True Learning (1)

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3.6, 7

Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25.4, 5

Learning, but not
We need to say an additional word or two about the calling of those who follow Jesus to be learners. All disciples are learners, and all disciples are called to help other disciples learn Jesus. We cannot follow Jesus if we aren’t willing to devote ourselves to the lifelong pursuit of Him as learners. But we’re not likely to benefit from our learning efforts if we’re not clear about what learning involves.

How do we know when we’re learning what we should?

American Christians today are the most Christian-educated generation in the history of the Church. We have more opportunities for studying the Bible and related Christian materials than all the generations of Christians that have preceded us rolled together: more courses, seminars, schools, study materials, media, apps, websites, newsletters, and assorted other modes of instruction than the Church has ever known.

So why is the American Church languishing on the margins of society, with very little input to shape the key issues and challenges of our day? Why is there so little evidence of the Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit, dispersed and growing throughout our society? Why are Christians so reluctant to talk about their faith? Why are our churches not growing? Why is so little of the Presence of Jesus evident through our churches in our communities?

The answer to all these questions is that, while we are always engaged in the task of learning something about the Bible and the Christian faith, we don’t seem to be realizing the knowledge of the truth – the truth that is in Christ Jesus.

The truth that is in Christ Jesus sets us free from burdens and sinful passions, because that truth is in God’s Word, which is a living power that penetrates to the depths of our souls and, in the hands of God’s Spirit, transforms us increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ (Jn. 8.32; Heb. 4.12; 2 Cor. 3.12-18). We are truly learning when we are learning Jesus, as the Word of God, in the hands of God’s Spirit, transforms us inside-out and outside-in into the very image of the Lord.

This, as is quite evident, is happening precious little among American Christians.

The right focus
We have said that learning Jesus is true learning, and the goal of our discipleship. True learning begins with having the right focus, the right horizon to aim at in our journey of discipleship. In the Church today so much of our Christian education is focused on us and what we want or hope God will do for us. It’s also focused primarily on imparting content, as though communicating doctrine, principles, and formulas for helping ourselves to the good things of the Lord were a proper end in itself.

Knowing Bible content and orthodox doctrine, and how to apply these to our lives, can be a very important part of true learning. But not if we’re content with these, that is, if we fail to allow them to take us all the way into Jesus.

According to the Apostle Paul, and to David, writing in Psalm 25, true learning must have a different focus, a different overall objective, if we are ever to get beyond mere learning and arrive at the truth that is in Jesus Christ. In all our learning activities, the request of those ancient Greeks who came to Philip should be always on our mind: “We wish to see Jesus!” (Jn. 12.21) For only when we see Jesus, in all His radiant glory, will we be made more like Him through the burdensome task of learning.

Intimate, personal, transforming
David insists that true learning must be focused in God – knowing Him, resting in Him and His promises, walking in His ways, and discovering in Him the proper orientation and direction for our lives. He explains that if we hope to learn anything at all, we must take as our focus to understand and walk in the ways and paths of the Lord, to become fully immersed in His salvation, on His terms, (vv. 4, 8-10). Jesus is the express image and likeness of God (Heb. 1.3). When we see Jesus, we’ve seen the Father (Jn. 14.9).

Learning is more than merely understanding content, increasing Bible knowledge, clarifying doctrinal understanding, or satisfying our personal interests or needs. Our learning will have arrived at the knowledge of the truth when we have come to know the ways and paths of the Lord (Ps. 25.4; cf. 1 Jn. 2.1-6), because we see them clearly in Jesus, and to follow in them faithfully (Ps.25.5, 9) because we are becoming more like Jesus. Then we will dwell consciously within the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord, owning His promises and keeping His Law (v. 10).

Such true learning is intimate, deeply personal, and powerfully transforming in every area of our lives. Through such learning we put off our old selves and are clothed in the beautiful garments of righteousness and the brightness of God’s glory in our Lord Jesus Christ. We decrease, but He increases, and the hope of glory in which we stand becomes more visible and palpable in us day by day (Jn. 3.30; Rom. 5.1, 2; 1 Pet. 3.15).

We will know that we have begun to arrive at the knowledge of the truth when the truth that is in Jesus sets us free from our sinful ways, liberating us to live in the full light and glory of the Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. In such a setting we will be able to determine the Lord’s true calling for our lives, so that we live for Him, worship Him, serve Him, and manifest His glory in all we are, think, say, and do.

If the Church in America were experiencing this kind of learning, the Church – and perhaps America as well – would be an altogether different place.

For reflection
1.  What are some of the important keys for getting beyond mere learning to learning the truth that is in Jesus?

2.  Do you agree that little of this kind of learning is in evidence in our day? Why or why not?

3.  In what ways would you like to see yourself decreasing and Jesus increasing more?

Next steps – Preparation: Take a look at all the various learning activities you’re involved in at present. Are they all aimed at learning Jesus?

T. M. Moore

Know, Love, Serve
The great thing about following Jesus is the more we learn of Him, the more we love Him; and the more we love Him, the more we will serve Him in every aspect of our lives. This is the argument of our book, Know, Love, Serve. A free copy is waiting for you by clicking here.

Are you a Gospel sponge? You can be, and wouldn’t that clean a few things up nicely? Check out this month’s Personal Mission Field Workshop by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.