Yearn to Learn. Teach to Reach.

If we are teachable, others will be reachable.

I offer this word of advice with a caveat.

If you are a Christian, a Christ follower, a believer in Jesus Christ as the son of God, that makes you a student of the Word of God, and you should daily be taught by Him through His Word.

So, by “teachable,” I mean able to be taught, Biblically. Open to learning sound doctrine within Biblical Theology. You can do this AND still read other texts and have conversations with those who disagree; however, if your foundation in Biblical Truth is not firm, the enemy loves nothing more than to have you dabble in your doubts while striving to figure it all out.

And while learning requires leaning in and listening, it should not stop us from stepping out and witnessing.

There is so much talk today (especially in Evangelical Christian circles) to lean in, listen, and learn, and while I here for it, I’m also quick to caution against it as I’m witnessing the destruction in it. It’s a dangerous endeavor if not done while standing on the rock solid foundation of the Word of God.

Cordial conversations, even when about controversial topics, are always a good thing. How can we stand up for Biblical Truth if we are not engaging in conversations with those of opposing world views?

Every conversation we have must be from a place of humility. No one on this planet knows it all. The only one who does is sitting at the right hand of the the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34). He knew and did the Father’s will. He prays for us to know and do the Father’s will, too (Matthew 6:10).

We can’t know and do the Father’s will apart from being a learner of His Word and a discerner of His truth. We can’t reach others with that truth until that truth has reached our own hearts, renewed our own minds, and redeemed our own lives.

YEARN TO LEARN so we can TEACH TO REACH.

There’s a buzz word floating around these controversial conversations we’re having lately — nuance. And just to be clear on how I feel about the word, quite frankly, I think it’s a convenient little word, a crutch to hold up the weak arguments it’s used to defend, arguments that are usually neither for or against, circular in reasoning, never giving way to solutions based on sound reasoning and Biblical teaching.

Nuance — a very small difference in meaning. A subtle variation.

Nuance is the new response, but it is not a new tactic. I believe it is a tool of the enemy used to confuse humility with naivety as we use it to excuse ambiguity and explain away the very reasons others are being led astray.

In my opinion, nuance is an excuse to try and mesh opposing views. You can’t better the Bible by buttering up sin. You can’t explain away the hard parts, that just leads to a hard heart.

This article by Samuel Sey sums it up quite concisely and rather nicely. I encourage you to read his words on the topic.

I Don’t Want to be Nuanced by Samuel Sey

You can be teachable without being nuanced.

You can reach others without giving a worldly response.

We must always be a student of the Word. (Proverbs 2:1-15, Joshua 1:8)

Prepared in and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Able to give an answer. (1 Peter 3:15)

You can do these things and not be threatened by opposing world views because when you are rooted and established in Him, they can’t have hold you.

You can receive instruction without it leading to destruction, or another new buzz word today, deconstruction.

A few excellent and more detailed resources about deconstruction:

Deconstruction & The Inerrancy of God’s Word

Good Deconstruction vs. Bad Deconstruction

The Evangelical “Deconstruction Project”

So, have the conversation while standing on the firm foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11), lest you give in to persuasion (2 Timothy 4:3-4) brought on by condemnation (Romans 8:1-8).

As we become life long learners of the Word, we can become false teaching discerners in the world.

If we are teachable, others will be reachable.