TEACHING PEOPLE

You can’t really teach people how to change—you can teach people what change looks like. I’m mainly referring to Christians, but in a sense it applies to all people. As children grow, parents tell them (or teach them) right from wrong, and say over and over what they should do and should not do; the truth is children don’t learn as much from what parents say as from what parents do—they see what change looks like, but don’t really grasp it by hearing it, even repeatedly. That’s why parents get so exasperated when they have to “teach” the same lesson over and over so many times.

As Christians, we are taught a lot of things—many are good and positive things, some not so good (but most are). However, just like children we don’t really learn because someone tells us something—even repeatedly. Most of the great truths have to be revealed to us. Think of how many times we have read a verse of Scripture, but there comes that one moment of illumination when suddenly it comes alive, and now there is understanding like never before.

 John records, these very important words of Jesus, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” [John 14:26, KJV] Pastors and leaders spend so much time and expend so much energy trying to teach people what only the Holy Ghost can. No man can teach people how to be holy—only what holiness looks like, and that should be limited to the biblical description of holiness. The problem was created when men began to add their personal perceptions of what holiness looks like to God’s description—then it caused divisions, disagreements and all kinds of schisms. For instance, in dress the Bible simply teaches us to dress modestly, but men teach for and against articles of clothing—where the Scriptures never do (in the dispensation of Grace). And, remember if we resort back to the Mosaic Law, if we offend in one point, we offend the whole law--and, conversely, if you keep one point you are subject to all of the Law.

Whenever you teach people according to rules and regulations, human nature dictates that they begin to look for loopholes. People, just like children, will test the boundaries and see just how far they can go without sinning or transgressing the rules that have been set up. Rules deal with the outside, but God wants to change mankind from the inside—at the level of the heart. When the heart changes, there is no search for loopholes; the desire is to please God. The Holy Ghost will teach us “all things”—including what is appropriate to wear, and what isn’t. (And, the Holy Ghost is sensitive to issues that men/women can never know that individuals are confronted with in the closets, dressing rooms and mirrors when they are alone with only the Holy Ghost).

Ideally, our leaders would save a lot of energy and time if they would teach us to recognize God’s voice and how to develop a relationship with Him. Then, they would be free to preach the Gospel. When people know how to rely on God—and know Him, they don’t remain spiritual cripples for a lifetime, always dependent on the pastor for every issue and circumstance of life. They can then live victorious lives, and support the ministry, and the pastor in prayer, rather than always seeking the pastor out for prayer, or answers to simple things. It’s a drain on the men and women of God to have those who should be mature saints, able to help with babes in Christ, still needing to be fed milk and not meat. (“For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food.” [Hebrews 5:12, AMP]). It’s time out for milk—even formula, because I suspect many of us have not yet even graduated to milk, but have remained stuck at the point of man-made doctrines and ideologies, and moved no further. Soteriology is just the beginning. Again, the writer to the Hebrews admonishes us: “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” [Hebrews 6:1,2].

Far too many of us can parrot the doctrine of baptism, but know nothing about "going on unto perfection" and practical living in a world marred by sin. We know all about the baptism in Jesus’ Name and speaking in other tongues—we know that inside out; and we should, but we must get beyond that. We know that and our marriages are falling apart; pastors and leaders are in third marriages—how can they counsel married couples when they can’t work through their own problems and remain happily married? We know all about getting saved, but struggle with staying saved, succumbing to the works of the flesh, regularly. It is time for us to learn how to develop relationships—with God, and with one another. We need to understand what godly love really looks like, not simply in word, but in action—true forgiveness, preferring one another in love, and laying down our lives for the brethren. We need to see the simplicity of the Gospel—without the man-made frills. Grace. We need to understand that nothing in the Body of Christ works properly without love—not even faith [Galatians 5:6]. Love must be taught before anything else. Love has been on the back burner in our churches for a long time—in the Dark Ages. It’s time for the love of God to become front and center.

When the love of God is taught, the outward things will fall into place, because the heart will be aligned with the will of God.