Lately, Brazilian evangelicals have become aware of the importance of intellectual knowledge for the Christian life. Reading good books, listening to and following good preachers on social media, participating in good conferences, has become increasingly common among us, which are often affected. as the path of spiritual growth. Given this scenario, I would like to share some truths about the relationship between intellectual knowledge and the Christian life. There are four of them.
The first is that knowledge is fundamental to our spiritual growth. God made us rational beings, in His image and likeness. That would be reason enough for us to take our rationality seriously and seek diligent knowledge. The Bible, however, offers more reasons, and for our purposes here, one of the most important is that God has become propositional, that is, He has chosen to speak to us through a set of propositions that have been recorded in a book. . : the Holy Bible. Although the created universe is full of information about God [as David says in Psalm 19, and the Apostle Paul in Romans 1. 18ss], God cannot really be known other than what He says in the Holy Scriptures. God’s personal knowledge implies rational knowledge of the Bible. This is true for conversion [the Bible says that faith comes by preaching and preaching by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17)] and also for sanctification [the Bible says: sanctify them in truth; your word is true (John 17:17)].
- The second truth is that.
- Although fundamental.
- Knowledge is not enough.
- We must remember the episode in which a rich young man knew Jesus interested in how to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17).
- At that moment Jesus asked him a question: Do you know the commandments ?.
- To which the young man answered without hesitation: Thou shalt not kill.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal.
- You will not say false testimony.
- You will not let anyone down.
- You will honor your father and your mother (Mark 10:17-19).
- Knowledge was there.
- But if you know the end of the story.
- You know it wasn’t enough.
- Judas is another example.
- He was among the people who probably had more information about Jesus.
- But this was not enough for him to stop receiving the title of son of perdition (John 17:12).
Perhaps few things speak as eloquently as an argument in favor of this issue as our own personal experience. If we are honest, we will agree that there are many things we know we should do, but we do not; read more of the Bible, pray more often, use soft words, contribute, forgive. Just as there are many others we know we should not do, but we still do; such as: lying, cursing, vengeful, coveting, stealing, among others. Our own experience teaches us that, while fundamental, knowledge is not all we need for spiritual growth.
In addition to not being enough, knowledge can become an obstacle to our spiritual growth, that is the third truth. Sin has a wicked nature, and the greater the gift to which we are bound, the greater the risk of replacing it with the donor. This is true for knowledge. It is a great gift and that is precisely why it can very easily become an idol, when this happens, it ceases to be an instrument for our spiritual growth and becomes an instrument of our fall, among other reasons why it closes. our ears to God’s will and puts us on a collision course with others. Knowledge increases, but love accumulates (1 Corinthians 8. 1).
For knowledge to contribute to our spiritual growth, it must submit to the Lord. This is the fourth and final truth I’d like to share. Two aspects are important here. The first is that the knowledge that involves our spiritual growth is not any knowledge, but that which comes from Jesus. When books, preachers, and conventions become the means by which we listen to Christ, then we can have spiritual growth and benefits. But when they become ends in themselves, they are simply worthless. The question is not only what we learn, but mainly who we learn from. Our great challenge in reading good books, listening to good preachers, and attending great conventions is listening to Jesus. The second has to do with the need for submission. Many people listened to Jesus, but they never benefited from his words. Because? Why, instead of receiving Jesus’ words to obey, they received them to argue. It is the knowledge that involves our spiritual growth that is accompanied by humility and obedience, as James says:
Therefore, become actors of speech and not just listeners, deceping them. For if anyone hears the word and not a practitioner, he resembles the man who contemplates, in a mirror, his natural face; because he contemplates himself, retracts himself, and soon forgets what he was like; but he who carefully regards the law of freedom as the perfect law and perseveres in it, not being a careless listener, but an assiduous practitioner, will be blessed in what he will do (James 1:22-25).
By: Filipe Fontes. © Return to the Gospel. Website: voltemosaoevangelho. com All rights are reserved. Original: 4 truths about the relationship between intellectual knowledge and Christian life.