The True Teacher

Scripture: "...I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Gal 1:16-17

Observation: How could this have happened? The words would have labored in his mind heavily as he was led in total darkness to Damascus. Lies. All of them lies. Every word given to him by teachers and applied by him to memory and action were lies. He had devoted his entire life to zealously pursing religious traditions and misinterpretations of the scripture as though they were the word and will of God. In Acts we are told he "ravaged" the church over the gospel of Christ. He had killed, beaten and threatened people who challenged what he thought to be the true instruction of God. As the scales fell from his eyes that day in Ananias' house and his vision returned to him, Paul saw the world in an entirely new perspective. He lived in a time when the normal, expected behavior would have been to return to Jerusalem and receive proper instruction from the Apostles. But not this time. Never again would Paul be misled by teachers, instead he left for the desert to be taught by God.

Application: I still remember the day. I still remember the question. What does God mean to you and what do you think is your identity in Christ? It was a simple question and I gave the same canned answer that I normally gave to the nodding approval of the religious people who were around me. But this time my the reply that came back to me caught me more than a little off guard. See this time the question was asked by a man who really cared about the answer I gave. He also cared enough about me to tell me the truth. Shortly after I painted a beautiful word picture that included all the common phrases such as I am a sinner saved by grace, God is my everything, and my sins have been washed away; my friend looked me in the eyes and then said "that is a load of junk and you don’t believe any of it." The words did not hurt as much as they just shocked me. As I sat there in the apartment with Bill that day in stunned silence, I felt the walls coming down as I eventually realized he was right. 90% of everything I believed about my relationship with God were nothing more than useless phrases and empty thoughts. I had been spoon fed things that were biblical and they even contained truth, but I did not own them. I did not really even believe them. They did not empower me nor did they draw me close to God. As I relive that story I am reminded of the importance of wrestling with questions and owning what I believe. Teaching is great. It is a precious gift from God to be able to sit under great teachers and be given guidance. My life is impacted daily by the men who have been entrusted with the talents required to teach. But there is no substitute for spending time alone with God in His Word. There is no other safety net to protect me from false teaching. No man is infallible and no matter how good a teacher someone is, they can’t apply truth in my life. They can only serve as a guide. The work of application is a task reserved to take place only in my time alone with God.

Prayer: I must confess to You tonight that I realize just how lazy I am when it comes to growing in Your truth. Sometimes it is just easier to buy a good book or sit under someone's instruction than it is to do it myself. Sitting alone with Your word and discerning what You are trying to tell me is intimidating and the process is made even more difficult by my own stubbornness and pride. I have used the excuse that God is silent so many times, but I realize that is so contrary to Your word. I am grateful that you are not a God of silence but a God that draws near. A God that speaks. Who instructs. Who trains. I want to sit under Your instruction and allow You to guide me as You mold me into the man You desire me to be. I recognize that you will provide instruction for me through others, but I also recognize that no man is ever intended to replace my private time with You. Continue to grow inside of me the strength and humility required to accept feedback and answer questions with absolute honesty. I thank you for friends who are willing to speak the truth to me in love and I hope that the same can be said of me.