We are always students but we should all be teachers too. It doesn't mean we are over anyone, it just means we are wise enough to share the truth with anyone who will listen.
Hebrews 5:12-14
"12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil."
No one has authority over anyone else except the Holy Spirit. There are no authorities in the church, there are only leaders who lead by example and teaching but they are not the ultimate authority over anyone.
1 Peter 5:3
"Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
God did not say we are to imitate others, but that we are to imitate Christ. If we imitate others as they imitate Christ then it is Christ we follow not men.
1 Corinthians 11:1
"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
2 Timothy 2:15
"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."
Nowhere does God say "Do your best to present yourselves to the pastor."
We listen to teachers and leaders to discern whether or not they are speaking the truth. They are present to edify us in the Word of God, not dominate us. If they follow Christ then wonderful they have been a good example, however, if they are in error then they must be corrected and even removed if the error is frequently against the Word of God.
Believers must stop elevating their pastors above others merely because they have been educated in Bible schools. Sadly those who have formal degrees are seen as superior to those who have been trained by the Holy Spirit.
Education does not make someone spiritual or wiser, it merely means that they have been trained by man how to think and the things to say. When we are trained by the Holy Spirit we are given much more than rules and manipulations to cause others to respond the way we want them to respond.
The danger of becoming full of pride is great when education is the goal more than learning through the Holy Spirit.
John 16:13-14"
"13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you."
The Holy Spirit does not operate differently in our day than He did in the days of the apostles.
All of the Bible was not written to us but it was all written for us.
Isaiah 11:2
"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD."
No man can teach or counsel better than the Holy Spirit.
Everyone who has been born again should be teaching and sharing the Word with those God places in their path. No one is exempt from this charge.
John 14:26
"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you."
John 14:17
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
Remember the Holy Spirit only lives within those who are born again. The world does not have Him nor could they understand Him.
1 John 4:6
"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."
No comments:
Post a Comment