Knowledge
My heart is very heavy for a church that has neglected to teach their people the truth of God’s word. We keep our Sunday gatherings light and “seeker-friendly”, depending on our people meeting during the week for spiritual sustenance. But for so many, our busy lives don’t allow time for such. I am delighted to see my church bringing more teaching into Sunday services such that the saints are equipped to embrace our neighbors, and present and defend the truth of the Bible.
Isaiah 33:6: Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.
Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
I Timothy 6:20: O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge
In the past 100 years, western churches have lost so many to a culture undermining the truth of the Bible. Atheists have spread the ancient philosophy of evolutionism, assailing the truth of God’s word with a philosophy they call science, but with foundations unapologetically contradicting scientific law and common sense. Theologians of liberal persuasion have embraced this to dilute the historicity of the Bible and thereby rendered the gospel meaningless to our generation.
If God did not create all things in 6 days 6,000 years ago, then trust in the Bible is selective. If God did not destroy the evil of the world with Noah’s flood, then he will not destroy the evil we see around us today. If God did not judge them, he will not judge us. There is no good news without the bad news. It is totally evil to bless our society to such damnation. We will be held responsible for doing so.
As in Paul’s time, today’s church must be warned:
I Corinthians 15:34: Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
So well did God speak to Daniel of today:
Daniel 12:4 ‘“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”’
Knowledge is increasing exponentially – beyond human ability to keep up.
But within the church:
Jeremiah 4:22-23: “For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.” I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
It is interesting that the first thing that comes to mind in our foolishness is the truth of
Genesis 1:2: ‘The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.’
Our governors and theologians are warned:
Luke 11:52: “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
The state of the church is now such that:
Hosea 4:6: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
The consequence of this is:
Proverbs 1:28-33: “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord , They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
How well this describes our society. All forms of sexual immorality are embraced – because God has handed us over to the consequences of rejecting the truth of his word.
Romans 1:28-32: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Note, all of these things are symptomatic of our rejection of the truth of God.
So many in the church love the trendy music and the festive show, but do not love the fear of the Lord nor seek the truth of his Word:
Isaiah 5:12-14: The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord , Nor consider the operation of His hands. Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself And opened its mouth beyond measure; Their glory and their multitude and their pomp, And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it.
We must remember in combating this:
II Corinthians 10:4-6: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
God has equipped us with suitable weaponry – that neutralize all knowledge and every authority that is contrary to the truth of God’s Word. Our weapons are not guns and rockets to eliminate a human enemy, but God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword to bring down the most persistent of our spiritual enemies who conspire toward the destruction of all humanity.
We must pray and do spiritual battle against the oppression of God’s truth. We must teach the whole truth of God and patiently strengthen victims of such evil influences. Praise God that he has gifted the church with ministers within the body of the church who, together, can equip the church to all aspects of righteousness.