Tag Archives: spiritual

The Spiritual Gift of Teaching

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A Man TeachingThe New Testament references the gift of teaching in several passages (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). This gift involves the ability to clearly explain and communicate biblical truths so that others can understand and apply them. A teacher, in the biblical sense, is responsible for instructing others in the doctrines of the faith, helping believers grow in their knowledge of God and in their spiritual maturity. The pastor-teacher is tasked with providing consistent, in-depth doctrinal teaching to equip believers for spiritual growth and effective Christian living. This gift requires a high level of dedication to study and a deep understanding of Scripture, as the teacher’s role is to communicate biblical truths with accuracy and authority. The ideal form of teaching is expository teaching—explaining Scripture verse by verse. It is from exegetical study and expositional teaching that Christian doctrines are formulated. This gift is vital for the building up of the church, as it equips believers to live out their faith more fully (Eph 4:12-13).

God has given me the gift of teaching (Rom 12:7). I received my spiritual gift from the Lord at age eight when I was saved and became aware of it near the age 25 when I was walking in obedience to Him. Once God gives a spiritual gift to one of His children, He expects us to develop and exercise it. When the spiritual gift of teaching is properly employed and bearing fruit, it brings glory to God and edifies others in their walk with Him, as do all God’s gifts. The teacher must be a lifelong learner, constantly deepening his understanding and application of Scripture. This relentless pursuit of biblical truth shapes his character, molds his teaching, and impacts those he ministers to.

Developing a spiritual gift requires commitment, sacrifice, personal investment, and much time. My education, which includes a Bachelor of Science, Master of Divinity, and Doctorate, cost about $105,000, not including an additional $40,000 for books and electronics. Coming from a poor family, I worked various jobs—waiter, welder, trash truck driver—to pay for school. Thankfully, God provided employment and blessed me with a few scholarships along the way. My education spanned 17 years because I worked during the day and took classes in the evening. Periodic breaks due to financial shortfalls or burnout also extended this time.

Since 1991, my ministry efforts have been largely voluntary, with occasional gifts from gracious givers. I continue to serve in a voluntary capacity, dedicating the early morning hours to studying and writing before heading to work. Currently, I work full-time as a Case Manager for a local nonprofit that helps the infirm and elderly in my community, earning about a teacher’s salary. I devote several hours each morning (starting around 2:30 AM) to studying God’s Word, preparing to teach on weekends, writing articles for my blog, or creating Bible study videos. With my student loan debt paid off as of November 2020 and few major expenses aside from my mortgage, I am content to serve the Lord where I am until He opens new opportunities. The Lord always provides.

A Man Studying the Bible 2Becoming a good Bible teacher requires significant time and study. A good expositor of God’s Word is the product of many wise choices and sacrifices. Responding to the call of ministry often means forfeiting a more lucrative career for that of a Bible teacher, a role that typically offers modest compensation, if any at all. A good Bible teacher usually spends years in seminary, studying God’s Word, learning the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, and delving into ancient history, philosophy, hermeneutics, and theology. He invests significant personal time and money in his academic training and in building his library. Perhaps one in a hundred Bible teachers excel at their craft, and even fewer graciously share their material without charge, making free Bible resources rare.

An effective Bible teacher will face constant attacks and criticisms from both believers and unbelievers. Throughout his ministry, few will rally to encourage and support him, but those few who do can be crucial to his success, much like Aaron and Hur supported Moses (Ex 17:8-13). The ministry of teaching is often a solitary and introspective journey, with long hours of study and preparation spent in quiet places, away from public view. Furthermore, the life of a Bible teacher is characterized by a profound sense of accountability to God, as James 3:1 warns that teachers will be judged more strictly. This awareness compels the teacher to approach his task with humility, knowing that he is ultimately accountable to the Lord for the accuracy and faithfulness of his teaching.

A Man Studying the BibleA Christian minister operates with the confidence that God’s Word is alive and powerful (Heb 4:12) and accomplishes what the Lord intends (Isa 55:11). The Bible teacher understands that he is merely a messenger, a conduit of grace to a needy world. He knows that the effectiveness of his ministry does not rest on his abilities but on the Holy Spirit’s work in the hearts of others and the inherent power of Scripture to change lives. The teacher’s role is to “preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim 4:2). He understands that the ultimate goal of his teaching is not just knowledge but transformation, bringing people into a deeper relationship with God and equipping them to live out their faith in practical ways.

