation is to be believing and reverent, for learning together deepens the parents' own faith, assurance, and prayer. A criticizing spirit that poisons home talk with censure of burden-bearers and workers does not make wise unto salvation but unsettles faith and confidence in children and in older ones who already have too little respect for sacred things. Such openness to criticism joins in fostering unbelief, envy, jealousy, disrespect, quenching of brotherly love, loss of confidence, evil surmisings and strife of tongues, sowing disaffection whose full ruin of souls appears only at the final judgment.

Scripture is to hold the highest place and be the foundation and essence of education in all schools, prized above every human production and above all other literature for strength and expansion of mind. It is to be opened and fed upon as the bread of life, supplying the divine element for healthy spiritual growth, self-denial, steadfastness, holiness, usefulness, and happiness. This higher education gives knowledge of God the Creator and Christ the Redeemer as sin-bearer, surety, and substitute, teaching love, fear, and obedience to God, acquaintance with present and eternal interests, ennobling science, righteousness clearly portrayed, and the consequence of disloyalty so none is left in darkness about divine approval. Young people grounded in what God requires gain divine truth that makes wise unto salvation rather than teachings that turn to fables, and growth comes through study with observation and communion with God unto perfection in Christ and fitness for service in this life and the life to come. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah illustrate this, conforming habits and appetites to the Word and showing diligence in all study.

The light and quick discernment found in the Scriptures known from childhood is a rare treasure to be improved by imparting to others to bring many to Jesus, for unused light is taken away and self-chosen work apart from divine approval ends in failure. The burden of the message to all nations is therefore Jesus Christ and Him crucified, preached as truth in Jesus with nothing between soul and Savior, not by carnal devices to please and attract and fill the treasury. Ministers enlighten and are themselves instructed and enlightened as they serve by preaching and personal home ministry, while teachers make God's word their lesson-book, give clear accurate ideas that the Holy Spirit waters even in careless memories unto later fruit, and all must live what they teach. Saving knowledge, including present truth of Christ's second coming, must be carried in love and patience with plain speech suited to different minds to those who have not learned it, turning minds from error into harmony with God for glory, honor, and immortality.

The third chapter applies at this time to all churches throughout the world, standing with the charge to preach the word, endure afflictions, and hold sound doctrine when many will not endure it but turn to fables. Brethren and ministers are called to wake from lethargic slumber, trim lamps with grace, shine in clear bright rays to a dark world, and do the work of bearing the message and of an evangelist that fits up a people to stand in the day of the Lord. Continuing in what was learned and assured of, remembering from whom it was learned, keeps the church from self-satisfied indifference and backsliding in a time of special blessing, requiring drawing near to God, confession, harmony, clearing the King's highway, readiness at meetings armed for service, and united labor for the lost. Those who receive repeated messages yet do not heed them show they do not know the value of saving knowledge and still need the first principles of present truth from God-taught teachers.

Timothy's fearing God from youth makes him the model for the most successful physician, who keeps Christ as constant companion and friend for continual communion, values divine approval above worldly position, patronage, and honor, and will not exchange his standing for the highest office the world can give. Intoxicating liquor and tobacco obscure the truths that make wise unto salvation until the mind is cleared to recognize Christ's death for salvation. The generation of Noah rejected its opportunity with Satan-controlled minds while Noah remained faithful, and the same wisdom is to become personal, leading each one to face wrongs thoughtfully, change course, and act wisely for one's own welfare and preservation. God's grace must continue its work in the heart, especially in those serving in healing institutions, so life reveals Christ's grace with sanctified influence.

Christ Himself as divine Teacher gives the wisdom that makes wise unto salvation, imparting knowledge to the ignorant and hope to the despairing. His words of heavenly wisdom are pure, refining, ennobling truth from His heart to give life, the bread of life that when received into daily life brings spiritual strength. Coming to Him with contrition to learn in His school binds the soul to Him, exchanging cumbersome galling yokes of worldly anxiety for His light yoke and finding rest and peace. Careful prayerful study of John 14-17 with softened heart gives ideas that make wise unto salvation, teaching how to live on earth the life He exemplified and fitting for bliss.

That wisdom is received through wholesome heavenly instruction by enjoying the great Teacher's lessons, while feeding the soul through seeing and hearing only on what God can sanctify. Placing oneself in objectionable theatrical positions where the Lord is not honored disqualifies from such instruction, for perverted feeding takes away peace, joy, and relish for the bread of heaven and leaves its impress on mind and character. God's light in warnings, reproof, and counsel when received leads to salvation, but prejudice, resistance, worldly wisdom, caution, and policy obstruct it and prevent clear sight. Those who resist must humble themselves and confess backsliding, prejudice, and hatred of the light in order again to see clearly and become wise unto salvation.

The sanctifying truths of the gospel taught by God, when studied earnestly, believed, obeyed, and received into heart, character, and daily service, make wise unto salvation, expose and destroy error, establish truth, and through Christ's grace strengthen the mind, complete the character, and fit for immortal life and present duty and trial. Paul illustrates this dedication of abilities to God in firm teaching despite opposition. Trust is to rest on the Word alone above deceitful hearts and human promises, with time, abilities, and means used for God, heavenly treasure sought first, and contentment without grace exchanged for drawing near, laying hold of Christ's power, overcoming self and sin, doing His works with joy, and standing with the redeemed.