Day 154, Year 1

The Scripture Makes Us Wise for Salvation

(The author, speaking of Timothy,) “… And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15 NKJV)

“But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31 NASB)

The phrase “make … wise” in the first verse of today is sophizo in Greek, and it also means “become wise, or have understanding.” The Bible grants us wisdom, which generates faith in Jesus for us to receive His salvation. Notably, the “Holy Scriptures” here refers to the books of the Old Testament. But of course, the New Testament is also necessary for our salvation. Our discussion of wisdom is nearing the end. I would like to emphasize that there is much to learn about wisdom from the ancient Israelites, as well as the stories of different individuals. And there is still so much more to share about wisdom in detail. Thus, I suggest readers find time to study the whole Bible and seek the wisdom for salvation. In sum, today’s first verse encourages us to pursue this wisdom for salvation while understanding the Bible thoroughly because it can make us wise.

The second verse of today clearly states the purpose of the Gospel of John, which is to make us believe that Jesus is the anointed King prophesied in the Old Testament, which is the meaning of “Christ,” and through believing in Him, we can have true and eternal life. “Name” here refers to a person’s character, preferences, authority, words, and actions, all of which accurately reflect who that person is. The New Testament clearly describes who Jesus Christ is as both God and man. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what kind of God and man Jesus is, as it determines whether we have put our faith rightly in Him. Accurately believing in Jesus can lead to a brand-new and abundant life. I will discuss the topic of faith in detail later.

In the days ahead, there will be more discussions of the relationship between Jesus and wisdom. Many resources are available that interpret the Scripture, but not all enable us to receive the wisdom for salvation. Readers could sift through resources based on the following five themes: faith, salvation, the Lord Jesus, life, and wisdom. The journey of pursuing and understanding faith is a race of endurance and effort. We need to lavishly invest time to understand and obey the words of Jesus in order to finally enter His abundant life.

Reflection questions:

1) Have you read the Bible once and understood the whole content? (If not, please try to read 2 to 3 chapters every day!)

2) Which stories or teachings in the Bible could most clearly help you receive more divine wisdom for salvation?