1 Corinthians 4:14-15 TPT “I’m not writing this to embarrass you or to shame you, but to correct you as the children I love.
15 For although you could have countless babysitters in Christ telling you what you’re doing wrong, you don’t have many (spiritual) fathers who correct you in love. But I’m a true (spiritual) father to you, for I became your father when I gave you the gospel and brought you into union with Jesus, the Anointed One.”
Other versions use the word teachers rather than babysitters. If you are a baby who needs and wants a babysitter, then you are one who wants to be told what to do in life rather than being trained to live a Godly, mature adult life. In many churches, there are many teachers in the positions as pastors, evangelists, and many self-appointed prophets and apostles. We do need teachers, and the position of teachers is a great thing. But in this context, we are differentiating Christian teachers who teach without love. But just like in any and most learning institutions, teachers are only there to teach the knowledge of the subject. They are not in the business of teaching real practicality, nor are they in the business of correcting in love for the benefit of their student. They are paid to do a job which is to teach knowledge.
As the Bible states, there are many hirelings in the religious world. Such teachers will run when the wolf comes. They will jump to another vineyard at the highest bidder regarding their salaries. They are not there to lay down their lives for the lamb and sheep. As a result, people become hurt, feel betrayed, and are abandoned. Since those leaders have betrayed the weak, many Christians redirect their anger back toward God.
Who are the spiritual fathers? What are the spiritual fathers? Why are there more teachers than spiritual fathers?
Spiritual fathers are not only in the business of teaching history, but they are teaching application, practicality, and wisdom to their children, personally guiding, using measures of discipline, rebuking, correcting, and instilling a Godly fear to build up their sons and daughters. No discipline at the time of correction is pleasant. And it is the spiritual father and mother who will lay down their lives for the children of God just as real parents will lay down their lives for their own children. At least, that is what biological parents are supposed to do.
If you want it to be easy, there are many teachers and many churches out there who will just stay out of your business and give you the watered-down gospel so that they do not offend anyone. They will allow you to sin and compromise in sin. They will not care whether you pray or read. They will not care nor get into your personal business. If this is what you want, there are many teachers out there who will just teach you what you want to hear.
But if you really want to come to know Father God, then there will be a cost to follow. You will need to go through Jesus. He will send you His Holy Spirit with the power to overcome and make it Home. There will be a huge cost for continuation. In fact, it will cost you everything, including and possibly your life. Have you counted the cost? Those who do not count or are willing to let everything go will become offended and possibly fall away.
But if you decide to follow to glory, then the path to life will be a narrow gate. You will go through the trials and tribulations of life trying to birth life. You will be asked to lay down your own life in order to choose another. You will be shown your dark secrets and your dark sins, and you will come to a crossroads to choose to either let go or continue to horde. This will be one of the most challenging journeys you will ever encounter. But in each season, you will be given His joy, peace, and love.
But since many of our church people have not had their own biological fathers to experience in their upbringing. Experiencing a spiritual father/mother is a shock. It is a cultural, mental, and physical shock. It is a shock that someone actually cares. This is a foreign feeling to them. This is alien to their senses. After all, even with mothers, what they know of mothers is the term “mother fu…kers!” They only know mothers who find boyfriends to give them more brothers and sisters. This is not to say that the extra brothers and sisters were a bad thing but they did lose some attention for themselves and maybe feeling neglected.
So how are they to feel about this new term “spiritual fathers and mothers?” Can these Koreans be trusted? Are they from the North or South Koreas?
Even love must be experienced and learned through time. May you all become spiritual fathers and mothers even though you came as spiritual orphans and outcasts. May you all know what it means that Jesus has laid His life down for you and that you can reciprocate.
Pastor Steve Kim