Psalm 119:13
With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.

Once we are taught, we are to put into practice. Then, we are to teach others. Think of what David said in Psalm 51 during his prayer of repentance: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me...then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." [Psalm 51:10-12] Once God creates a new life within us, we are then used by Him to draw others to Him.

Many of us feel unequipped or unable to be God’s mouthpiece. We are scared of rejection or our own lack of knowledge. But the issue at hand isn’t our ability or intellect. These things are not why “God is making His appeal through us” [2 Corinthians 5]. No, it is nothing of our own, but the power of the Spirit within us. God does not need us to teach others, but He chooses to use us as living examples of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Think about the Old Testament prophets. Men like Elijah, Nathan, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, and many more. These men each delivered a message to the people. But what message was it? God’s message. A prophet is a spokesman, a representative. These men brought messages to the people on behalf of God. Likewise, those of us who are in Christ are now His representatives. We are to declare all that God has revealed to us in Scripture.

As such, we must teach all of God’s Word. Not just the parts we prefer, or the things which seem easy to explain. Our job as ministers of reconciliation is to share the entirety of the Gospel message. And at its core, the Gospel is offensive. It tells us that we are sinners, enemies of God, and that we deserve to suffer His wrath for eternity. It also tells us that we are helpless and hopeless in this state, dead to our own trespasses and sins. Apart from Christ, there is no help or hope, and this message offends many. Yet it is the message we are commanded to proclaim; it is this message we are ministers of.

Our lives should model Deuteronomy 6, where the people of God are instructed in this way: "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to you children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." [Deuteronomy 6:6-7] We are to talk about God’s Word and all it says no matter where we are or what we are doing. Our lips must always declare all that God has said and done.