Colossians 1:9 cont.
(2 Timothy 3:1-9) (Highlight verse 7)
Knowledge is a powerful thing. This passage in 2 Timothy points out the danger of it with the absence of understanding and wisdom. Ask any highly successful business man, like Bill Gates for instance, what the secret of their success is, and you will probably hear the word “knowledge”. They know everything there is to know about the profession they are in. And, if they don’t, they learn it. They make sure they know everything there is to know about their competition. In knowing all these things, they understand how the facts affect their business. With that understanding, they can wisely make decisions that will increase their profits and minimize loss. This is the same basic concept that Paul expresses in verse 9 here in the first chapter of Colossians. Knowledge is the foundational starting point in spiritual growth and, as we will learn later in our study of Colossians, it is also the means of its continuation. However, without understanding and wisdom, knowledge is not only useless, but destructive and deadly. The knowledge that Paul is referring to in vs. 9 is the complete and totally accurate knowledge of God’s will. It is the same thing Paul refers to in 2 Timothy 3:7 that these people are never able to attain. He says they are always learning, or increasing in knowledge, but never attain true knowledge because the knowledge they have is absent of spiritual understanding and wisdom. There are two types of people that reflect this type of knowledge.
1) There are people who know God’s Word cover to cover and they can empress you immensely with this knowledge of scripture. However, when you look at their lifestyle and the activities that occupy their time, it becomes evident that they talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Their lives are laden with sin and corruption.
2) There are those whom, as Paul is really referring to in 2 Timothy, have studied scripture to a great extent. They to can greatly impress you with their knowledge. But their understanding of scripture is based upon lust, greed and selfish desire. They take the truths of God’s word and twist them to fit their own wants. They don’t care to understand God’s purposes as revealed in the knowledge of His truth but only to attain to their own.
This week, before we venture on to verse 10, I would like to go into further depth on these three points: knowledge, spiritual understanding and wisdom. There is so much deep truth and vital information in verse 9 that it cannot possibly be covered in one hour. In fact, it is so important that, if you can fully grasp this foundational concept, your whole Christian walk will be miraculously transformed. It will transform your study of scripture. It will transform your service to God. And, it will energize your faith and your pursuit of holiness.
Last week I pointed out three things we must do in order to attain the knowledge of God’s will. They where: 1) desire it, 2) depend on the Holy Sprit to reveal it, and 3) study its source.
This week I want to go into greater depths on this process by clarifying each point.
Let’s start by looking at the source of true knowledge. (2 Timothy 3:16) Let’s take a moment to really break this passage down. First of all, scripture is given by inspiration of God. Many would argue that the bible is merely a selection of writings that express a group of men’s personal interpretation, or personal opinion, of who God is. But let’s explore, for a moment, the implications of that statement. If that where a fact, that would mean that all religions would be valid and worthy of our acceptance. All belief systems would point to the same God regardless of the fact that opinions do not always reflect absolute truth. For instance, it is my opinion that the Kansas City Chiefs are the best team in the NFL, but the facts tell me that the Indianapolis Colts annihilated them in the playoffs and went on to win the national title. Therefore, my personal opinion does not reflect the truth. This elementary fact is taught in every grade school in America and yet we disregard it when it comes to religion. Let me ask you a question. When you go out into the public and introduce yourself, do you introduce yourself as George to one person and Carol to another person, and again as Kevin to yet another person? No! You want people to know you for who you are. Save, that is, a few elements that we don’t want others to know about. So why should we believe that God would do that very thing? The fact is, He didn’t. He wanted mankind to know exactly who He is and so He impressed upon the hearts of these men the very words of truth that He wanted them to write. Therefore, the words written in the Bible and all that it teaches, is the complete, inerrant, infallible revelation of the one true Living God, from God to man. He even states in His word that the validity of that statement is proven in the very nature of creation. He doesn’t leave us to flounder about trying to figure out who he is. He tells us who He is.
