More Like the Master

Those who teach have a special opportunity to be more like Christ! Have you ever thought about that? I say this because Christ was a teacher. In fact, he is called "teacher" 46 times in the Bible, and He is called "rabbi" 14 times.

Yet, just because a person is a teacher, it doesn't mean that he or she is Christlike. First of all, the content of our teaching must be truthful. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life..." In order to teach like Christ, our words must be totally truthful. Second, in order to teach like Christ, our lives must be in complete  harmony with our words. Jesus never did anything that was contrary to His teachings. He never sinned. What a challenge for us as we seek to reflect Christ in our teaching!

In our human strength, we will fail to teach like Christ taught. However, with God's help we can faithfully point others to Christ through our teaching. I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

May Christ live and teach through those of us who endeavor to live and teach by faith.

Starting to Teach by Faith

We recently finished a study of the life of Abraham in our Sunday School class at church. I was reminded of how Abraham's faith was not a passive faith, but an active one. He did not seek to "stay in his comfort zone." Instead, when he was called, he obeyed and "went out, not knowing where he was going" (Heb. 11:8).

This reminds me of when I graduated from college back in 1984. I signed a contract to teach in the fall at a Christian school in Minnesota. After purchasing a mobile home in Owatonna for $1100, my wife and I packed up our belongings in a horse trailer and headed for Minnesota, not knowing what the future would hold. By God's grace we stayed in Owatonna for 8 years, and at the end of those years God had blessed us with two children, no school debt, a new home, and a Master's degree in school administration.

How did this happen? No, I didn't get a large salary increase, nor am I a financial genius by any means. Rather, I have learned that God provides when I live and teach by faith.

Let's Get Started!

What does it mean to "Teach by Faith"? In the days ahead I plan to share my thoughts on this topic, and I invite you to join in the study and discussion. I expect that I will not only share thoughts, but also Bible verses, words of testimony, pictures, and other illustrations of teaching by faith.  Let's get started!