The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to put an end to false teaching and divisive speculations, something Bible teachers still need to guard against in their classrooms. He said, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from …
a pure heart
and a good conscience
and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim. 1:5)
Click on the above links if you haven’t read those posts. Here we’ll focus on love from a sincere faith.
What It Means to Love from a Sincere Faith
The Oxford Dictionary defines sincere as “free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings” which is pretty much what the original Greek word means. Strong’s and Thayer’s biblical dictionaries use word like unfeigned, undisguised, undissembled, without dissimulation, without hypocrisy. Being sincere, then, is more about what we’re not as the Greek word, anypokritos, begins with a negative particle. — The opposite of not being fake or hypocritical is being genuine, real, sincere.
To have a sincere faith means we are truly trusting God. We’re not trusting in our own abilities. We acknowledge that the ability to really love our students comes from God, not our self-determination or good intentions. We love because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19) and so we know and rely on that love (1 Jn. 4:16), not what we try to generate within ourselves.
What Happens When We Don’t Love from a Sincere Faith
Without a sincere faith, trusting God to work in us what we can’t do for ourselves, we won’t have a pure heart and good conscience because on its own the heart is deceitfully wicked (Jer. 17:9-10; Rom. 3:10-12) and our consciences are seared (1 Tim. 4:2). And, hence, we might …
put on appearances.
We will be like the religious leaders in Jesus’ day whom Jesus warned against who were motivated more by pride than a true desire to minister to people (Matt. 6:1-18).
Reality Check: We’re to have the same attitude, or mindset, of Christ, in our relationships. Though equal with God, He humbled Himself to become a servant for us. (Phil. 2:5-8)
be hypocritical.
We will teach one thing and do another or we may do the right thing but inwardly not truly believe it (Matt. 23:15-28). — “on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matt. 23:28)
Reality Check: We’re to be an example for students which requires consistency between what we say and do. Otherwise, as Jesus said, we’ll be like blind guides (Matt. 23:16, 19).
send mixed messages.
We might have a degree of faith so we will sometimes point students in the right direction but fall into inconsistencies that contradict the whole counsel of God.
Reality Check: We’re to use Scripture as our tool, to equip students. We must remember that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful” and so it’s important if students are going to “be thoroughly equipped for every good work” that what we teach is the adulterated Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
If we do any of the above, we won’t truly connect students to the One who is Truth (Jn. 14:6), generating a sincere faith within them, “advancing God’s work—which is by faith” (1 Tim. 1:4). So, let’s genuinely trust God for that pure heart and good conscience that leads for genuine love.
When we love from a sincere faith, we’ll be in a better position to be servants and models who are equippers in their students’ live. Check out the Bible Teacher’s Role training resource for about these roles and more.