Teaching others about God and what His Word says is important. This daily devotional looks at characteristics teachers should possess and how they should be help to a higher standard.
Nuggets
- There should be a limited number of people who teach Scriptures and how to be a disciple to others because they are held by God to a high standard.
- No one is perfect.
Devotions in Living Out Our Faith series
Teaching is a hard job. When God calls us to be a teacher, we have a wonderful job to perform.
But teaching God’s Word is a big responsibility. Therefore, we want to make sure we do what God calls us to do.
James started Chapter 3 by addressing this topic. Let’s see what he had to say.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
What It Means to be a Teacher
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (Jas. 3: 1 ESV)
There should be a limited number of people who teach Scriptures and how to be a disciple to others because they are held by God to a high standard.
Not everyone is able to teach. We should be careful picking our teachers for their sake and ours.
Those who teach are going to be held to a higher standard. God is going to judge us if we lead others astray.
Teaching isn’t easy. Erskine told us how that is. He wrote, “The meaning is, the office of a spiritual instructor is attended with great difficulty and danger, and the duties of it are hard to be discharged.”
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We should not take it lightly when we are asked to teach someone else. When we agree to become a teacher, God will require more of us. “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Lk. 12: 48 ESV).
It is important to remember that teachers become role models. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Ti. 2: 7-8 ESV).
Erskine gave us good advice to think about when we are considering teaching.
- Teachers are to be holy.
- Money must not be our motivation for teaching.
- Teachers don’t want to have to study completely on their own.
- Teachers are described as
- Strong
- Conscientious
- A tireless worker bee
- Honest
- Impartial
- Fearless
- Full of grace
- Courageous
It is easy to look at that list and say we aren’t qualified to teach. Technically, that is true because we aren’t consistent in being those things and there is no way for us to completely understand all of who God is (Isa. 55: 8-9).
We say we don’t know enough to teach others. Erskine didn’t say we needed to be a genius; he labeled it being a tolerable genius. We have to know enough.
True, we are probably going to need all the help we can get when we have to teach some obscure passage. God will helps us. He gives us grace. We can only have success through His grace.
We have to be competent in our teaching ability. If we know it but can’t convey it to others, we really don’t have teaching ability.
I think being able to teach for God starts with where we are spiritually. We not only have to have a strong inward belief in God, but we also have to be mature in our faith.
This soundness of faith was emphasized by Paul.
- “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine” (I Tim. 1: 3 ESV).
- “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain” (I Tim. 6: 3-5 ESV).
- “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith” (I Tim. 6: 20-21 ESV).
- “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 1: 13 ESV).
- “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Ti. 1: 9 ESV).
- “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Ti. 2: 1 ESV).
- “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Ti. 2: 7-8 ESV).
We have to have that soundness of doctrine for when we need to defend our faith. We have to know what we believe and why we believe it.
Teachers have to know themselves. We have to understand what our spiritual gifts are
Don’t know what your spiritual gifts are?
Take this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Teachers have to have others, too. They need to be able to read others.
Being judged more strictly than those who don’t teach shouldn’t steer us from teaching.
It does sometimes — even pastors. We sometimes question how God is going to judge us before we get kicked up to the higher standards. We see ourselves lacking in respect to the lower standards.
James went on to address our stumbling.
We All Stumble
“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” (Jas. 3: 2 ESV)
No one is perfect.
Scripture tells us that no one has mastered the act of not sinning. “There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins” (Ecc. 7: 20 CSB).
Notice that doesn’t say, “never sins after they become disciples.” As long as we are in this human body, we will continue to sin.
And look what the verse says. “For we all stumble in many ways …” (Jas. 3: 2 ESV).
So, it isn’t just one way that we offend. It is in many things.
Still, Manton sifted the many things down into three categories. He wrote, “A godly person observed that Christians were usually to blame for three things: They seek for that in themselves which they can only find in Christ; for that in the law which shall only be had in the gospel; and that upon earth which shall only be enjoyed in heaven. We complain of sin; and when shall the earthly estate be free? You should not murmur, but run to your Advocate.”
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Ooo, baby. Manton was right there.
We want to do things ourselves and not rely on God. That really applies to salvation. We want to save ourselves. We want Paradise right now, not after we die.
So bottom line, we aren’t going to be perfect in this life.
Think about David. He was a murderer and adultery — even though he is described to be a man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13: 14). We are no better than him.
We are called to be mature disciples.
We are going to save most of the discussion of tongues and speech to verse 5. Let’s just say for right now that our ability to bite our tongues shows maturity in God’s laws and commandments.
Making the Connections
Manton argued that most of our sins occur through our words. That isn’t good because our words expresses what is in our hearts.
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Buries agreed, taking the connections a step further. He reminded us how connected our minds and hearts are.
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What is in our hearts and minds comes out in our words and actions. Those must reflect God.
No, we humans are frail, weak, unfocused, and negligent, just as Buries said. Hold that up to the purity of God’s laws, and we come nowhere close to meeting them.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, that you are merciful and gracious. He doesn’t judge us like He should when we have been washed in His Son’s blood. Instead, He gives us what we don’t deserve — salvation.
How Do We Apply This?
- Don’t shy away from those who do not know or understand God’s Word.
- Don’t judge others and bring judgment on ourselves.
- Recognize that we cannot be saved by works because we will continue to be disobedient.
- Seek God.
- Watch carefully, especially our speech, so we do become careless.
- Work out our salvation so that we are becoming mature.
- Walk in the Spirit to withstand temptations Satan throws our way.
- Watch our interactions with others to conduct them with more tenderness.
- Seek God’s grace to obtain a pure heart.
- Praise God through all of our trials.
- Rely only on God.
- Humble ourselves before God.
- Diligently pursue all things spiritual.
- Pray without ceasing.
- Love others so that we can teach them what we know to be true.
- Long to go home to Heaven.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
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Father God. So many times, we find excuses as to why we cannot teach when You call us to do so. Help us to realize that You do not call us because we are so good. You call us because You are so good. Help us to seek forgiveness when they sin — just as we ask You to forgive our sins. Amen.
What do you think?
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