Are disciples to halt their Scriptural learning for the sake of Godly service? Is the one to replace the other? When is our "spiritual learning" to end? What is the Biblical pattern? Friend, it is not for a long while. To think oneself to be sufficiently learned is to deem the Scriptures shallow and utterly limited, inapplicable to those as "learned" and "evolved" as ourselves! However, not surprisingly, the more "spiritual learning" we acquire, the more we recognize our awful insufficiency and our dire need to continue and sit under sound doctrine, and learn the deep things of God, always partaking of that which furthers our growth (Isa 6:1-5).
"But when are we to serve", you may be asking? Surely we cannot sit all of our lives, right? While service is of course vital to the advancement of God's kingdom and purposes on the earth, we are never to leave our place of sitting, even when godly ministerial serving arises. In fact, our service is to be birthed from our perpetual sitting, even produced from our loving attachment to the Master: "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Lk 10:38-42).
This seems to be a huge problem in the body of Christ. So many of us are casually assuming that we're only to sit for a mere season, learn this doctrine and that, and then move on, as if we've grown enough to render such "sitting" unnecessary and futile! How absurd! Don't you realize that even the most "learned" Bible teachers are to continue to humbly sit at the feet of Jesus? Friend, let's continue this God-ordained practice until the Word is made flesh!
Scripture tells us that we're to continually sit and learn. This discipleship format is actually the Biblical protocol (Eccl 12:11; 2 Tim 2:2; Jn 6:11; Mk 6:30-34). Perpetual discipleship includes a perpetual fathering (1 Cor 4:15). Are not our natural fathers lifelong? Well, why should it be any different with the spiritual (1 Cor 15:46)? Truly, this Scriptural format is to be a continual one: Paul said to "continue in the faith" (Col 1:23). Hosea says to "follow on to know the Lord" (Hos 6:3-4). Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (Jn 8:31). To believe otherwise is to neglect the counsel of God and to cause oneself a great disservice. Reader, true discipleship is ALWAYS perpetual discipleship. We're to continue until we've completed the race, and "graduated" (Heb 6:1-3; 1 Cor 9:24; etc). Such perpetual discipleship is how we truly "keep" the Word (Lk 8:13-15) and bear REAL eternal fruit.
We must recognize that, no matter what, we will surely "continue" in something. We'll either continue in Jesus (1 Jn 2:24, 27), in sound doctrine (1 Tim 4:16; 2 Tim 4:3), in the Word of God (Jn 8:31), in the truth (Acts 26:22; Gal 2:5), in the grace of God (Acts 13:43), in the faith (Col 1:23; Acts 14:22), in the love of God (Jn 15:9; Heb 13:1), in the goodness of God (Rom 11:22), in prayer (Col 4:2), in well-doing (Rom 2:7), in a proper running (Gal 5:7; Heb 10:38), in Godly confidence (Heb 3:14), in Godly profession (Heb 4:14), and in faithfulness (Rev 2:10).
Or we will surely "turn aside unto the crooked ways" (Ps 125:5; Isa 59:8) and to lies (Ps 40:4), continuing in our gross sin (Rom 6:1), and continuing toward worldly intoxicants (Isa 5:11), turning "from the holy commandment" (2 Pet 2:18-22). We will eventually turn to the "froward" paths (Prov 2:15), and continue therein. Surely, if this be the case, we verily will not "continue" kingdom minded. Instead, our reward will be given to one after God's own heart (1 Sam 13:14).
Beloved, we will "continue" in ONE or the OTHER! Let's choose the former! Continue in Godly discipleship and bear the many fruits thereof!
"Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing" (Ps 92:13-14).
I want to be a disciple for life!
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