Teachability

Have you ever asked yourself how teachable you are? I don't mean how easily you can acquire new facts or how much you remember of what you have studied. I mean how open to correction are you? Does it bother you when someone corrects your pronunciation? Are you easily offended when someone offers you unsolicited advice? Imagine, you are wearing a new shirt and someone says to you, "that would look better on you if you lost ten pounds." How would you respond? Would you be hurt? Angry? On the treadmill as soon as you got home? Would you throw a fit or maybe a fist? Would you thank them for their honesty?

How teachable are you when it comes to spiritual matters? We must always remember that humanity is just flawed, its ruined. The Scriptures teach us that none of us are capable of pleasing God in our natural state (see Romans 3:10-18). The good news is that God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ, died for our sin, as a substitute, and rose from the grave. Through Christ's sacrificial death, God extends to us forgiveness and fellowship if we will turn from sin and trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When we trust in Jesus, God discards our old natures, and creates in us a new one that shares in his righteousness (2 Cor 5:17-20).

Christians are disciples, which means we are students of Jesus. We are not students in the modern sense where we sit and listen for a few hours to the teacher, take a few tests, and do a little homework before we call it a day. We are students in the ancient sense. In Jesus' day, a disciple sought not only to understand his teacher, but to follow his example. They became imitators of their master. We are to be imitators of Christ. Thus, Christianity is teaching driven. After we get saved (justified) we enter into the process of being made holy (sanctified). Sanctification is a constant and continual learning process. If Christianity is a life long learning process where redeemed sinners are taught how to live in Christ's righteousness, then teachability is an important trait to possess. Let me ask again, "how teachable are you?".

Solomon said, "Whoever heeds instruction is on the path of life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray" (Prov. 10:17). The Scriptures were given to instruct us. Paul reminds us that they profit us through teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

By "teaching" Paul means that Scripture are the only source for sound doctrine. As Monticello's articles of faith state, "The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience." "Rebuking" means that the Word convicts us of our sin. It addresses our intellect correcting errors in thought and reasoning. Scriptures move us away from misunderstandings, misapplications, and bad theology. "Correction" addresses the slumbering conscience with sharp warning of impending judgement. It insists on the return to the correct path of Christian living. "Training in righteousness" means that the Scriptures teach us how to live stable, obedient, and moral lives. They teach us to walk in wisdom.

We are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). As the author of Hebrews warned, the lack of teachability is a dangerous sign something is wrong (Heb 5:11-6:12). He goes on to compare spiritual immaturity to a person (well past the age of weening) who is still dependant upon milk. He states that such a dependence on milk reveals their lack of skill (though a lack of use) with the teachings of righteousness (the Scriptures). They have changed, because they don't live the Word.

Again we return to the question, "How teachable are you?" When you hear something you have never heard before in a class or from the pulpit, do you reject it out-of-hand immediately because it is new? Or do search the Scriptures to see if it is true? When you hear something you disagree how do you assess its value? Do you weigh its value through careful reflection upon the Scriptures or upon the weight of your opinion? Do you seek to apply every message and lesson to your life or do you assume that they really only apply to others?

I don't know how you answer the question, "How teachable are you?". But I have to frequently ask the Lord to make me more teachable. I am like the father who said to Jesus, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief." I still struggle. I want to be open to correction and fulfill James' command: "be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). It is still hard, but not impossible. With God all things are possible. And in Christ we can do all things, because he strengthens us (see Phil 4:11-13). My hope is that we all increase in teachability.