Correcting

“To make or set right.” That is the primary Merriam-Webster definition of ‘correct,’ and it is a good place to begin as we continue our study of 2 Timothy 3:16-17’s four ways scripture is useful for being “thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

When I hear, “to make or set right,” I am reminded of the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. The famously short in stature Zacchaeus had much that needed setting right. He was a tax collector, which in cultural context meant he made a living by being a practical nuisance to those from whom he collected. In short, Zacchaeus enters this scene out of step with both God and man.

But within a few short moments with Jesus, Zacchaeus has been set right with these words from Jesus: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9-10).

So what happened in-between? What occurred to move Zacchaeus from out of step with God and man to fully welcomed as a “son of Abraham”?

The answer might surprise you. Yes, it was in part a seeking out of Jesus (Zacchaeus famously ran ahead of Jesus and climbed a tree to overcome his short stature and gain sight of Jesus). Yes, it was very much a result of Zacchaeus accepting association with Jesus (Jesus disrupted the cultural norm by staying at Zacchaeus’s house). But quite instructive for you and me today, Jesus responded with the promise of salvation directly to Zacchaeus’s taking action to make restitution: “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount’” (Luke 19:8).

Zacchaeus set right that which he had previously wronged, and as a result Jesus made Zacchaeus right with God!

In this context, one of the secondary definitions of ‘correct’ is even more apropos: “To alter or adjust so as to bring to some standard or required condition.”

Zacchaeus was woefully short of the required standard. So are you. So am I. (Rom. 3:23)

He needed to be brought to a standard—a required condition! That correction required an action of his own. It required his own setting things right.

This is a subtle-but-critical distinction we discuss often here at The Equipped. The work of Jesus on the cross is a finished work. You cannot add to or detract from it. Your action is not what accomplishes your salvation—Jesus already accomplished it.

But there is a required standard. The finished work of Jesus invites you to that standard. God offers to set right all that is currently wrong with you. It is a finished work that achieves it, but He is a gentle Father, and He waits for you to yield to the correcting (Rev. 3:20).

God’s Word is useful for your correction. It makes and sets you right. It brings you into compliance with the required condition. And it contributes to you being thoroughly equipped for every good work.