Jump Start # 696

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

The love of brethren—that is a major theme in the N.T. Those early disciples had many obstacles to fellowship. They were very different. Jews-Gentiles…Masters-slaves…Male-female—all of those were the right ingredients for prejudice, ignoring one another, and faction. Gluing everyone together was difficult. The Jews wanted the Gentiles to become “jewish” first, then Christians. How could Master and slaves be one in the church, but not one when they got home?

Sprinkled all through the N.T. are admonitions to love one another. The epistles of John deal with those concepts especially. Love one another—it is more than a hymn, and more than a sweet thought. It is the N.T. way.

Our thoughts in this Jump Start are what Paul writes after that. Having said that they need to love one another, Paul penned, “you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another”. You are taught by God. Have you ever thought about that expression…taught by God.

Some like to boast of their academic credentials, especially Ivy League folks. I visited Harvard University many years ago. Shortly after that, I was preaching in California. I told some folks there that “I attended Harvard.” One guy even said, “You don’t sound like a Harvard-man.” I then confessed and told them I was on campus for about 30 minutes and bought some shirts at the bookstore. Our passage reminds us that we have been taught by God.

Some thoughts about that:

1. If we have been taught by God, then we have had the best teacher. No one is better than God. No one understand love better than God. John tells us that “God is love.” It is God who proved His love by sending Jesus (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8).

2. If we have been taught by God, there is no one who can improve upon that. Paul recognized that. He said, “you have no need for anyone to write to you…” There is no one who can teach us as well as God can. Many modern writers miss this point. I collect books about the prodigal son. I have a bunch. I love that story. It seems modern writers are compelled to tell their own “prodigal story.” Why? Isn’t God’s story good enough? Does it not fit our times today? Do we think we can add to it? You have no need for anyone to write to you—that ought to sink in. God’s way, God’s words, God’s pattern, God’s organization, God’s way of saving, God’s mission for the church, God’s way of growth—does anyone need to add more to what God has given us?

3. When and how does God teach us? He does that through His word. The examples of Jesus, that we read in the Gospels illustrated God’s love. The story of Hosea, the story of the prodigal, the encounter with Zaccheus, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery—these are all ways God has taught us about love. The Bible is God’s classroom. His words. The order of the words. They are all important. God doesn’t teach by whispering or giving us hunches or feelings or impressions apart from the Bible. Modern theology leans heavily this way. The writings of many religious authors imply God telling them things apart from the Bible. We get the impression from some modern writers that God talks nearly everyday to everyone. You don’t see that in the Bible. Abraham, the friend of God, found years in which God didn’t speak to him. God doesn’t speak directly to people today. He speaks through Jesus (Heb 1). He speaks through the word. It is through that avenue that we are taught, our faith grows and that we learn to become the people of God.

Taught by God…you’d think it ought to make a difference in our lives. And, it does. It shows. People live godly, and righteously, because they have learned from God. They develop the heart of a servant, because God has taught them. They quit worrying about prestige and position and more about marching with God.

Maybe, many of the problems facing our country, and even the world, would be less, if folks went to school and allowed God to be their teacher.

Roger