++++++++++
The Key of Knowledge
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in ye hindered. Luke, Chapter 11, Verse 52.
The Bible is a book filled with spiritual KNOWLEDGE. It is replete with all the information we need to know about God. It is also filled with the spiritual principles which we need to know in order to live a life of freedom, peace and joy--a life free from the power of sin.
The lawyers Jesus was rebuking in the above scripture were the interpreters of the Mosaic Law. They were learned men who were experts in interpreting the “Torah” and the Law of Moses. It was their responsibility to help the Jews understand the meaning of the principles and precepts of the Law written by Moses.
Unfortunately, the lawyers were purposely negligent in interpreting the Mosaic Law responsibly and correctly for others. They revealed only what they wanted to reveal to the people in order to keep them under subjection. They purposely never taught the people the KEY TO KNOWLEDGE so they could correctly understand and interpret the Torah and the Mosaic Law for themselves.
My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if your cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs, Chapter 2, Verses 1-5.
In Northern Alabama where we lived for a few years there is a denominational organization which does not allow anyone but the Pastor to carry their Bibles to Church. In other words, the congregations have no other choice but to rely on what the Pastors tells them is true when interpreting scripture. Thus, they cannot follow along with what the Pastor is teaching them in the Bible. They are unable to know if what is being taught to them is correct. They are required to accept the Pastor’s word that what he is reading and teaching to them is the GOSPEL truth.
One of the false doctrines they teach is that if a person sins one time after they have accepted Christ as Lord, they are destined to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. The person who commits sin is excommunicated from the Church. The congregation is ordered to sever any and all relationships which they may have with the individual who has sinned. This is more than just a tragedy--it is a travesty of justice.
Excommunicating someone from Church because they committed ONE sin is tragic and defies all spiritual laws. This is tragic because it brings pain and suffering to someone, their family and their friends just because they had the misfortune to make one mistake. Obviously, the people who run this denomination and their churches are grossly misinformed and lack true knowledge of the scriptures. They certainly are not following what Jesus taught about forgiveness of sins.
Some of the people who have been excommunicated from the Church go to other churches in the area seeking spiritual counselling and guidance. Others just give up and accept what the Church leaders tell them. I have been told by Pastors of some of the churches in that area that they have been able to reach a few of these people with the truth. However, they are unable to convince most of them that God will forgive them of their sins if they sincerely repent.
Many who have been raised in churches practicing these false doctrines have many problems. They are unable to comprehend how God could or would forgive them. Some leave the counselling sessions with a heavy heart and a confused mind. Many never go to Church again because they believe they have been condemned to hell and cannot be forgiven. They continue to believe they have committed the unpardonable sin.
God will always justify us when we sincerely repent of our sins. God and God alone has the authority to say who will and who will not be forgiven. The scripture is clear that the only sin which God will not forgive is the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If WE condemn others because of their sins, we are unjustly and precariously putting ourselves on the throne of God and leaving ourselves open to severe condemnation.
Having dealt with pastors and Church leaders for years, I can assure you many of those who teach this false doctrine have sinned in their life at one time or another. Each of us will be judged and condemned in the same way we judge and condemn others.
Wisdom is the principle thing, and each of us are commanded to seek godly wisdom for ourselves. When we possess wisdom, we will be able to understand the knowledge of God which can only be found in the Word of God.
Understanding the fear of the Lord, which is the foundation of all spiritual knowledge and wisdom, will set us on the path to receiving all the blessings of God. When we possess the fear of the Lord and seek Him with our whole heart, we can be assured God will teach us what we need to know about Him and His Word.
The KEY to obtaining spiritual knowledge is to diligently seek it for yourself. Do not rely on what somebody “tells” you about God and His Word. Jesus said to “ask and it will be given to you, knock and the door will be opened, and to seek and you will find.” He was not just talking about asking for our physical needs, but also for wisdom and understanding.
We must not rely solely upon teachers and godly counselors. We must make the determination regarding what the Bible is saying for ourselves. Seeking God for His wisdom and understanding in faith will assure us that we will find the correct answers we are seeking. Teachers can lead us to the truth, but only the Holy Spirit can enlighten the eyes of our understanding so we can KNOW the truth.
The KEY to understanding spiritual knowledge is REVELATION. Revealed knowledge takes us through the gates of Heaven into the Throne Room of God where we can find and understand the mysteries of God. Revealed knowledge is found in the presence of Almighty God. The voice of God is the voice of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. The voice of God can be heard in the POWER of His spoken Word. God empowers us with knowledge, wisdom and understanding so we can be effective witnesses of His almighty power, grace, mercy and love.