Personally, my challenges as a Bible teacher include maintaining my spiritual growth with God, developing Christian integrity, continuing daily study in His Word, and being faithful in teaching Scripture through the various platforms God has provided. Honoring God and edifying others until the very end is the ideal goal. Ezra serves as a model for what it means to be a good teacher, as Scripture reveals: “Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). That’s a good paradigm for any teacher.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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Suffering that Leads to Maturity

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A Man Praying AloneShow me a mature Christian, and I will show you someone who has suffered. Mind you, it’s not the suffering itself that produces maturity, but the faith response to it. Not everyone needs the same kind of suffering, to the same degree, or for the same duration. Like a finely made suit, God tailors His suffering to the needs of each person. Jonah suffered for three days and it was sufficient to produce the humility needed for obedience (Jonah 1:17), which resulted in the salvation of many (Jonah 3:1-10). Nebuchadnezzar suffered for seven years before his pride was broken (Dan 4:1-33), and afterwards, he “blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever” (Dan 4:34), saying, “He is able to humble those who walk in pride” (Dan 4:37). Humility and faith are always the proper response to His suffering.

Suffering is valuable when it burns away the dross of weak character and refines the golden qualities God wants to see in us. God said to His people, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have refined you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa 48:10). God’s affliction is not for destruction, but for transformation. And He refines us so that when He looks into the smelter’s pot He sees His own reflection, for then we will bear those qualities that mirror His character; qualities which bring Him glory and honor. However, God’s furnace of refinement never brings us to a place of total purity, but only begins a process that is perfected when He brings us home to heaven; for then, and only then, will we be free from all the impurities of sin.[1]

From the human side we bristle at the notion of suffering, but from the divine side, such refinement is necessary. God loves us enough to help make us better, and this guarantees that we will suffer, “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb 12:6). As growing Christians, we realize that “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb 12:11). The refining itself is hard (“sorrowful”), but after the training process is complete, we are more mature. According to Warren Wiersbe:

Chastening is the evidence of the Father’s love. Satan wants us to believe that the difficulties of life are proof that God does not love us, but just the opposite is true. Sometimes God’s chastening is seen in His rebukes from the Word or from circumstances. At other times He shows His love by punishing us with some physical suffering. Whatever the experience, we can be sure that His chastening hand is controlled by His loving heart. The Father does not want us to be pampered babies; He wants us to become mature adult sons and daughters who can be trusted with the responsibilities of life.[2]

We don’t like trials or suffering, and we often ask God to remove them, much like Paul asked God to remove his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7). However, we find that most of the time God chooses not to remove our difficulty, like He did not remove Paul’s (2 Cor 12:8-9), and we must learn that what He does not remove, He intends for us to deal with, and this by faith (2 Cor 12:10; cf. 2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6).

From a biblical perspective, God uses trials as a means to shape us into the people He wants us to be because He loves us and desires what is best for us. He wants us to mature, and life’s difficulties are part of the process. We must walk by faith and choose to “count it all joy” (Jam 1:2) because we know that the testing of our faith will lead to spiritual maturity if we yield to the Lord (Jam 1:3-4). Paul echoed this attitude when he wrote, “we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope” (Rom 5:3-5).

A Woman Praying in Front of Her BibleLastly, we cannot prevent the difficulties of life that come our way, but we can respond to them in faith, trusting God and His Word to guide and strengthen us. We know that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Whatever happens to us, we must fight the urge to complain, for if we start that, it becomes increasingly difficult to turn back. Complaining is not a problem solving device, and Scripture tells us to “Do all things without complaining or arguing” (Phil 2:14; cf., 1 Pet 4:9). As difficult as it may be, we must chose a faith response to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; and in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:16-18). When emotions rise, faith must rise even higher, for it is only through faith that growth occurs.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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[1] Jesus, though sinless (1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5), experienced the sufferings of humanity during “the days of His flesh” (Heb 5:7a). As God (John 1:1, 14; Col 2:9), there was nothing for Jesus to learn, but in His humanity, He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:40), “learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Heb 5:8), and became “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). Jesus learned through suffering, not because He was sinful like us (He’s not), but because He lived in a sinful world that is currently governed by Satan, where doing God’s will meant swimming against the current and facing pressures and hardships that cannot be avoided by anyone. As God’s Suffering Servant (Isa 53:1-12), Jesus also suffered when He bore our sins on the cross and paid the penalty that belonged to us (Mark 10:45; Rom 5:8; 1 Pet 3:18).

