Growing in Faith: Knowledge
Jeremy Northrop
Faith is only the foundation and starting point for a proper walk with God. Peter says that things must be added to faith if it is to grow and progress as God would like. In 1Peter 1:5-8, Peter says, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The second in the list of qualities that need to be added to the Christian’s faith is knowledge. Knowledge is defined as “to recognize, understand, or to understand completely.” There are many things that Christians need to do in order to improve knowledge. Knowledge is necessary if one is going to do what is right. Finally, knowledge is what will save one in the final end.
If the Christian is going to improve or increase his or her knowledge, then he or she is going to have to study the word of God. Knowledge starts by believing that God exists and seeking His will for life. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” But a Christian or a child of God must grow in knowledge. They must continue to learn about God and His will for their lives. 2Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth” (KJV). When Luke spoke of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 he said, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” The older women are to teach the younger women to live and behave in certain ways (Titus 2:3-5). The writer of the book of Proverbs says, “To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion.” (Proverbs 1:4). Christians everywhere are to obtain additional knowledge by studying the word of God. Older Christians are to pass knowledge on to younger Christians teaching them the way they are to act and live. If Christians are to grow closer to God and grow than they are going to have to increase in their knowledge of God and His word. Paul showed this point by example when he asked Timothy to come to him and bring books and parchments when he came to see him (2Timothy 4:13).
One cannot do what is right if he does not know what is right. This is the reason that God has revealed Himself to mankind both by the means of the natural world as well as the Word He has given to mankind. He chose preaching to be a means whereby people can come to know God. “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” As was mentioned, belief in God is the beginning of knowledge. Continuing to grow in knowledge is what will keep a person in a saved state.
The apostle Peter is a good example of this point. He did not become a Christian and then the next day, preach his sermon on Pentecost. He went through a growth process. Faith is much more a process than it is a one time event in life. Peter led the apostles in many ways after the ascension of Jesus Christ in Acts 1. He was willing to kill to protect Jesus in the garden the same night that he betrayed Jesus claiming not to know who He was. Later in the life of Peter he wrote the books of the New Testament which bear his name. The point is his knowledge and zeal grew throughout his lifetime. He did not become a Christian and then stop growing. He continued to learn about God and what God would have for him to do in life. The same is true for Christians today. One cannot expect to become a Christian and then immediately be the most spiritually minded person in the world. He or she has to grow in the grace and knowledge. This is why Peter said, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2Peter 3:17-18). It is very, very easy for one to think he or she has achieved a certain level of spirituality and to stop growing. Brethren, make sure this is not the case with you!
In the end people will be saved based on whether or not Jesus knows them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). The point is that one must know God and His will if God is going to know him or her. If one does not know God, then God does not know him or her. In the final end, a Christian will be saved by knowledge—his knowledge of God and God’s knowledge of Him.
What do you know?
