.

TCC–1305
1
INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUS LIVING

A. Introduction: We’re working on a series about the importance of reading the Bible (especially the New
Testament) regularly and systematically. Regular reading means to read every day (if possible) for 15- 20
minutes. Systematic reading means to read each book from beginning to end, as it was written to be read.
1. To help inspire us to read, we’re considering what the Bible is, and what it will do for you if you read it.
The Bible tells us why God created us. It shows us how we enter into God’s purpose for us and helps us
know what He wants us to do with our lives.
a. Reading the Bible is essential to a strong relationship with God, because He reveals Himself through
His written Word.
b. Regular reading helps you handle life’s challenges and gives hope for the future. Rom 15:4—The
Scriptures…give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises (NLT)
2. The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books that together tell the story of God’s desire for a family and the
lengths He has gone to, to have His family through Jesus. The Bible informs us that:
a. God created human beings to become His holy, righteous sons and daughters. However, sin has
disqualified all of us for God’s family. Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin to open the way for all who
believe on Him to be restored to God’s family through faith in Him. Eph 1:4-5; I Pet 3:18; etc.
1. When a man or woman acknowledges Jesus as Savior and Lord, on the basis of Jesus’ death and
resurrection, God can forgive that person and then indwell them by His Spirit.
2. He or she becomes a literal son or daughter of God, and a process of restoration begins that will
ultimately restore them to everything that God created them to be—fully pleasing to Him in
every thought, word, and deed.
b. Jesus not only made this restoration possible through His death on the Cross, Jesus is the pattern for
God’s family. Jesus is God become man without ceasing to be man. In His humanity, He shows
us what it looks like to live a life that is fully pleasing to God the Father. Rom 8:29; I John 2:6
3. The most important thing we can do as Christians is to grow in Christ-likeness, or increasingly develop
Christ-like character. However, you can’t do this on your own. It requires supernatural help from the
Holy Spirit through the Word of God.
a. The written Word of God (the Bible) is the unique instrument that the Holy Spirit uses to change and
restore us to our created purpose. II Cor 3:18
b. Our key Scripture in this series is II Tim 3:16-17—All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of
God may be perfect (thoroughly) furnished unto all good works (KJV).
1. The word perfect means to complete entirely, to reach the intended goal. The end result (or
goal) of the salvation that God has provided through Jesus is that we become fully Christ-like
(like Jesus in character and behavior).
2. The word doctrine means instruction or teaching. Reprove means to rebuke or reprimand (stop
that). Correction means to set right again (do this instead).
c. The Bible provides all of this. It tell us what we need to believe about God to be saved from the
guilt and power of sin, it shows us what needs to change in our character and behavior for us to be
Christ-like. And then the Word of God changes us as we read, believe, and obey it.
4. Paul the apostle wrote II Tim 3:16-17. In the last few lessons, to encourage us to read, we’ve looked at
the value that he and the first Christians placed on the Scriptures. We have more to say in tonight.
B. Paul was a Jew, as were most of the first Christians. The Jews are the people group through whom Jesus
came into this world, and to whom God gave His written Word (the Scriptures), first through Moses and then
through the other prophets. Rom 3:2
1. In Paul’s day the Jewish people had regular access to the Scriptures through their synagogues. The
.

