#KnowledgeWithoutLove 2018.03.09
Have you ever stood back for a second, and asked yourself,
"Do we really need the Bible?"
Well, Let’s take a quick look at what God says:
1Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. | ||
Psalms 1:1-2 |
Happy is the (wo)man who does! God’s words revive the soul, grant wisdom, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and endure forever (Psalm 19:7–9). I’m sure that I’m speaking for many when I say, the Bible has changed my life, and that it does feel "out of sync" when I am not reading it on a regular basis. So, to use the word need in "do we really need the Bible?" is incorrect - Why wouldn’t we want to spend time in a book like that everyday?
It goes without saying that, the more time we spend with God & His Word, the more rewards we receive. But we need to be mindful about the "rewards of our meditation" - Knowledge can corrupt & distract, if we don’t know what to do with it.
1bWe know that "We all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. | ||
1 Corinthians 8:1b | ||
2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. | ||
1 Corinthians 13:2 |
Paul clearly states that we can have knowledge, but not love. And that having all of the knowledge in the world, but no love, leaves us with nothing. We can fool ourselves that all of our knowledge/time spent in the Bible brings us closer to God. But in fact, if it has no love, we are nowhere near Him.
So… How can we avoid that?!?
1. Stay Amazed At His Grace
One defense against complacency, and the detriment of "biblical pride" is learning to always be stunned at what we learn about God, and never at how much we know. Try to remain amazed by God, but especially at His Grace. With today’s technology, we have faster & more access to information about God, than ever before! At the press of some buttons, we have access to God & gospel in mere seconds. We’re swimming in electronic scripture, sermons, articles, blogs, and commentaries… But even with technology, and the speed & ease it brings, we still couldn’t fit all of it in our lifetime! Be absolutely amazed that we even know God, and that He loves us as much & as sacrificially as He does.
2. Stay Dependent On God
Want to leave love out when you read your Bible? Don’t pray! Prayer is the fast track to having a heart that loves what you read. Praying is participating in fellowship with God & all that He’s accomplished. When we pray, we’re taking what we’ve learned (the greatest story ever told), and compounding it with God’s love for us, since He sent his Son to die for us. But when we skip prayer, the things that we learn from Scripture, produces pride in us. Ask God to take up as much of your heart as He does in your mind.
3. Stay Focused On The Son
Another way to keep the level of love on par with knowledge, is to look for Jesus. Every time we read scripture, we are looking for something - someone better - to see & enjoy, in a new or fresh way. When Jesus is at the center of it all, our hearts become nourished, and our minds sharpened. We get to a stage where we can rehearse what we’ve learned, with incredible power. When we remain focus on Jesus, it will be difficult to not be moved with everything He has done & shown us.
The dangers of "regular Bible reading with any regularity" is common with all. As much as one may want to argue, this statement holds true: The disciples true goal isn’t to obtain the most scriptural knowledge. It’s really about loving & living all that we’ve learned from it.
