Disciples are Learners, not Perfect

 A true Christian is a disciple. That means someone who learns and never stops learning.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Jn 8:31–32 NRSV

Some Christians imagine that they have complete grasp of the truth, so that they never stop correcting misguided people and especially Christians who think differently. People like this are no longer teachable, not open to learn. They are no longer true disciples, but dogmatic know-alls. 
 
If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. 
But if anyone loves God, he is known by him. 1 Cor 8:2–3 CSB

What does that actually mean? 

Bible knowledge is worthless unless we are in a humble and loving relationship with God, unless we are constantly led by the Holy Spirit and allowing God to teach us how to understand what He is saying in His word, the Bible.

If I think I can rebuke other Christians, then I must love and respect other Christians, and I must be teachable myself.

Jesus said we must remain in His Word.
What does it mean to remain in His Word?

Some Christians hold fast to certain beliefs and proof texts, and they use these teachings to rebuke other people. This was the case with the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus and Paul.

Jesus and Paul were able to rebuke misguided people, but their approach was primarily characterised by mercy and helpfulness.

Are you an encourager? If you don't encourage those around you with love every day, you've already gone wrong somehow. Maybe you also have some days that aren't so positive. I do too. Paul also knew that he was still on his journey and had not yet reached his goal.

I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. Php 3:12 The Living Bible, Paraphrased

Do you always focus on doctrines and proof texts and want to teach other Christians and give the impression that you are always right about everything? Then you are on the wrong track.

Paul taught misguided Christians, but he was always humble and motivated by love.

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 
For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel…. Rom 9:2–4 NIV

Jesus also rebuked his Jewish contemporaries with harsh words and threatened them with the flames of hell, but his heart was still moved by love.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 
and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. Lk 19:41–42 NIV

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Lk 13:34 NIV

When we are indignant because of false teachings, we must always return to this love and mercy of God so that we do not become proud and self-righteous.

No one Knows it all.

 Are you the kind of person who is always right?
What does the Bible say about this?

Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.
But whoever loves God is known by God. 1 Cor 8:2–3 NIV

The apostle John said of Jesus that he was full of grace and truth.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jn 1:14 NIV

Truth is so important. Bible knowledge is essential because the Bible is God's Word.

But if Bible knowledge is your first priority, if you think your assignment from God is to always rebuke Christians who think differently, where is your humility? Where is your love for your neighbour?

John didn't say Jesus was filled with truth and grace. He said Jesus was filled with grace and truth.

Grace and truth, not truth and grace.

What did Paul say about Christians with different opinions?

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.
One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Rom 14:1–5 NIV

Perhaps you are a trained Bible teacher with excellent spiritual gifts. You have a calling as a pastor or church leader.

But be careful! Being opinionated is not a virtue. Know-it-all attitude does not come from God!

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:2 NIV

Do you always know better?

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 1 Cor 13:9 NIV

Here Paul includes himself, confessing that he did not know it all.

But maybe you're not a trained church leader, but your pastor or an elder behaves like an infallible pope. You are not obliged to always give in.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 NIV

If the leaders in your church or denomination are dictatorial, if they demand unconditional submission, if they always put you down when you express your own thoughts, then just leave ...

But Paul himself could also be very harsh and dogmatic. He was particularly tough on legalism and lawlessness. Some thorny issues are important and others are not so important. We need the wisdom that only comes from God.

But if you experience bullying in a church, just leave ...

Paul himself admonished Christians not to give in to spiritual dictatorship.

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 2 Cor 11:20 NIV

Theology without Love is Nothing

 The fact is, many of us have become too theologically wise to love our enemies, care for the poor, stand up for the disadvantaged and alongside the sick, and help people pick up the pieces of their broken lives.
We perfect the creeds and reject the needs. Beth Moore.

It's good to understand God better, but if our knowledge of God is mostly theoretical, we can only be religious without following Jesus.

When did Jesus send his disciples out to heal the sick? After they had completed their theological training? Not at all.

For Jesus, compassion and practical faith were more important than flawless theology.

God has raised up many heroes of faith in church history, men and women who have passed on God's saving grace in many countries. But were they all theologically flawless?

Martin Luther, John Wesley and Dietrich Bonhoeffer baptised babies. The Baptists only baptise believers.
Luther, John Knox and Charles Spurgeon believed that salvation can never be reversed.

John Wesley believed that a truly converted Christian still has the free choice to turn away from God and end up in hell.

God used disciples with different beliefs, They could not all be right, but God used them anyway.

Unfortunately, there are so many Christians who strive intensely to understand everything and always be right that they become arrogant and ineffectual religious experts.

When you learn about God, you must put this new insight into practice in order to pray better and help other people better. Otherwise you will remain stuck in a dead religion.

Jesus criticised the scribes because they were full of biblical knowledge but would not acknowledge Jesus.

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
yet you refuse to come to me to have life. Jn 5:39–40 NIV

But what is that to us? We believe in Jesus, don't we?

But our faith is useless if we think it's enough to think right and preach right.

Jesus didn't say learn to think without error. He said: ‘Follow me!’

What are you doing to help suffering people? Do you look at prostitutes, drug addicts or homosexuals with a critical attitude or with deep compassion?

Do you love Christians of other denominations as your brothers and sisters? Do you really love them?

We are saved by faith in action, not by theology.

Hiding from God

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Ge 3:8 NIV

We are often like Adam and Eve. God wants to go for a walk with you and with me.

He also wants to have a deep friendship with you, but you hide.

We all hide sometimes.

Some hide behind intellectual objections or philosophical systems of thought.

We study theology and want to understand God as a concept, but no longer know him as Father and Friend.

Some hide behind activities in the church.

They want to prove themselves as good Christians and be recognised. But God does not want good Christians, but dear children and friends.   

Some strive for Bible knowledge and hide behind Bible texts.

But Paul said:
Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.
But whoever loves God is known by God. 1 Co 8:2–3 NIV

Jesus also said:
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

yet you refuse to come to me to have life. Jn 5:39–40 NIV

Some hide behind virtue and righteousness, but Jesus wants nothing to do with self-righteousness.

Some hide behind humility. They think and perhaps even say: ‘I am nothing, I can do nothing.’

Jesus told us about one such negative person.

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
But the Lord condemned the man who only appeared to be humble. Mt 25:24–25 NIV

What is true humility?

Jesus is our role model. He was and remains today the Eternal Son of God, God the Son, God who knows everything and understands everything.

But then he made himself small, weak and vulnerable. The Eternal Son of God became a human baby.

Jesus became like you and me, small, with limited intelligence. He had to grow up and learn step by step, just like us.

But he was totally open to his Heavenly Father. He lived in communion with the Father.
We can learn humility from the Christmas story.

We are all like Adam and Eve, who did not trust God, who did not believe God's word, who did not follow God's instructions.

We are all like Adam and Eve, who were ashamed and tried to hide in God's garden.

But you cannot hide from God. He sees everything and still loves you unconditionally.

He wants to find you in your hiding place, but not to punish you, but to love you and set you free.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Mt 11:28–29 NIV

Have you ever felt the need to meet God in person but felt as if God was trying to hide Himself from you?

Is it possible that God is not hiding Himself, but that you are hiding yourself from Him?

But perhaps sometimes God hides Himself, not so that you will not find Him, but so that you will seek Him and then find Him.