Are you willing to be pounded firmly into the word of God?
1Ti 5:17
Let the elders that rule well... especially
they who LABOUR in the word and doctrine.
Labour (verb) - kopiaō (G2872)... sounds like
coffee but far from it.
- κοπιάω kopiáō, kop-ee-ah'-o; from a derivative of
G2873.
- to feel fatigued; by implication, to work
hard.
- (bestow) labour, toil, be wearied.
The KJV translates kopiaō in the following
manner: labour (16x), bestow labour (3x), toil (3x), be wearied (1x).
Biblical usage:
- to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil
or burdens or grief)
- to labour with wearisome effort, to toil
- of bodily labour
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2872
Driving the piles (of the Lord's own making) firmly into the holy ground of the word and doctrine is HARD LABOUR.
#To Be Established Requires Labourious Pounding
To the end, ye may be established.
Rom 1:11
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto
you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.
Apostle Paul said these words to those he
described as " the called of Jesus Christ, the beloved of God, and called to be
saints." (v6,7a). These need to be established by the faithful ministry of
the word.
to establish (stērizō):
i. to make stable, place firmly, set fast,
fix
ii. to strengthen, make firm
iii. to render constant, confirm, one's mind
Gill's commentary:
"... to the end that saints may be
established; for such who are called by grace, need establishing. They are
indeed in a safe state and condition; they are encircled in the arms of
everlasting love, they are fixed in the hands of Christ, secured in an
everlasting covenant, established on the rock of ages, and settled in a state
from whence they can never fall: [sing: this describes the state of grace they
have been brought into, with respect to their eternal salvation.] yet, notwithstanding this, they are sometimes
very unstable in their hearts, in their frames, in the exercise of grace, and
the discharge of duty, and in professing and adhering to the doctrines of the
Gospel; wherefore they need establishing, as to a more firm persuasion of
interest in the love of God, and in the covenant of grace, as to a more stable
exercise of grace in Christ, and as to a more constant discharge of duty, and
steady profession of adherence to the truths of the Gospel; to all which the
ministration of the word has a tendency, with a divine blessing." [sing: Did you notice, Gill distinguishes the
eternal salvation from the temporal salvation; the former needs no establishing
for it is as firm as possibly can be by the free grace of God when we are
rotten decaying sticks; His grace has turned us into those hardened concrete
piles; those piles need to be pounded into the solid ground of the word of grace.
Apostle deals with the latter.]
Such who are called to grace, NEED
ESTABLISHING. Such who are conceived and born, need nurturing so that they may be
established, i.e., reach adulthood, wise
and filled with knowledge, and of service to God, and fellow men.
Hebrews 5:12
"For when for the time ye ought to be
teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles
of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of
strong meat."
Ephesians 4:14
"That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive..."
Those that are called by grace into the state
of grace and eternal salvation need establishing. To be established they need
some pounding! What needs to be done in order to be established in our most
holy faith? We need some hard pounding from the piling machine (the ministry of
the word) to drive us firmly into the word of grace. Are we willing and ready
for such pounding?
Piles not pounded firmly into the ground are eyesores and pose grave dangers.