TCC–1305
2
synagogues were building where they gathered for religious services.
a. All good Jews attended synagogue weekly to hear the Scriptures read and taught. Jewish children
were educated with the Scriptures as their textbook. They also memorized a lot of Scripture.
b. These Scriptures (what we know as the Old Testament) were filled with many passages which
predicted a coming Messiah or Savior (Jesus). Jesus fulfilled each of these prophecies through His
ministry, death, burial and resurrection. Following His resurrection, Jesus used the Scriptures to
explain to His followers what He accomplished through His sacrificial death. Luke 24:44-48
2. Paul was a Pharisee and was thoroughly steeped in the Scriptures. Paul became a follower of Jesus a
few years after Jesus returned to Heaven, when the Lord appeared to Paul and commissioned him to take
the Good News of His death and resurrection to both Jews and non-Jews. Acts 9:1-9; Acts 26:16
a. When we examine the record of Paul’s travels (found in the Book of Acts), we find that Paul visited
many cities in the Roman world and followed the same basic pattern in most of them. He would go
to the local synagogue and reason with the people from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Son of God
(God Incarnate), the promised Messiah. Acts 13:5, 14; Acts 14:1; Acts 17:1; etc.
b. Through Paul’s efforts, a number of churches (communities of believers) were established. Paul
remained in some of these cities for periods of time to teach the new believers the Scriptures.
1. When Paul moved on to another area, he continued to teach believers by writing letters known
as epistles to the churches (Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II
Thessalonians).
2. Paul also put leaders in charge in these churches who taught the Scriptures (I and II Timothy,
Titus). From these various epistles, we learn what Paul taught Christians (his doctrine).
3. Let’s look at Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians to get an idea of the kind of information Paul taught, and that
we need in order to grow in Christ-likeness—information that will perfect us.
a. This epistle was written to Christians living in the city of Ephesus, a thriving urban center that
rivaled the city of Rome in importance.
1. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia (on the western coast of Asia Minor, in
present-day Turkey).
2. The city was strategically located at the center of a number of trade routes, and drew people
from all over the known world. The temple of the Greek goddess Diana (one of the seven
wonders of the ancient world) was in Ephesus.
b. Paul went to Ephesus around Oct, AD 53. Although Ephesus was a Greek (or Gentile) city, there
was a Jewish population and a synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went to the synagogue and
preached boldly for three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. Acts 19:8
1. Some rejected Paul’s message and spoke against it, so he left the synagogue, taking believers
with him to the School of Tyrannus, where he taught daily for two years. Acts 19:9
2. Paul stayed in Ephesus for three years teaching them the Word of God (Acts 20:31). When he
left the city he instructed the leaders he raised up to continue to teach the people (Acts 20:28).
c. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians in AD 60-61, while he was imprisoned in the city of Rome
(Acts 28:16-31). Paul wrote to remind and reinforce what he taught them previously.
1. With the exception of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (the church in the city of Rome), the Epistle
to the Ephesians is Paul’s most carefully written presentation of Christian doctrine.
2. There is evidence that this letter was a circular letter meant not only for the Ephesians, but was
to be passed on to other churches in the area. Paul’s ministry at Ephesus had been so
successful that people throughout the province of Asia (Jew and Gentile) heard the Word of the
Lord (Acts 19:10) including the churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation (Rev 2-3).
A. In the epistle Paul doesn’t necessarily give new information. He reinforces and elaborates
on what he has already taught them—doctrine that will help them grow in Christ-likeness.
.

