Romans 12:7b - God's Gracious Gift of Teaching

Parents often have to repeat themselves. Same instructions, over and over.

Especially as children get older, a common response is, “I know.” Of course, if they know, why do they have to be repeatedly reminded? It’s because they forget things they’ve already heard.

Now when they hear it again, they immediately think, “I’ve heard this,”and “I know this already.” It’s human nature to dislike being told again, even though their actions may reveal that the knowledge had escaped their mind.

We continue to do this after we grow up and leave our parents’ oversight. When we’ve heard something before, a natural response is to check out mentally, thinking “I already know this” or “This isn’t relevant to what I’m going through.”

Earlier, we read from 2 Peter 1. Peter states, “I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.” Paul says something similar in Philippians 3: “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” Teaching in the church is always part instruction and part re-instruction, necessary for both learning and remembering, and keeps us from real danger. It won’t always be information that is new to you, but since we’re always experiencing new things, old content affects us in new ways.

It’s natural to put up resistance not only to being taught, but also, being called to remember. And like the rest of our sins, we needed a Savior who could succeed where we fail.

Christ Jesus was the greatest preacher, the great servant, and the great teacher. But according to His human nature, before He was a teacher, He was a learner. He humbly received instruction and perfectly obeyed the Father in the place of proud, imperfect learners like us. Luke 2, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Hebrews 5, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”

If the sinless Christ in His humanity was taught the truth, how much more must sinners like you and I admit our need to be taught and reminded?

Our resistance isn’t simply an intellectual problem. It's a pride problem. But God is ever gracious toward His people, with grace that is generous, wise, and personal. And those qualities of His grace are demonstrated in the spiritual gift of teaching.

How so? His generosity is that His instructions and reminders are continuous, His wisdom in that He uses familiar truths to address our changing needs, and personal in that He works through those who understand our struggles. Each one of us needs to humbly receive the instruction and reminders Christ provides. And we need to honor those He has gifted to teach, that we may appreciate and enjoy God's grace more.

Now, the teaching Paul refers to here in verse 7 is instruction, either formal or informal. It can refer to teaching in the public assembly, but it’s not limited to that. Similar to preaching, the gift presupposes our need to be taught and reminded. And as I said, it demonstrates the generosity of God’s grace.

Think about traveling on a commercial plane. It's standard for a flight attendant to go over the emergency instructions. If you fly regularly, you've heard the instructions over and over. You may even tune them out because you've heard them so often. But the airline doesn't skip the instructions. Of course, there’s a liability. Regulations require them to go over the instructions. But more importantly, the instructions are repeated because they could be the difference between life and death.

The teaching of the Word seems a little less urgent, doesn’t it? Is there that much at stake in a child's Sunday school class? Well, Proverbs 22 says “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Now, that’s a proverbial statement, not an unconditional promise. It’s a wise principle. All things being equal, a child who receives faithful instruction is better equipped than one who does not.

But still, the statement is certainly true. Consider what Paul tells Timothy. Paul wrote, “Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Timothy had been taught and reminded of God’s truth from a very young age.

But the need for instruction doesn't stop when childhood ends. There is no age or level of maturity at which we no longer need to be taught or reminded. Actually, in the very next verse, Paul goes on to say, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

God graciously teaches us and reminds us of what we need to know. Why? That we may behold Christ and be transformed inwardly into His image. Teaching and reminders from the Scriptures of the OT and NT are essential to accomplish this. Look back at what we read from 2 Peter 1. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” The transformative knowledge of the triune God is a fountain ever flowing.

Jesus Christ is the greatest and most glorious reality. We truly can never know Him “enough.” In this life – on this side of the grave – we will not reach completion of our growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ. But God displays the generosity of His grace in this: His instructions and reminders are continuous, coming by way of those gifted by God to teach.

Now let’s think next about the wisdom of God’s grace displayed through teaching. Certainly, everyone here has sought an answer to a question. We all seek new information repeatedly. Actually, not only do we need it; we crave it. So much of the internet and social media is predicated on this. We want to know. We feel we need to know. We like to be “in the know.” Even in much of our entertainment, we like to feel that we learned something.

