Having A Good Name With God

Having a Good Name with God

Pastor Russell Henderson

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[2Timothy 2:15 NKJV]

Today, I want to break this passage down and do a word study on three words:  diligent, present, and approved.

The word for diligent means to be earnest, or make haste.  It carries the connotation of working toward a goal with every ounce of strength you possess.  The King James version uses the word study.  We have to be careful here because it doesn’t mean that you need to hit the books or get smarter in order to be approved by God.  It literally means to investigate and scrutinize every detail to find the best way to get God’s approval.  Psalm 63 says….”earnestly I seek You” and Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently (earnestly) seek Him.  God looks very favorably upon those who seek Him with diligence.  As you seek to present yourself to God it is imperative that you put every ounce of effort and investigation into the process.

The next word is present.  This definition of present means to come into someone’s presence or to appear before someone.  Think of a servant coming and standing before the King.  He would always come with fear and reverence.  It was never a flippant routine.  We have developed such a watered-down view and perception of God that we don’t revere his presence any more.  We don’t revere the house of God, and we don’t take prayer and worship seriously.  When we come before God, we are coming before the King of the universe.  The Almighty God who is all-powerful.  Yes, He is a God of love and compassion, but He is also the God who will not tolerate sin and laziness.  His presence is to be honored.  It is to be respected and revered.

The final word we will look at is the word approved.     The Greek word here is dokimos.  It speaks particularly of money that is genuine—not counterfeit.  It also refers to something that has been put through the fire and endured the testing.  James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test (dokimos), that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”  Trial and testing can come in many ways: temptation, persecution, etc.  But to be approved by God means that He has determined that your faith and love is genuine.  There is no impurity inside of you.  Someone that has been approved by God is someone that God can use. 

In ancient times some of the most crooked people were the money changers.  They would literally shave off pieces of the soft-metal coins so that they would weigh less and therefore did not have to pay out what the coin was really worth.  There were some money changers, however,  that were honest.  They would not tamper with the money, and they would not accept counterfeit.  These men were called dokimos.  They had a good name, a good reputation, and they would receive more business because of it.  That’s the kind of person that God is looking for to use for His kingdom.

Now, taking the definition of these three words, let’s rewrite 2 Timothy 2:15:

Be earnest and diligent, work with every ounce of strength you have, and seek out the perfect way to come into the presence of God.  Don’t come to Him with contempt, and don’t come to play games.  But come into His presence with reverence and awe.  You are the type of person that has a good name in God’s presence.  He can use someone like you because you have gone through the fire and come out clean, and you would never do anything to taint your reputation with God.