(2 Timothy 3:13-17) In an age of deception God's people must know what they believe - and why! We must be ready to share with others, not what we think, but what God thinks. It is time to know and make known what the Bible says. (0938250211/13) ----more---- The Purpose and Profit of the Bible Everywhere I go, it seems that the favorite verse of people today seems to be 2 Timothy 3 and verse number 13, where the Bible says, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." I hear everybody quoting that verse and talking about how bad things have gotten and the pitiful condition of churches and communities and culture, and there's no doubt that's true. But I want to remind you that verse does not stand alone. That text has a context. As a matter of fact, immediately after the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, those words, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived," he says in the very next verse, 2 Timothy 3:14, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." In other words, yes, there are negatives all around us, but on the positive side, we're supposed to continue in the truth. Yes, this is an age of deception, all the more reason for us to take a strong stand on the truth. Yes, there is a spirit of Antichrist at work in our world that's trying to deceive people. But friends, just because the spirit of the deceiver is at work does not mean that the Holy Spirit has stopped his work. Oh, the spirit of truth is alive and well. He's at work in me today. He's at work in you today. He's at work through the Word today. And that's why God's people need to know what the Bible says. Listen to the verse again, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 14, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned. And has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. " Learning the Bible The three great principles, the three great truths in that verse. Number one, you have to learn the word. He said, if you're going to live it, if you're going to teach it and preach it to others, you have to learn it. So we must learn what God says. Assurance of the Bible Then, you must develop some assurance about what you're learning. He not only says you've learned it, he said you've been assured of these things. You must develop some deep personal conviction that the Word of God truly is that, the Word of God. It is the revelation of God Himself. It is the truth. And I trust and pray that you're developing a deeper and deeper conviction and confidence in the Word of God. This is the very Word of Truth. And you can trust a God who never lies. As a matter of fact, he says at the end of the verse, "Knowing of whom thou hast learned them." What's that a reference to? He goes on in verse 15 to say, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." He's saying that faith that was laid for you in childhood. That simple truth that you were willing to accept in your youth, don't ever get away from that. No matter how complicated the world may get, no matter how complex the problems may be, always go back again and again to the simplicity that is in Jesus Christ. Only Christ, only the Word of Truth can cut through the mess and the mayhem of our world and of our lives. Only the Lord can do that. So never forget. Where you learned it and who you learned it from. Timothy had a godly mother and a holy grandmother. Do you remember Lois and Eunice? Never forget those people who gave you this heritage. Never forget the people who taught you the truth. Perhaps there's some hint here as well of Paul reminding Timothy of what he personally had taught him in his youth. You remember how Timothy joined Paul when he was just a very young man. Paul is saying, don't ever forget the things that you were taught early on in your life