Yes, it is that time of year. A time of joy for youngsters who leave behind the rigors of academia and embrace the carefree days of summer. Oh, to be a youngster again! But there is a question those youngsters need to answer: What have you learned? It would be foolish to brush off this question without caring. For time spent in study should count for something, or else it is time wasted.
For the disciple of Christ, he builds on what he has learned and never stops doing so. The very term, disciple, means one who learns from another by instruction. So, it is good to pause from time to time and ask, "What have I learned?" It is only with the knowledge of what we have learned that we can progress. Some learn a skill, but through lack of use, fall back into a state of needing to be taught again. Consider what the writer of Hebrews said had happened to his audience: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV).
James, the book immediately following Hebrews, states that one becomes forgetful of God's word when he does not become a doer of what he has learned (James 1:22-25). The Bible is not like a history book (though it contains history) which is only concerned with providing certain facts and data. But it is the inspired word of God that contains facts, principles, and commands to which a person should be conformed and by which he should be guided. The goal of our study should not only motivate us to act like Jesus, but also to think like him (cf. Philippians 2:3-8).
The apostle Peter, who writes two epistles that follow the book of James, described a certain man who had forgotten that he had been forgiven of his past sins. Is that not incredible? How can that be? Peter says that he lacks certain things which every Christian should be diligent to acquire. These virtues once acquired, should be continually developed (2 Peter 1:5-11). If you are not diligent in growing as a Christian, then perhaps you have not thought much about how blessed you are to be forgiven.
May we, from time to time, examine what we have learned from our study of God's word, from Bible classes, sermons, parents, life experiences, etc. It is good to meditate on these things, commit them to memory, and put them to work in our lives. Then, once you have moved on to learning something else, don't forget to revisit them from time to time to refresh your memory. What have you learned from your studies, say this past week?
Brotherly, Jamie
