The Knowledge Of God Series

Columbus was on his fourth voyage in 1504. His ships were

grounded in St. Ann's Bay in Jamaica, and the natives revolted and

refused to supply the Spaniard with food. There seemed to be no

way of escaping the agonies of starvation. Columbus was looking at

the almanac, and he learned that a total lunar eclipse was coming.

On the evening it was due he called for the natives to assemble and

told them that unless they repented and helped them God would blot

out the moon, the sun, and the stars, in that order. He pointed to the

moon which had already begun to darken. The natives were

terrified and begged Columbus to intercede for them. Delivering

food was resumed at once, and Columbus promised that disaster

would be averted. The darkness passed, and nothing happened, of

course, and the natives never revolted again.

Here is an example of the power of knowledge. Because

Columbus understood the workings of God's creation, he was able

to save his life and the lives of his men. Knowledge enabled him to

dominate and manipulate the natives who were ignorant and

superstitious. The weak are almost always weak because of

ignorance, and the strong are almost always strong because of

superior knowledge. This is supported by Scripture, reason, history,

and experience. Knowledge is power because it leads to the

discovery of the means of power. America is the strongest nation in

the world because of its superior technological knowledge, and

because it has been able to tap the resources of power in God's

creation. Only those nations that are also in possession of this

knowledge are any challenge. In some nations wood is still the

primary fuel. As nations advance they use greater sources of power

right up to nuclear fuel. Growth in knowledge leads to growth in

power. This is beyond dispute.

This being so, it follows that growth in the knowledge of God

should lead to greater power in the spiritual realm. We do not need

to speculate on this, for this is precisely what Peter and the whole of

the Bible teaches. Paul longed to know Christ and the power of his

resurrection. The two go together. In the knowledge of God and of

Christ is the power to be and become all that we should be. Peter

says in verse 2 that "grace and peace be multiplied to you in the

knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Grace and peace are two

major values for the Christian life, and Peter says they are

multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Christ. Growing in grace

and peace is a matter of knowing God better.

Then Peter goes on in verse 3 and says, "His divine power has

given us everything we need for life and godliness through our

knowledge of him..." In verse 5 knowledge is one of the things that

we are to diligently add to our faith. In verse 8 the goal of all is from

the negative side that we shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of

our Lord Jesus Christ. Then in 2:20 Peter says the power that

enables men to escape the evil forces of the world is the knowledge of

the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He closes this letter by writing,

"But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ." If we had nothing but II Peter, we could say that the

knowledge of God is the power of God, and the means to all His

benefits and promises.

This means modern man is so close to the truth and yet so far.

The worldly wise know that knowledge is power. In fact, knowledge

has become their idol. The success of science in demonstration the

power of knowledge has led to knowledge and education being held

forth as the panacea for all our problems, and the cure for all our

diseases. Knowledge is the modern Messiah, which will bear our

burdens and heal our diseases. Salvation through science is the only

hope that millions even consider today.

The tragedy is that they have the right answer, but the wrong

object. Knowledge is the answer, but not knowledge of the creation,

but knowledge of the Creator. Modern man is making the same

foolish mistake the ancient wise men made. Paul in Romans 1 says

they had the revelation of God, and they could have chosen Him,

but in their wisdom they became fools and chose the impersonal

handiwork of God and ignored the personal love and purpose of

God. Man is becoming an expert on the disease, but ignoring the

cure completely. He has the right idea that knowledge is power, but

he is blind to the highest and most necessary kind of power that man