[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 324.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

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The Light of God's WordThe dynamic of the believer’s spiritual walk is predicated to a certain degree on how much Bible knowledge resides in his soul. He cannot live what he does not know, and knowing God’s word necessarily precedes living His will. Knowing God’s word does not guarantee a spiritual walk, as the believer may follow the world rather than the Holy Spirit (Jas. 4:17; 1 Jo. 2:15). However, he cannot be spiritual without some knowledge of Scripture, and the more he knows, the more he’s able to surrender his life to God.

       Understanding the work of Holy Spirit in the dispensation of Grace enables the believer to live the spiritual life. The Mosaic Law system is not the rule of life for the church age believer, and sadly, too many Christians seek to live by it. How the Holy Spirit worked in the life of saints under the Mosaic Law is vastly different than how He works in the life of the believer today. For example, under the dispensation of the Mosaic Law the Holy Spirit indwelt and empowered only a few believers such as Artisans (Ex. 31:1-5), Judges (Num. 11:25-29; Jud. 3:9-10), Prophets (Ezek. 2:2), and Kings (1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13); however, in the dispensation of Grace, every believer in the church is indwelt by Him (John 14:16-17; Romans 5:5; 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19). Also, under the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, the Holy Spirit could be taken from a believer as an act of discipline (1 Sam. 16:14-16), but this cannot happen to the believer under the dispensation of Grace, as the Christian is permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit Himself (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30). Under the previous dispensation David could petition the Lord and ask Him not to “take Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11); but no church age believer should pray such a prayer, since the Holy Spirit does not leave when sin is produced. The sinning Christian may “grieve” and/or “quench” the Holy Spirit when sin is accomplished, and this he is commanded not to do (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19); but the disobedient Christian does not live under threat of losing the Holy Spirit if he fails to yield to the will of God. Certainly the Lord can and does discipline the erring child (Heb. 12:6), but not with the removal of the Holy Spirit, as was true under the previous dispensation.

       Jesus communicated these differences regarding the work of the Holy Spirit and prophesied that after His resurrection the Holy Spirit would be given to all believers to indwell them (Jo. 7:37-39; 14:16-17, 26; 16:13; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4). An important note to observe is the fact that Jesus referred to the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit as future from His resurrection (Acts 1:5; 2:1-4). This shows that what the Holy Spirit is doing in the Church age is distinct from what He did in the lives of some of the saints in the previous dispensation.  The Holy Spirit is working in the lives of two groups of people: unbelievers and believers. Regarding unbelievers and the world it is stated that He is:

  1. Convicting unbelievers of “sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8-11).
  2. Restraining sin in the world (2 Thess. 2:7).

       The Christian operating on the authority of Scripture knows the Holy Spirit is working in the heart of the unbeliever to convince him of “sin, righteousness, and judgment.” This convincing work of the Spirit regarding Christ, His work, and future judgment may be suppressed by the unbeliever—like other forms of God’s revelation—but it cannot be stopped. It is not the Christian’s place to convince the unsaved person about Christ’s Person and work, but simply to present the facts of Scripture and trust the Holy Spirit to illumine and persuade. Failure to understand what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of unbelievers may lead an ignorant believer to assume the Holy Spirit’s convicting work, and this results in frustration since the Christian is in no way equipped or commanded to tackle this momentous task.

       It is reported in Scripture that the Holy Spirit is now restraining sin in the world until the Church is taken to heaven at the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:7; cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18). The terrible darkness that will consume the world when the restraining work of the Holy Spirit ends is manifest in the lives of those living during the time of the seven year Tribulation (Rev. 6-19; cf. 2 Thess. 2:3-12). It is obvious that there is much sin in the world now, and it staggers the imagination to try to comprehend how bad it will be after the Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry ends.

