It’s difficult to motivate students to examine their own lives and make personal application of Biblical truths. We as humans are too prideful to recognize sin in our own lives; it’s much easier to point out sin in the lives of others. Jesus spoke pointedly regarding our hypocritical nature in Matthew 7:3: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”
Considering our tendency to ignore our own sin while eagerly pointing out the sin of others, as teachers of the Word we must seek to guide our students to personal application all the more. To teach strictly Scripture without applying it leads to only gaining head knowledge, not true change in the believer.
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I went to a Nazarene Church when I was in high school after I became a Christian. The church I attended had an altar call every Sunday after the sermon, and as a new Christian, I frequently felt compelled to go forward (whether I actually did or not was another matter). One Sunday I asked the pastor why he never came forward at an altar call, and he told me that he was often driven to prayer and repentance--a personal altar call--throughout the week(s) ahead as he studied and prepared.
ReplyDeleteWe must make sure that we are allowing the Word to change us as teachers (and that we are not just going through the motions). When we seek to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, it seems to me that that very attitude will permeate our teaching and carry through to our interactions with our students.
Dr. Mark Moore from Ozark was my professor for Principles of Interpretation. I remember he cautioned us as we studied the Bible that we did not lay the Word on the operating table and cut it to pieces in our study. He said we must remember that we are to be the ones on the operating table and to allow the Word of God to cut from us those things that are not like Jesus and do not please Him.
"Dr. Mark Moore from Ozark was my professor for Principles of Interpretation. I remember he cautioned us as we studied the Bible that we did not lay the Word on the operating table and cut it to pieces in our study. He said we must remember that we are to be the ones on the operating table and to allow the Word of God to cut from us those things that are not like Jesus and do not please Him."
ReplyDeleteAmen!