Second, and with that in mind, Paul tells us that it is profitable for doctrine. Doctrine is accurate teaching. Doctrine is the truths expressed in God’s word. In other words, Gods word is the source of absolute truth expressed to man from God Himself. I will elaborate on this more later. But, for now, with absolute truth as the very core of it’s being, Paul says “it is profitable for reproof.” The word reproof means “a proof or evidence.” Scripture and the truth in it is the proof or evidence by which all things can be tested. The yardstick, if you will, by which all things can be measured. In Acts 17:10-11 we find this in action. When Paul and Silas went to Berea to deliver the gospel, we find in vs. 11 that the people there measured what they where being told against the scriptures to see if it was true. They knew that whatever knowledge they received, if it where true, scripture would confirm it. They found that it did and, as a result, the majority of them where saved. He then goes on to say it is “profitable for correction.” If scripture confirms what is right and true, it goes without saying, it also confirms what is false and wrong. Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us that not only does the Word reveal our wrong actions but it is also a discerner of the intent of our hearts. Not only does it tell us what we do wrong, it convicts us of the very motives behind our actions. Because of this, it is “profitable for instruction in righteousness.” Have you ever heard someone say “too bad life doesn’t come with instructions”? The truth is it does. This term “righteousness” is defined as “the state of him who is as he aught to be.” It is the act of living life according to the rules. There are two forms of righteousness referred to in scripture. The righteousness that Paul refers to here is practical righteousness, or a lifestyle that is pleasing to God. The other is imputed righteousness, or the right standing with God that is given to us when we receive salvation through the shed blood of Christ.
With this knowledge about God’s word, from God’s word, we can completely depend upon the Word as our source of knowledge.
Think about this for a moment. In giving us His word, God expressed a desire for us to know Him for who He is. To know Him intimately. What an awesome realization that the Creator, infinitely perfect in all His ways, wants a personal relationship with His creation. That, in itself, should drive you to desire knowledge.
This brings us to the second point. (1 Peter 2:2) Peter tells us here that, like newborn babies, we should desire the pure milk of Gods’ Word. In Hebrews 5:12-13 the writer uses the term milk in reference to the basic principles of scripture but that is not the case in 1 Peter. Here it is used to describe the word as our source of nourishment. He tells us to desire the sincere milk of the word. The word “desire” means to long deeply for. After all, it is our spiritual nourishment and just like a baby would die without milk, spiritually, we would die without the knowledge we receive from God’s word. Peter here also refers to the word as “sincere” milk. This term, “sincere”, means pure and undefiled. If you want your baby to grow and remain healthy you wouldn’t feed it tainted or sour milk. Likewise, we need the pure and undefiled truth that flows from the Word of God in order to grow and mature in our faith.
With that, we come to the third, and possibly the most vital of the three points. We must depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth. (Ephesians 1:17-18) In this passage, Paul prays that God would give the Ephesian believers the spirit of wisdom and revelation to enlighten the eyes of their understanding. It is not enough to merely possess knowledge. Unless we understand the truth we cannot adequately apply it to our daily lives. Just like a business man would not be able to make wise business choices based on facts unless he first understood those facts. In 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 Paul explains that the only one who can possibly understand God and the things that come from Him, including His Word, is the Spirit of God. Man cannot possibly comprehend these things. That is, unless he has the Spirit indwelling him. When a man is regenerated, or borne again, he receives the Holy Spirit of God who enables him to understand the things of God. So an unregenerate man does have the capacity to know the Word but is devoid of the capacity to understand it. However, for those who are borne again, there are things that often prevent us from utilizing that capacity for understanding.
1) Failure to study greatly dampers our ability to understand Gods Word. This is a no brainer. After all, how can we understand knowledge if we don’t refer to its source?
2) We often approach the study of Gods Word with preconceived ideas about the truths that are in it. The doctrine of predestination is a perfect example of this notion. Many people refuse to even believe that this doctrine even exists, and still others hate the fact that it does. The reason for these attitudes is the preconceived idea of what predestination is. People simply do not understand what the word of God teaches because they have been told what it means by someone else who doesn’t understand it. The truth is, this doctrine presents a beautiful picture of Gods tremendous grace and mercy. I’m not going to dive into trying to explain particular doctrines but, the point is, when you study Gods Word, begin by laying aside all preconceptions and ask the Holy Spirit of God to enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know and understand the Word for what it is, absolute truth.
This brings us to the topic of wisdom. Wisdom is the application of the understanding of knowledge to our daily lives. It goes beyond a mere ability to apply knowledge. Someone who knows they should obey God, and understands why they should obey God, and has the capacity to obey God, and yet does not, is not very wise. Thus Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey me.”