     Once a person believes in Jesus for salvation, he is then delivered “from the domain of darkness, and transferred…to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). This transference is instantaneous and permanent, and is understood as the work of the Holy Spirit at salvation. Once saved, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells the Christian (1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:13-14), makes him a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), and gives him the spiritual capacity to live righteously (Rom. 6:11-14). The Holy Spirit then works to form the character of Christ in him, which is understood as the work of the Holy Spirit after salvation. Some of the works of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer are as follows:

At salvation:

  1. Regeneration (John 3:6; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 2:13).
  2. Indwelling each believer (John 14:16-17; Rom. 5:5; 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19).
  3. Baptizing into union with Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27).
  4. Sealing each believer with Himself (Eph. 4:30).
  5. Providing eternal life (John 3:16).
  6. Imputing Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).
  7. Blessing with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).
  8. Providing a spiritual gift for the edification of the church (1 Cor. 12:4-7).

After salvation:

  1. Glorifying Jesus in the believer’s life (John 16:14).
  2. Teaching directly through the Word and gifted speakers (John 16:13-15; Eph. 4:11-16).
  3. Recalling Scripture to mind (John 14:26; 16:13).
  4. Filling (empowering and guiding) (Eph. 5:18).
  5. Sustaining spiritual walk (Gal. 5:16, 25).
  6. Illuminating the mind and making Scripture understandable (1 Cor. 2:11-13).
  7. Promoting the use of the believer’s spiritual gift (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-10, 28-30; Eph. 4:11).

       The works of the Holy Spirit at salvation are once for all, and occur immediately when faith is placed in Jesus as Savior. In contrast, the works of the Holy Spirit after salvation are regularly repeated in the believer’s life, and require a volitional response to the Spirit’s leading. The Holy Spirit seeks to guide the believer into God’s will, but does not force compliance.  The above lists of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer are not exhaustive, but are representative of the major aspects of His work.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min.

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Thoughts about Spiritual Growth

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       Truth is reality as God sets it forth in His Word. A plain reading of Scripture reveals that God exists, and that He is not silent. His Word reveals the origin of all things, and helps the reader to understand and orient to the world as it is. More so, the Bible reveals God’s righteous demands toward sin, the substitutionary work of His Son on the cross, and the provision of salvation to those who trust in Christ as their Savior.

       The Truth is honest, and provides a straightforward account of man as he is, with all his faults and failures. At times, Scripture pulls back the curtain on spiritual realities and gives glimpses into the angelic realm, and even the throne room of heaven. How magnificent a work is God’s revelation to man! It is complete and sufficient to help men know God. Without Scripture, it’s the blind leading the blind.

       Faith is the appropriate response to God and His word. For the unsaved person who is in danger of the Lake of Fire, he must believe in Christ for salvation. For the saved person, he must believe the promises of God found in Scripture, and strive to be obedient to God’s Word in every area of his life. The Bible speaks to every area of the believer’s life, and he should surrender himself to all God’s directives in the church age. The believer who compartmentalizes his life—only giving some of it to God—brings harm upon himself because of his lack of faith and obedience.

       Spiritual growth is a process that takes time. At the moment of salvation, the new believer knows little about God and His plan, apart from a basic knowledge of the gospel, and that too may be meager. The baby believer must begin the process of learning the Word of God and making application to his life as he grows. A lifetime of worldly viewpoint must be driven from the mind as the believer learns to renovate his thinking in conformity to Holy Scripture. As he learns the Word, he must bring his thoughts into captivity, choosing obedience to God’s revelation. Any room left for worldliness—to that degree—will produce failure and frustration in his Christian walk.

       He will face pressures as he learns to walk with God. The Lord is preparing every child for eternity, and that means removing that which is offensive, and producing that which conforms to the character of Christ. God is more concerned with Christian character than creaturely comforts in His child. God loves him, and will never leave him alone in his worldliness. He loves him enough to grow him, and that means pressure-testing over time, as he learns to walk daily in His Word. The growing believer does not turn away from pressure, but believes that God will sustain him as he strives to be obedient to His Word. Of course, sometimes the believer has no choice regarding his suffering, because God sovereignly places it there and does not remove it. The only reasonable option left to the believer is to trust in the Lord, looking to His Word, believing that the pressures of life serve a divine purpose in producing that which is Christ-like, and removing that which is not.

