The book, We Americans, published by the National Geographic Society in 1976, depicts a family of eight early settlers, four of whom are holding Bibles in their hands. The caption opens with the words: “Book of books, the Bible, was the end and means of the education of early Americans.”

This is confirmed by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which declares that “The New England Primer… for 150 years widely used as a textbook, was largely composed of Scriptural and doctrinal material. Catechisms were taught in the public schools and prayer was offered twice a day” (EB under School and Curriculum in the United States).

This does not mean that all our Revolutionary forefathers were saved, or regenerated by personal faith in Christ, but the evidence is abundant that they were, as a whole, God-fearing men, and this was bound to have a significant effect on their thinking and their conduct. And, indeed, there were among them many born-again believers.

Revolutionary times conjure up in our minds such pictures as Washington praying earnestly at Valley Forge, the members of Congress kneeling together in prayer for divine guidance, and the precepts of Scripture being pressed home again and again by those high in government, while the citizens in general trembled at God’s Word.

It goes without saying that our nation plays a strategic role in the affairs of the world. Our influence is great. However, America will not again exert the right kind of influence in the world until the Church of Christ recovers from her spiritual illness and our national leaders and the populace once more become at least God-fearing. The fear of God does not in itself save from sin’s penalty, but it is the first step toward salvation. Moreover, God’s Word declares:

“By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil” (Prov. 16:6).

The Apostle Paul had much that he yearned to teach the Hebrew believers — wonderful truths that would have thrilled their hearts — but these truths were “hard to be uttered,” or difficult to explain to them, since they were “dull of hearing.” The word “dull” in Heb. 5:11 really means “slothful,” or indifferent (as in Heb. 6:12). They were not merely hard of hearing, as we say, but were too lazy, too indifferent, spiritually, to pay attention. They were not sufficiently interested.

This is always a serious condition in the light of the fact that “God hath spoken,” and that disobedience to His Word will be judged (Heb. 1:1,2; 2:1-3). Yet, alas, this is the condition of the professing Church today. The great majority of religious people are not sufficiently interested in what God has said to engage in diligent, prayerful study and, like those of Paul’s day, still have to be taught “the first principles” of the Bible. They have remained babes, spiritually, unable to digest anything but “milk,” and so remain “unskillful in the Word of righteousness” (Heb. 5:12-14).

What has brought this condition about? Is it because our Bibles are being burned and the Church persecuted for reading it? Is it because God is unwilling to lead us further into His truth? Most assuredly not. It is because so many men of God in high places no longer have the single passion to know God’s Word and to make it known. They could be as greatly used of God in teaching the Scriptures as their predecessors were, but they are “slothful of hearing” and hence can present their hearers with little that is of true value.

This, in turn, is reflected in the religious masses. They “love” their Bibles, but not enough to study them diligently and become workmen whom God can approve. Let us not be numbered among these. Rather, let it be our one great desire to gain a clear understanding of God’s Word, rightly divided — for His sake, for our own sake and for the sake of the needy souls about us.

“He that is spiritual judgeth [discerneth] all things, yet he himself is judged [discerned] of no man” (I Cor. 2:15).

The truly spiritual man is so far above the wisest sages of this world, yes, so far above the mass of Christians with whom he comes into contact, that he can understand them, but they can never quite understand him.

We should all long to be truly spiritual, but what is true spirituality?

In the Pauline Epistles the human race is divided, by the Spirit, into four classes: the natural man, the babe in Christ, the carnal Christian, and the spiritual Christian.

All four of these are referred to in one passage of Scripture (I Cor. 2:14–3:4) and it should be noted that they are classified according to their ability to appreciate and assimilate “the things of God” as revealed in His Word.

Through diligent, prayerful study of the Word, and with a sincere desire to obey it, the spiritual man has come to know God and the Lord Jesus Christ more and more intimately. Babes in Christ and carnal believers about him cannot “discern” him, simply because they have not come to know God as he. But he, having grown to spiritual maturity, quite understands them. He is among those of whom it is written:

“But strong meat [solid food] belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:14).

The humblest pastor, one who has had little opportunity for formal training and may have few natural endowments, may take heart in the knowledge that ultimately the key to true effectiveness in the pastorate is spirituality. And the greatest pastor, well educated and liberally endowed with natural talents, had better remember this, for a large and “successful” ministry is not necessarily blessed and honored of God, while a seemingly insignificant one may be richly blessed.

Remember, the Apostle Paul referred to himself as “unknown, and yet well known,” as “poor, yet making many rich” (II Cor. 6:9,10). He could boast no great organizational backing, yet even his co-workers were called “these who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). The truly spiritual pastor may know little about worldly matters, but he will give much time to the study of the Word of God and will be earnest and instant in prayer. He will not be self-satisfied, or high-minded, but will walk humbly, begging God every day to make him the pastor he ought to be.

The truly spiritual pastor will be “crucified unto the world” and will “flee [from] youthful lusts.” He will truly love lost souls and the congregation God has entrusted to him and will toil unremittingly for their good. He will conduct himself as a servant of God and will trust God to use him for His glory.

How can such a pastor be a total failure? The key to a truly effective pastorate, then, is not intellectual endowment, or scholastic attainment, or a well-rounded education, or a thorough training, much less wealth or fame or personal magnetism; it is spirituality, with its desire to please God and to know and obey His Word, rightly divided.