Sir Francis Bacon famously said, “Knowledge is power.” Bacon meant that rightly gained knowledge of the natural world helps us. It’s how we solve many problems. That principle is part of the appeal of the steady stream on a social media feed.

You’ve heard the saying, “There’s no business like show business.” The statement was coined long ago in reference to the dazzling, exciting, attention-getting nature of the entertainment industry. Of course, that industry is also famously hollow and vain, chewing up and spitting out many of the people drawn by the money and fame.

Let me offer you a similar saying: “There’s no content like show content.” There will always be new information that entertains more than it educates. The world constantly offers new information that will please our curiosity without contributing to our growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

The NT pastoral letters are clear that this was a severe problem in the early church. Counterfeit teachers were popping up, driven by ungodly motives, causing distraction through what appeared to be life-changing information. Paul tells Timothy, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”

New, enticing information is not always the best or most helpful. As I said before, when we hear what we’ve heard before, we may think, “I know.” But do we know – really?

We know God controls all things. We know He cares for us. We know He promises to provide for our needs. But do we worry?

We know God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We know we should be patient, kind, and forgiving. We know God has been gracious and merciful toward us in Christ.


But how do you treat people when they frustrate you? Or when they disappoint you? Or when they offend you? But didn’t you already know? Sure you did. Had you not already heard? Sure you have. But you need to hear again. You need to grow in the knowledge of it.

Behold the wisdom of God’s grace: His familiar truths always address our changing needs. Why does the content stay the same? Well, because Christ does not change. The writer of Hebrews 13 states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Maybe you’re familiar with that statement. But here’s the very sentence: “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.” By all the familiar truths of the OT and NT pointing us to Christ who is our life.

Have you tuned out the good teaching and reminders of Christ because they are so familiar? God means to change you – and to address your present needs and difficulties – through His familiar truth, coming by way of those gifted by God to teach.

Now, finally, the personal nature of God’s grace is displayed in the gift of teaching. The church isn’t merely a library, is it? It’s not somewhere to simply visit and browse, picking up and reading at your own leisure or discretion. It’s more like a classroom than a library. The church is a place of specific teaching and a place with many gifted teachers, both ordained and non-ordained, enabled by Christ to instruct others in the truths of God. And like the gifts of preaching and serving, the gift of teaching is applied person to person.

From the time children are very young, we don’t just expect them to learn on their own. We have a wonderful children’s library downstairs. But we don’t say, “Put your children in there. Give them the books. They’ll figure it out.” No. We teach them. We instruct them and give them guidance. That is God’s design for mankind.

A common question is “When you were young, who was your favorite teacher?” It might be someone who took time to answer your questions, or someone who made the subject come alive for you. But always, it’s a person.

God could have chosen to give each person knowledge and understanding in a way that wouldn’t require teachers. But He didn’t. Christ gave out spiritual gifts in a way that makes us depend on one another  in the church. We need those gifted to preach. We need those gifted to serve. And we need those gifted to teach. But God doesn’t give the gift to those who can’t understand our struggles. We don’t learn from people who can’t relate to our problems.

You see, we learn from fellow learners. Those who instruct also need instruction. Those gifted to teach must also be taught. The person teaching may have gone through your same struggle. They may not have. But either way, those gifted and called to teach exist for your benefit.

They must walk by faith, just like you. They need the mind of Christ, just like you. They are still learning and growing, just like you. And they understand the struggle against sin. Let them teach you.

We have a Savior who understands our struggle. Jesus Christ is not a distant teacher. He’s not unfamiliar with the difficulties we face. He took on our humanity. Christ lived in this fallen world, experiencing weakness, suffering, and temptation. Hebrews 4 tells us that we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

He knows our struggles, not because He sinned, but because He suffered. And Christ, who understands us personally, provided teachers for His church graciously. Through them, He continues to instruct His people. Through His teachers, He reminds us of His truth, and brings us to maturity in Himself. As we go to His table now, He continues to teach and remind us. Will you learn from Him?

Let’s bow in prayer together.