When I came to the saving KNOWLEDGE of the Lord Jesus Christ, I thirsted for spiritual knowledge and understanding. When I came to the realization God had called me into the ministry I was told I needed to listen to as much Bible teaching as possible. I was told by others I needed to get the “Word of God” inside me before I would be able to fulfill the call of God on my life. Wanting to know and understand what the Bible taught, I bought a cassette player and listened continuously to teaching from many different ministries. I visited many different denominations and churches trying to learn all I could about the Word of God. I was hungry to know more about Jesus and gain as much knowledge and wisdom as possible in order to “find the truth.”
One day as I was listening to a sermon by one of my favorite teachers, the Lord spoke to me and said: “Do you not want to hear what I have to say about my Word?” I realized I had been so busy listening to what everyone else was teaching about God’s Word that I had neglected to seek the Holy Spirit for understanding myself.
Needless to say, I quit listening to what everybody was teaching regarding the WORD and started asking God for His knowledge, wisdom and understanding. I started listening to the Holy Spirit rather than men. Only the Holy Spirit can quicken our knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. I still listened to teachers, and continued to read my Bible, as well as many other Christian books to gain knowledge. However, the Holy Spirit became my teacher and my understanding became clearer. Now I rely on the Lord to show me how to rightly divide the Word of Truth and give me spiritual insight into what He is trying to show and teach me.
I learned over time that many of the things which I had been taught over the years were NOT God breathed. There are some carnally minded preachers who teach knowledge which is not biblically based to “carnally minded” people. They will continue to remain carnally minded until they decide to seek and find the Key to Knowledge for themselves. Many in churches today are still listening to what others are saying about God’s Word and not taking time to read, study and pray themselves. Rather than seeking God for revelation many of them are still relying solely on what carnally minded ministers are teaching them.
There ARE many teachers who have a good understanding of the truth and are very prolific orators. These are the ones who have sought the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding because they care for their congregations and others they minister to. We will find the Spirit of Revelation in our midst when we are listening to those who have wisdom and a good understanding of the truth.
The KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH is the most important knowledge we can possess. It is the TRUTH which sanctifies us and sets us free from the bondage of sin. The knowledge of the Truth sets us apart from the World and keeps us under the protection of Almighty God. Jesus is the Truth, the Life and the Way. Truth is reality. When we have the knowledge to determine what is true and what is not true, we will be able to make quality decisions based upon godly wisdom and understanding.
The lawyers Jesus rebuked were responsible for leading people in the wrong direction by not giving them the KEY to obtaining knowledge and understanding for themselves. What they taught as GOSPEL was not to be refuted or challenged by anyone. However, the people themselves were somewhat at fault because THEY were not seeking God for the truth. They were much like many people in churches today who believe that anything and everything which comes out of the pulpit is TRUTH.
When people are listening to false doctrines and do not search the scriptures for themselves, they can easily fall into sin. Individuals must seek to KNOW and understand the truth for themselves. The Bible tells US to “study to show ourselves approved.” It does not tell us we are to “believe every wind of doctrine” we hear from others. We are responsible for what we believe and what we receive as being TRUE. Teachers can give information to people, but it is the Holy Spirit which “quickens” the Word and brings new life to our spirit.
In many churches today the ‘Key to Knowledge” has been taken away and hidden from the congregations. This is partly because Christians put ministers on a pedestal and trust their “spiritual lawyers” to tell them the truth. I am not saying all ministers of the Gospel are self-serving hypocrites. However, many ministers are carnally minded and grossly misguided or misinformed themselves. They continue to lead, mislead and misinform their congregations. They do not understand many of the truths which are in the Bible. When the “blind lead the blind” they will all fall into a ditch. When minsters do not have a good understanding of the truth, their congregations will also lack understanding.
There are many ministers who love God and are teaching sound doctrine. There are many good men and women of God who have much wisdom and are excellent teachers. Those ministers are who Christians need to be listening to in order to gain spiritual knowledge and insight into the Word of God. We are told to “test the spirits” to see if they be of God. If what we are hearing is not producing fruit in our lives, we must find out WHY and seek to do something about it.
There are no shortcuts to obtaining and retaining spiritual knowledge. We must be diligent in seeking the truth for ourselves. Many Christians are continuing to walk in spiritual darkness because they do not have a good understanding of the truth. Truth can only set us free when we “understand” and use the knowledge of the truth. Without godly knowledge, Christians will not have the understanding or power to be free from the darkness which is continually growing more ominous as time goes by.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 15.
