The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“The Lord’s bond–servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” 

—2 Timothy 2:24–26

Our human nature is to see enemies in those who don’t live according to biblical principles, but this verse tells us how we should and should not treat them.

We should be:

• kind.
• skillful in teaching.
• patient when wronged.
• gentle in correction.

We should not be: 

• quarrelsome.

Why?

So perhaps those people who are captive to the devil will come to the same repentance and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ we did. We were just like them before salvation (1 Corinthians 6:11).

God knows that argumentative, confrontational behavior doesn’t persuade hearts.

Skilled teaching presented with kindness, patience, and gentleness does.

The phrase “skillful in teaching” implies that we have studied and practiced. This isn’t something we leave to chance. We study to ensure that our words are true (2 Timothy 2:15). We grow in grace—which will help with the kindness, patience, and gentleness part—and in knowledge—which will help with the skilled teaching (2 Peter 3:18).

With these verses in mind, next time we encounter someone who is living unbiblically or even opposing biblical truth, let us respond with:

• kindness instead of hate.
• skilled teaching instead of hasty words.
• patience instead of irritation, even if we’ve been mocked or insulted.
• gentleness instead of harshness, even if someone is wrong.

This is how to free people from the lies of the devil and draw them to Christ.

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