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Knowledge and Wisdom
Knowledge without godly wisdom is useless. Knowledge and wisdom walk hand in hand to give Christians the stability they need in their life. Christians can be walking encyclopedias, but without godly wisdom they are destined to fail. Many Christians do not recognize the need they have for godly knowledge AND wisdom. The strength of our salvation comes through godly wisdom and knowledge.
Knowledge without wisdom always accentuates and promotes PRIDE. Without godly wisdom we cannot and will not use the knowledge of God properly. Judgment and righteousness are produced when knowledge and godly wisdom are unified.
Wisdom gives us the ability to understand and use the KNOWLEDGE which God has imparted to us. Do we always use the knowledge we have when making important decisions? UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ALWAYS! Until we have subdued and put the “old man” to death, we are going to find it impossible to be free from bondage, in certain areas of our life. Until we take the knowledge we have and use the wisdom we have been given, we will find ourselves venturing back and forth into the land of Egypt (bondage).
I know people who excel in knowledge; however, they do not possess much wisdom. Many of them have written “self-help books” which are filled with good information. However, they fail to use the godly principles which they write about in their books. The knowledge we possess will always be “unfruitful” unless we use wisdom.
Solomon was a man who excelled in godly wisdom and knowledge, yet many times in his life he failed God. When Solomon became King of Israel, he asked God for the wisdom and knowledge he needed in order to rule Israel. God granted Solomon the wisdom and knowledge for which he asked. Unfortunately, Solomon was drawn away from God when he began worshipping the gods of his many pagan wives. Without the fear of the Lord, wisdom and knowledge can be and at times will be unfruitful causing us to fall short of the glory of God.
THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. The “fear of the Lord” is the basic foundational principle upon which wisdom and knowledge are built. If our wisdom and knowledge is not built upon the foundation of the “fear of the Lord,” we will eventually fail in our attempts to walk with the Lord and be pleasing to Him.
I have taught many years that God’s people must have a good, healthy “fear of the Lord.” If we fail to possess the FEAR of the Lord, we will one day find ourselves fearing His judgment. People make many mistakes and commit many sins when they do not fear the Lord.
If we have no fear of the Lord within us, we cannot possibly possess His wisdom. We are not using wisdom when we allow ourselves to fall into the snares of the enemy because we have no fear of God. When we sincerely repent IF we sin, God will forgive us of our sins. God has given us all the information we need to accomplish His will, plan and purpose for our lives. Without the wisdom and understanding of God, godly knowledge and information cannot and will not help us through our spiritual journey in life.
If we are walking in the Spirit and obeying the voice and commandments of God, we will have nothing to fear. If we are walking in LOVE, we will have nothing to fear because PERFECT LOVE casts out ALL fear. If we are NOT walking in the Spirit, we will be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. We do not want to fall into the hands of an angry God because we do not fear or reverence Him. When we are fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, we are frustrating His grace. God is LOVE, but He is also a God of judgment and severity. He is also a God of grace and mercy. God will forgive all who sincerely turn from their sins and repent.
I would rather stand before God on Judgment Day and be judged by the God of love rather than the God of severity. Which God will you choose to stand before on Judgment Day? Will you stand before Christ and hear Him say: “Depart from me you worker of iniquity--I never knew you?” Or will you stand before Christ and hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant—enter into the joy of the Lord?”
For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it. Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7, Verse 12.
Knowledge is important. However, knowledge without wisdom can be at times, and will be at times “ineffective and useless.” Knowledge instructs us in the importance and virtues of wisdom. Without knowledge, we would not know wisdom existed. Knowledge informs us how we can obtain wisdom. Without wisdom, our lives will be in turmoil. Wisdom helps us make quality decisions so we can live our lives free from the folly of pride, prejudice and carnal mindedness.
If we possess and USE godly wisdom, we will not be prideful. Wisdom tells us “knowledge alone puffs up” and always leads to destruction. Using godly wisdom and understanding is the KEY to finding grace and mercy in the eyes of God. If we are going to please God, we must seek to find out what pleases Him. We need to understand what displeases God and grieves the Holy Spirit. We must seek to find out what frustrates His grace and grieves the Holy Spirit so we can walk in the FULLNESS of Christ. We must seek knowledge and wisdom if we are going to build a relationship with God based upon HIS righteousness, grace and mercy. If we use the wisdom and knowledge which God has given us, we can be assured that our relationship with Him will remain stable and secure.
Before we can understand the ways of God, we must possess the knowledge OF God. Knowledge leads us down the path to understanding and wisdom where all the mysteries and treasures of God are found.
Knowledge without wisdom is unfruitful. Wisdom, on the other hand, helps us to correctly apply the knowledge we do have so we can be successful in our walk with the Lord. Without the ability to properly use godly knowledge, we will find ourselves spiritually impoverished. If we are going to bear fruit in the Kingdom of God, we first must establish a foundation based upon wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verses 12-14.
The Apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesians would, by faith, KNOW and comprehend the love of Christ which passes or excels all human knowledge. GOD IS LOVE. Knowledge tells us that when we are filled with the fullness of God, we are filled with His love. God is love, and when we are filled with love, we will be filled with His fullness.
Love is greater than knowledge, wisdom or understanding. Our comprehension or understanding of God’s love goes beyond human knowledge and reason. All the law and the prophets are fulfilled when we obey two commandments. Both are commands to love.
GOD IS LOVE. He placed His love in us by and through His Spirit so we can be conduits of His love. Our purpose is not only to receive love, but also to give love. If we comprehend and KNOW the love of God, we will be filled with His fullness. When we KNOW Christ and the POWER of His resurrection our life will become an extension of His love here on Earth.
Resurrection power has been made available to us because of Christ’s “undying love” for us. That love was demonstrated at the Cross and at the tomb when the Holy Spirit raised (resurrected) Christ from the dead. When we become rooted and grounded in the love of God, we will begin to understand the great power of His love toward mankind.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”
The Bible tells us that fools reject the knowledge and wisdom of God. When they reject wisdom and knowledge, they are also rejecting the love of God. Rejecting the love of God is the most foolish thing individuals can do.
Knowledge informs us we were created to fellowship with God.
Wisdom admonishes us to fellowship with God.
Knowledge informs us we were created to worship God.
Wisdom admonishes us to worship God.
Knowledge informs us we were created to serve God.
Wisdom admonishes us to serve God.
Knowledge informs us we were created to love God with all our heart.
Wisdom admonishes us to love God with all our heart.
Knowledge informs us to love our neighbor as our self.
Wisdom admonishes us to love our neighbor as our self.
MY SON, EAT HONEY BECAUSE IT IS GOOD, AND THE HONECOMB WHICH IS SWEET TO YOUR TASTE; SO SHALL THE KNOWLEDGE OF WISDOM BE TO YOUR SOUL; IF YOU HAVE FOUND IT, THERE IS A PROSPECT, AND YOUR HOPE WILL NOT BE CUT OFF. Proverbs, Chapter 24, Verses 13-14.