Paul’s challenge to Christians in 2 Timothy 2:15 is to be an unashamed worker. He writes, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of truth.” First, we should never be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should never be embarrassed to be called a Christian or to speak out for Christ. And second, we should guard against any conduct that would make us ashamed of how we have represented Christ.
There is a story of a soldier who was caught in a compromising situation by Alexander the Great. The commander warrior asked the young soldier his name. He replied, “Alexander, Sir”. He was quickly told, “Soldier, change your conduct or change your name. That command applies to Christians who misrepresent Christ.
Accurately handling the word of truth applies not only to our understanding of God’s word from a theological point of view but it also has to do with putting into practice what the Bible teaches.
Paul lived in a day of much religious debate and so do we. He lived in a day of grave misunderstandings about God and Jesus and so do we. He was concerned about what Christians believed and how they lived. Paul wanted those who represented Christ to do so without shame. In describing an unashamed worker, Paul dives into the subject of the Christian’s speech. He warns against what he called “godless chatter”. The challenge is to be quick to hear and slow to speak and to avoid gossip or unconfirmed information. We all deal with information that is private and personal to a family. It is imperative that we not enter into gossip, or repeat unverified information or reveal information that is confidential. The challenge of a Christian is to always speak the truth with love.
An unashamed worker is one who takes responsibility seriously, sticks to the task regardless of the difficulty, fulfills the assigned mission and is not ashamed to be identified with Christ and his church and is not ashamed to talk about matters of faith.
An unashamed worker is dependable, faithful, courageous and truthful. Christians are to live by a higher standard than non Christians. As Christians, we are being watched. How we conduct ourselves matters deeply. The word from Paul is “do you best to present yourself to God as one approved.
In His Love,
Charles