TCC–1305
3
B. In the first three chapters Paul addresses what God has done for us through Jesus
(doctrine). In the last three chapters Paul instructs believers on how they should live in
light of what God has done (reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
C. Paul opened his epistle by stating the big picture, or God’s plan for a family. He wrote that God, motivated
by love, chose us to be His sons and daughters, and for us what we could not do for ourselves. He dealt
with our sins through the Cross of Christ, and opened the way for us to be restored to His family.
1. Eph 1:4-5—Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy
and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by
bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure (NLT).
a. Eph 1:7-8—He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son,
and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us (NLT).
b. Eph 1:9-11—He showed us the mystery of his plan…we were chosen to belong to him. God
decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan (NIRV).
c. Eph 1:13-14—And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And
when you believed in Christ he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit whom he
promise long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and
that he has purchased us to be his own people (NLT).
1. Eph 2:1-4—Once you were dead (cut off from God), doomed forever because of your many
sins…But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even when we were dead
because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead (NLT).
2. Eph 2:8-10—God saved you by his special favor (grace) when you believed. You can’t take
any credit for this; it is a gift from God…For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us
anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (NLT).
d. Eph 3:12—Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence,
assured of his glad welcome (NLT).
2. This teaching (doctrine) is the basis for a life of righteousness, a life that is pleasing to God. Then, in
second half of his epistle Paul moved on to reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, or what
it looks like to actually live a righteous life, to live as a son or daughter of God.
a. Note that as soon as Paul finished reminding them what they’ve been called to—sonship and
relationship with Almighty God, he urged them to live in a way that is appropriate to that calling:
1 Eph 4:1— Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your
calling for you have been called by God (NLT). Worthy means appropriate.
2. Paul described what this looks like: Living as becomes you—with complete lowliness of mind
(humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, being with one
another and making allowances because you love one another (Eph 4:2, Amp).
b. Paul exhorts them not to live like the ungodly and told them that they must put off old behaviors and
put on new ones (Eph 4:17-23)…You must display a new nature because you are a new person,
created in God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true (Eph 4:24, NLT).
c. Then Paul gave them specific examples of reproof (stop that) and correction (do this instead).
1. Don’t lie. Tell people the truth. Don’t let anger gain control over you. Deal with it quickly
(Eph 4:25-26). Don’t use foul language. Let your words be good and helpful, an
encouragement to those who hear them (Eph 4:29, NLT).
2. Eph 4:30-32—Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Get rid of all
bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ
has forgiven you (NLT).
.

TCC–1305
4
3. These standards of behavior can seem overwhelming, but note several important points. Paul wasn’t
writing to condemn people, but to enlighten them, and show them what Christ-like behavior looks like.
a. Paul wasn’t giving the rules for Christianity. This isn’t about keeping rules. It’s about fulfilling
your created purpose. You were created to live like this. Yes, sin has damage us and we need
restoration, but God, motivated by love, is at work on our behalf.
b. When Paul reached the end his teaching about God’s plan (the first half of his epistle), before he
transitioned to reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, Paul prayed for the readers.
1. Eph 3:16—I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you might inner
strength through his Holy Spirit (NLT).
2. Eph 3:18-19—May you have power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how
long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ,
though it is so great that you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the
fullness of life and power that comes from God (NLT).
3. Eph 3:20—Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to
accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope (NLT).
c. In the context of God’s plan to have sons and daughters who are Christ-like Paul reminds readers
that God is now in them by His Spirit to do above what they can ask or think by His power in them.
1. In other words, God is in them by His Spirit to help them put off unChrist-like behaviors and put
on Christ-like behaviors, to help them grow and develop Christ-like character.
2. But we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit by hearing (reading) and obeying God’s Word:
Put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases
him (Phil 2:12-13, NLT).
d. Jesus died, not just so that God can declare or call us holy and righteous on the basis of His sacrifice,
but so we can be changed and live righteous lives (do what is right, display Christ-like character.
1. Eph 5:25-27—(Jesus) loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify
her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that he might present the
church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things—that she
might be holy and faultless (Amp).
2. Titus 2:14—He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his
very own people, totally committed to doing what is right (NLT).
D. Conclusion: The Scriptures are vital to the process of being perfected because they provide doctrine (right
teaching), reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. We are perfected, or restored to our created
purpose, by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. Reading them is essential.
1. Everybody wants to know what God wants us to do (meaning have a ministry). Then we feel bad when
life gets in the way. Or we struggle with feeling condemned because of our shortcomings and failures.
a. This is why understanding the big picture is so important—knowing what God, because of His love
and grace, has made you (His son or daughter) and what He is making you (like Jesus in character).
b. The Bible shows you what you are and what you are becoming. If you will read, you will see
changes in yourself, and have the hope that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.
2. II Tim 3:16-17—God has breathed life into all Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is
useful for correction our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for
training us to do what is right. By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every
good thing (NIRV).
3. The greatest gift you can give yourself is to become a regular, systematic Bible reader (more next week)!