       The new believer needs a lot of grace to grow. Grace from God, and from other believers. Grace is needed because the new believer will invariably learn and do things that are wrong, and will need to be corrected. In fact, he will spend his entire life learning, and being challenged and corrected about many things. He will need grace, because he will fail God’s will, perhaps even denying the Lord by word or action. Sometimes the believer thinks he’s strong, such as when Peter told the Lord he’d never deny him; however, Peter’s words were untested. After the test, Peter realized—as we all do in such situations—that he was weak. Thank God for the grace that was shown to Peter by our Lord, who reached out to all the scattered disciples, and especially Peter. I wish we all would behave graciously like Christ to those whose weaknesses get exposed, and who feel ashamed after such events.

       The new believer needs to understand that he will never reach a perfect knowledge of all of God’s Word, or attain sinless perfection in his lifetime. There’s never a time when he can say “I’ve arrived; there’s nothing more to learn about God and His Word. I do not sin anymore.” Perfection, both in knowledge and choice, is not attained in this world. Only in the final phase of salvation will the believer be free from his sin nature, and the personal production of sin. Only in the eternal state will he be completely free from sin and its effects.

       Until he goes to be with the Lord in heaven, the growing believer must make good choices that help his spiritual development. Here are a few attitudes and actions the growing believer should follow:

  1. He must make a place for learning God’s Word on a regular basis. He cannot live what he does not know, and knowledge of God’s Word necessarily precedes living His will.
  2. He must be teachable and correctable. The implacable believer has ceased to grow when he is no longer open to correction in his theology, even by one who has less knowledge than himself. Hopefully the growing believer will learn from a teachable teacher, who models humility when shown to be in error about Scripture or Christian doctrine.
  3. He must be patient, knowing that God will spend a lifetime to develop the character of Christ in him. God is eternal, and He has all the time He needs to develop the Christian’s character.
  4. He must be humble, ready to do God’s will when commanded, no matter the cost. This is often challenging for the new believer who thinks in worldly ways, who is still focused on self and seeking autonomy from God and others. The sacrificial mind of Christ comes over time as the believer makes good choices to surrender his will to God on a regular basis.
  5. He must watch out for the arrogant believer who has stopped growing, and who has become friendly with the world. If the arrogant believer rejects challenges to cease his worldliness, then disassociation is in order, and purity must be maintained by the growing believer; but always with an attitude of humility, and willingness to accept the errant believer back into fellowship if he repents. Sometimes letting go of a bad relationship is a sign of growing up in the Lord.
  6. He must think in terms of grace, both for himself and others. He does well to realize that his salvation—as well as his entire Christian life—is the product of God’s grace toward him. At no time does he ever earn or deserve God’s favor. Thinking in terms of grace keeps the growing believer from becoming arrogant by looking down on other believers, or thinking more of himself than he ought to.

       Certainly there are more ingredients one might include in the above list, but these are the ones that readily come to my mind.

       As the believer grows, he will eventually encounter religious arrogance in the church. He should not be shocked when he sees it, nor suckered in to religious foolishness. I’ve seen spiritual elitism both in the church and seminary: cliques of high-minded theologians who spend their days belittling other believers who don’t agree with them, who emphasize denominational differences, or are dogmatic about doctrines not defendable from Scripture. Rather, they ought to be studying the Scriptures daily, praying, discussing the Word openly, humbly owning up to the fact that they don’t know it all, and admitting that there is room for doctrinal and behavior correction in their lives. I’ve seen little grace and love among those puffed up with biblical knowledge. It’s not from the Holy Spirit that they think or behave in such a way.

       The Lord has reprimanded me for sins of academic pride. As a result, I’m a little more gracious toward those with whom I disagree, giving them room, in the hope that I may win them to the truth by making an appeal to Scripture. And if I’m wrong in my teaching, I pray they will see it, reject it, and show me grace. Yes, show me grace, for I too am wrong on some things, even though I don’t see it now. I too need to grow in the grace and knowledge of God and His Word. I need to know the truth accurately, and have the courage to present it when given the opportunity. But I also need to show patience and kindness to those who may disagree with me, especially those who belong to the house of faith, and are growing in their relationship with God.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min.

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