Knowing truth is not enough…

One of the spiritual gifts in Romans 12 is teaching. It means having a great desire to gather information and pass it along to others. Those whose gift-mix has this at the top of their motivational strengths might be found in a class and a classroom, but the gift motivates libraries, many websites including Pinterest, newspaper columnists, books, home-keeping hints, and all schools and colleges.

God gave His people this inner desire for a reason. A few examples from the OT:

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7:10)
On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. (Nehemiah 8:13)
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. (Psalm 111:2)
Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. (Ecclesiastes 12:9)

Spiritual education is vital. Without a hunger to know the will of God, I would be ignorant of how He works and how He enriches my life. Yet Bible study is not merely for gathering information. What I learn is useless unless I do what it says. Otherwise, stuffing my head with facts and data is a negative waste of time:

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Ecclesiastes 12:12)

When Jesus taught in the temple, the religious leaders were amazed and said, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” (John 7:15) This shows more about them than it does Jesus. He knew because He relied on His Father and obeyed Him. He told these leaders:

My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law... (John 7:16–19)

Paul later picked up on the same theme: knowing but not doing what you know makes learning a farce:

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. (Romans 2:17–23)

The NT stresses that gathering information from God and about God is to transform my life, not make me into a gifted theologian who does not put to use what I know. The Lord says: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

That is why sound study includes application. It is not information gathering per se, but life changing. So when seeking to be educated about the Lord, I must understand the historical and cultural context, the literary context, make observations, and diligently apply it to my life. Otherwise, I may get the meaning but all it does is swell my head!

PRAY: Application is the hardest for information gatherers. I like to know reams of data, but often fail in the most important reason for knowing. Doing that would be like the person who collects the best way to clean out a refrigerator, but their own is absolutely filthy. I want to know the truths about You, but also be transformed by that knowledge into Your likeness. Enable me to zealously apply what You are revealing to me.

Good news is coming . . .

 

READ Isaiah 1–5

The spiritual gift of prophecy mentioned in Romans 12 describes Christians who discern the will of God and the spiritual condition of His people. Their biggest concern is that God’s people walk with Him in righteousness and obedience. People with this gift are valuable but sometimes not very popular.

The characteristics of a prophet show up in Isaiah. God gave him visions so this man could declare God’s will to the people. Most of what he says in these first few chapters is doom and gloom. The people are doing the rituals but their hearts are not right before God.

After reading Revelation and Ecclesiastes, I don’t want to read more doom and gloom. However, finding good news is easy in this prophetic book. Isaiah is given views of the positive events that will happen in “the latter days” which is the time in which we are now living. These verses satisfy my desire for righteousness. Some are bad news for evil people, but I’m okay with that!

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2–4)

All nations worshiping God and learning to walk in His ways! Changed lives! No more war! That is good news.

And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away. And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth . . . . In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? (Isaiah 2: 17–19; 20–22)

Respect for God! No more idols! Fear of God replacing fear of man! That is also good news.

Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. (Isaiah 3:10–11)

Finally, justice for those who do right! Finally, getting what they deserve for those who are evil! More good news.

Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness . . . . Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  . . . . Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! (Isaiah 5: 15–16; 20–21)

Each person aware of being a sinner before our holy God! God reveals His righteousness! Those who call evil good and good evil face the consequences of their error! Pride is reversed! This may not be good news for many, but for me, I am saying “Hallelujah” because seeing righteousness prevail, truth defeat lies, goodness overtake evil, and God being glorified is the desire of my heart — and I see that in Isaiah’s heart too as he proclaims the Word of God to the people in His time and to me. God is victorious and that is good news!

 

Gifted by God

Many years ago my sister went to a seminar on spiritual gifts. She shared with me what she learned and it became my focus for a time. I’ve taught several seminars, church leaders and individuals the principles that I learned.

While some lump all these gifts under one heading, the Bible seems to indicate three categories. There are gifts that manifest or reveal the Holy Spirit in a Christian when they are needed, such as the gift of wisdom, or healing, or speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 12). There are gifts of people given for special leadership tasks to equip the Body of Christ for ministry (Ephesians 4) and there are gifts of motivation that give believers the drive or desire to think and act in ways related to that gift (Romans 12 and 1 Peter 4).

However, the Bible makes it clear that we are never to wrangle over gifts, take pride in them, or use them for self-glory. These gifts are to build up the Body of Christ, to encourage godliness in each other. This cannot be done if they are not used, misunderstood, or misused.

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:27–31)

The ‘more excellent way’ is in the next chapter, the famous one that describes the love of God and how vital it is in all that I do. Without it, my speech is just noise, my faith is useless, and any sacrifices I might make are without gain. Love is considering the needs of others above my own.

It is easy to see the connection between love and spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says their manifestation is for the common good. Ephesians 4:12 says they are for the common good. Romans 12 says we are motivated in different ways to bless one another as members of the same body. That is, not everyone is an eye, or a hand, or a mouth, but all are needed. 1 Peter says we use those gifts to serve one another.

I’m particularly drawn to motivation gifts because they help me understand why people respond in different ways to the same situation. One illustration is what might happen if someone spills their dessert . . .

The leader might send someone for a mop, another for a broom and dust pan. The prophet or discerner might say something like this is what happens when you are not careful. The teacher might explain it spilled because it was too heavy on one side. The server might offer to help clean it up. The giver might offer to pay for it. The exhorter might say next time we can make sure it is put closer to the middle of the table. The compassion person might tell the person it could have happened to anyone and give the person a hug.

I say ‘might’ because if love is involved, the responses will depend on who did the spilling: a small child, an elderly person with shaky hands, or a youngster who was careless.

Spiritual gifts explain why others do what they do. For example, the compassion people are touchy-feely in situations where a teacher might see the problem as a lousy way to think. Conflict is avoided by understanding the perspective of these gifts, but also exercising that ‘more excellent way.’

For this and other reasons, Tozer writes, “The Holy Spirit desires to take us and control us and use us as instruments and organs through whom He can express Himself in the body of Christ . . . The Spirit of God, His presence and His gifts are not simply desirable in our Christian congregations; they are absolutely imperative.” I agree!

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Lord Jesus, not all of us have a full understanding of spiritual gifts, but we do know that we are to love one another. May love be the operative word in my life. I know my gifts and desire that You use me to express Yourself, yet without love, anything I do will fall flat, even do damage. For this reason, I ask You to deepen my love for others. I want them to see You and know what You are like.