Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
[Watching You]
“As for you,” Paul says to Timothy, and us – “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
Timothy had learned well. From his teachers – his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and the Apostle Paul – he had acquired strong convictions. From these convictions, he is taught that he should stand by them and not let himself be shaken from them.
But notice, Lois and Eunice didn’t wait until Timothy was “old enough” to make his own decisions. They didn’t wait to see if Timothy would decide to become a Christian. No, they started indoctrinating – that is teaching him the fundamentals – right away “from childhood.” Now, literally, “from childhood” means “from infancy.” That is really the best time to start any teaching. So, right as soon as any infant is baptized, parents ought to raise their child in the one true faith, teaching him or her the ABCs of the faith. It is the expectation of parents that they will bring their child to the Divine Service in God’s house, regularly, each week. It is the expectation of the parents to teach their child the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as leading the child to the reception of the Sacrament of the Altar. All of that, and more, is what it means to teach your child the sacred writings.
But how well do our children know the Bible? And, how well do adults know the Bible? Are we even teaching our children? Well, yes, we are. We are constantly teaching, even if we don’t intend to be teaching. You see, whatever we do as adults is catechizing our children – for good or for bad. So, if attending church is not a high priority, then your children will see church as not a priority. If you see sports and recreation as important, your children will likely see it that way, too.
Again, children tend to imitate their parents. Now, there are always exceptions to every rule, but this Proverb is true: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Yes, we have all known children who departed from the faith who had God-fearing parents, but how many children remained in the faith who had God-fearing parents? No matter what, children typically follow their parents’ example for good or for bad.
The 2006 country song “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins shows this at work through song. He sang:
Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy
'Till his nuggets were gone.
A green traffic light turned straight to red.
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap.
Well then, my four-year-old said a four-letter word
That started with "s" and I was concerned.
So I said, “Son, now where did you learn to talk like that?”
He said, “I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you. …
I wanna do everything you do,
So, I've been watching you.”
You see, our children – even if they say they don’t – they model their lives after their parents. So, whatever the parent does is ultimately catechizing their children. But as that child noticed what his dad spoke, he also noticed his dad’s other actions. That night, he witnessed his son do something else, as he sung:
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend
And I said, “Son, now where'd you learn to pray like that?”
He said, “I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you. …
I wanna do everything you do,
So I've been watching you.”
Our children are always watching. So, what are you teaching your children?
This is what Timothy was doing. He watched and learned from Eunice and Lois, just as we learn from our parents and guardians on what is good and right. So, Timothy from infancy heard the writings of the Old Testament. And from those Writings, the Holy Spirit brought him to faith in Christ Jesus, the promised Messiah.
So, if you haven’t been the best teacher when it comes to God’s Word, the good news is this: God is gracious. He forgives our sins. He restores and renews us. This, in fact, is the very message of Scripture: the forgiving, renewing, restoring grace of God in Christ. This is God’s Word for all of us this morning. You see, God is gracious. The blood of Christ covers all of our sins. The Holy Spirit will pick us up and help us to do better. God is always faithful, despite our unfaithfulness.
Now, did you also notice that Paul is writing to an adult Timothy when he writes: “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (2 Timothy 3:14)? The point is, the learning of Holy Scripture does not stop when we are confirmed. In fact, we are called to be lifelong learners. Even for the most-astute pastor, he is still consistently learning more from God’s Word.
So, we must continue in what we have learned. We must continue in learning from the Scriptures. But why? Why can’t I just worship God in nature?
Well, yes, God is seen in nature. He is the Creator of all things. But what is missing? What do we not notice in nature that is revealed in Scripture? Well, Scripture is how we “are able to [be] wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). There it is! Scripture is the means by which God reveals our salvation.
[Doubting Faith]
Now, back some years ago when I was a teenager, I began to doubt my Christian faith. Just a couple years earlier in catechism class, my pastor taught me that the Bible was entirely God’s Word. He proclaimed what Paul proclaims to Timothy: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16) – that all Scripture is “God breathed” or “Divinely inspired.” He said the Bible is true from cover to cover, since every word of the prophets, evangelists, and apostles were inspired by – and willed by – the Holy Spirit.
Now, all of a sudden, I was hearing the opposite from another pastor. He claimed that portions of the Bible were inspired, while other portions were products of human imagination. I thought, “If the Bible cannot be trusted, why even come to church?” I began questioning the crucifixion and resurrection. I was questioning everything.
In my moments of doubt, I remembered the previous pastor mentioning an obscure book called The Book of Concord, so I purchased this book and I began looking through it until I came across this statement in the Epitome of the Formula of Concord:
“We believe, teach, and confess that the only rule and guiding principle according to which all teachings and teachers are to be evaluated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments alone, as it is written, ‘Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105), and Saint Paul: ‘If … an angel from heaven should proclaim to you something contrary, … let that one be accursed!’ (Galatians 1:8).”
It also stated:
“Holy Scripture alone remains the only judge, rule, and guiding principle, according to which, as the only touchstone, all teachings should and must be recognized and judged, whether they are good or evil, correct or incorrect.”
When I read that, the Holy Spirit strengthened my weak faith and assured me of the truthfulness of the Scriptures. And this is what eventually led me to The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, since this church body is still tethered to God’s inerrant Word.
“All Scripture” – the Old and New Testaments – points us to Christ, so that we can take a hold of Him by faith. Jesus Himself said, “[The Scriptures] bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). The entire Bible is about the dying and rising Christ conquering death for us, and the message of repentance and forgiveness in His name.
[Continue in the Sacred Writings]
So, we must continue in what we have learned in these sacred writings! Paul teaches Timothy – as well as us – that all Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that a man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16b-17).
So why are the Scriptures profitable? Well, they are for reproof, that is, to expose and convict sin. But the logical question is this: What is sin? Is abortion sin? Is gender-affirming surgery sin? Is cohabitation sin? Is gossiping sin? Is being discontent sin? Now, not everyone will give the same answer. But who is right? This confusion in the world can also confuse the Christian. Where do we turn to know what is truly a sin? Well, God determines what is sin. In His Scripture, He gives us the only reliable standard on what is right and what is wrong.
Another way Scripture is profitable is for correcting, which means restoring those who fall into sin. The Law certainly rebukes and convicts, but to restore the sinner, the Gospel is essential. The Gospel moves the heart, strengthens faith, and builds up so that correction takes place.
The Scriptures are also profitable for “training in righteousness.” In His Word, we receive training in how to live as God’s child. One way we are trained is that we are to speak God’s Word when we are tempted by our sinful nature. Do you recall what Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan? Did He comply to temptation? No! He responded saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). He spoke the very Word of God to combat Satan’s lies.
God’s Word as revealed in the Scriptures are our tools to fight the lies around us. As Paul wrote, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3).
As a result of the Fall, our sinful nature is not satisfied with the Bible. Instead, our sinful nature doesn’t want to hear what we have done wrong to God and to our neighbor, but desires to be flattered. So, instead of listening to the Truth, many of us wander off into myths. This chief myth is that God serves me as He agrees with whatever I want. This false god is like a Disney genie who always agrees with their wishes. So many people search out false teachers who flatter us, instead of being taught God’s unchanging truth.
The Old and New Testaments carry the Lord’s own authority. Make no mistake, every word belongs to God and was breathed out by God. They are powerful for accomplishing His own purpose, namely, creating in our hearts saving faith in Jesus Christ. Within this Book, through the merit and work of Jesus, salvation for sinners is revealed!
So, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, let us continue in what we have learned, so that we may be wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ!
Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +
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