When people are listening to carnally minded preachers, the only thing which changes in them is carnal information which has nothing to do with truth. They may trade one false doctrine for another, but they are never able to “come to the knowledge of the truth.” Their perception of God and His Word may change. However, the foundation of truth is still lost in false interpretations. They may change the way they think, but their life is still going to be unfruitful if they are not correctly interpreting the Word of God.
If there is no change in how we conduct ourselves in the eyes of God, we may not be interpreting the Word of God correctly. Individuals must search the scriptures for themselves. If they are not sure that something they heard regarding God’s Word is true, they need to seek the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and understanding. When we sincerely search the scriptures for understanding and truth, God will open the “eyes of our understanding.” We will find the knowledge of God which enables us to walk in the “freedom of the Holy Spirit.”
Paul admonished Timothy to study to “show himself approved.” Timothy sat under the tutoring and teaching of Paul for years, yet Paul told Him he needed to “study for himself.” The knowledge which comes by studying the Word of God is essential to every believer. Understanding the hidden things of God can only come by revelation. Knowledge and wisdom gives us insight into the Word of God, but only the Spirit of God can give us the ability to understand and receive what God is saying to us as individuals.
It is the Holy Spirit which establishes truth and righteousness within us when we rightly divide the “Word of Truth.” It is the Spirit of Truth which transforms us into the image of Christ. It is the Spirit of Truth which gives us the faith to believe and receive ALL the promises of God.
OUR DESIRE FOR GODLY KNOWLEDGE WILL LEAD US TO WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND TRUTH. IN SHORT, YOU COULD SAY “THAT THE KEY TO KNOWLEDGE IS SEEKING; THE KEY TO WISDOM IS UNDERSTANDING: THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING IS REVELATION, AND THE KEY TO TRUTH IS FOUND ONLY IN CHRIST JESUS.”
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 19.
The Key of Knowledge gives us understanding of how the Kingdom of God operates. The Keys to the Kingdom come from Revelation Knowledge. Knowledge is the key to all wisdom, revelation and understanding. The knowledge of the truth is the greatest knowledge we can possess. God’s Word gives us all the information we need to live a life of holiness and godliness, free from the cares of this World and the snares of the enemy.
The Keys to the Kingdom are found in binding and loosing. We have the power to bind and loose through the words we speak. Before we can command the blessings of God in our life, we must understand the power we possess in our words. God has given us the ability to receive His blessings in our life through the knowledge of His Word. The power to bind and loose is found in our words. Our words will either hinder the blessings of God in our life or they will RELEASE the blessings of God in our life. We will either sow seeds of righteousness or we will sow seeds of unrighteousness in our life by the words we speak. The Bible says “by our words we are justified, and by our words we are condemned.” (Matthew, 12:37).
Peter acknowledged through divine revelation that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Through divine revelation we also understand God gives us the power to bind and loose certain things in heaven and on earth. When we have the REVELATION of WHO Christ is in us, we are given the power to bind and loose according to the will and purpose of God.
Keys are used to lock and unlock doors. We lock and unlock the promises of God by the WORDS we speak. By the words we speak we open or close doors to spiritual entities who will either work on our behalf or against us. When we do not believe what the Word of God says, we will not be allowing the Spirit of God to operate in our life. When we acknowledge the Word of God as being truth, we are unlocking the windows of Heaven, and the blessings of God will overtake us. When we exercise authority over the forces of evil through the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be unable to hinder the process of our believing and receiving from God.
When it comes to the blessings of God, without faith, binding and loosing will be ineffective. We can bind the enemy all day and all night, but without FAITH the enemy will prevail. We can only exercise authority when we understand how authority works. We have authority because we have “been given” authority by Christ who possesses all authority. We can only exercise authority when and where authority has been given us.
If we do not choose our words wisely, we open the door to the enemy and to many other problems we DO NOT want. Jesus said we would be judged for every “idle word” which “proceeds” out of our mouths. Many people fail to realize that many problems they have in their life is because of the negative and unfruitful words they speak. When we speak words of doubt, unbelief, fear and confusion, we close the windows of Heaven, thus leaving ourselves open to the schemes and wiles of the Devil.
The power to bind and loose is given to believers so the Kingdom of God can be established in our lives personally, as well as for others we minister to here on Earth. We “open up the windows of Heaven” with our words to receive from God as we are fulfilling His plan and purpose for our life. If we are not seeking God and walking uprightly with Him, we will have no power to bind and loose. Thus, our prayer life will be unfruitful and we will continue to languish in spiritual infidelity.
BUT INDEED I ALSO COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM AS RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST. Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 8.