Is Knowledge Power? By: Dr. Daniel Dickard

It has been said that “knowledge is power.” While true, the statement is incomplete. Knowledge can spur personal advancement. It can even springboard you to certain successes here on earth. But human knowledge has its limitations. Charles Spurgeon once said, “One mark of man’s true wisdom is his knowledge of ignorance.” In other words, the skylines of our knowledge are often the frontiers of our ignorance. You can possess great knowledge and have little understanding. Your mind can be a storage facility of information, while your soul is an empty hole lacking spiritual transformation. Knowledge is great. But we need something more. We need wisdom that comes from God.

Have you considered the difference between human knowledge and God’s wisdom?
Human knowledge is deceptive, God’s wisdom is revealing.
Human knowledge is temporary, God’s wisdom is eternal.
Human knowledge is dangerous, God’s wisdom is illuminating.  
Human knowledge is limited, God’s wisdom is inspired

 
In 1 Corinthians 2:6-2:16, Paul breaks down these thoughts in order to convey the vanity of human wisdom and the value of God’s wisdom. Briefly consider each statement:

  1. Human knowledge is deceptive. The deception of human knowledge is such that who are spiritually ignorant do not know it (2 Cor. 4). Do not mistake knowledge about God for the act of surrender to Him. Deception becomes a reality when surrendered obedience is lacking. It is likely that, this past week alone, you were entertained to death. We imbibe information to the point of exhaustion. The average American spends 27 hours a week in front of a television, 24 hours before a computer, 15 hours staring at a cell phone, and 12 hours listening to the radio. Americans in the 21st century consume more data in a weekend than the average person in the 17th century consumed in a lifetime. Truth is, you do not need more information from man. You need something more satisfying. You need wisdom from God. Knowledge is good but, when not married to surrendered obedience, it is deceptive. You can know the kings of the Bible without knowing the King of the Kings. You can know about God without knowing God himself. Don’t be deceived by the allurement of human knowledge (i.e. if I learn this or receive this type of education, my life will look like ____). Knowledge promises much, but rarely delivers.

  2. Human knowledge is temporary. The timer on human knowledge always goes off. It is fleeting. It is passing away. You can be a great intellect. You can possess much knowledge. You can be a top-level scholar. Your name can don the Dean’s list regularly. But, if human wisdom is all you possess, you’re walking down a dead-end street that has a terminal end.

  3. Human knowledge is dangerous. Think about it. If the religious leaders in Jesus’ day had known real wisdom, they never would have nailed Him to the cross. The cross is the greatest example of God’s love, but it is also the greatest demonstration of human ignorance. Some of the best minds in Jesus’ day nailed Him to the cross. You can have a bright mind and a blinded soul at the same time. Spiritual sight is not based on your IQ, it is based on your willingness to submit your IQ to a greater wisdom. In other words, God’s wisdom should be more windshield and less rearview mirror. The great danger of human wisdom is that we often mistake a bright mind for an illumined heart.

  4. Human knowledge is limited. Human wisdom, devoid of God’s guidance, will not allow you to know the great plan the Lord has for you. There are two great certainties of life – one is that God knows, the other is that you do not. When your life resembles an independent agent more than a soul led by God’s great guidance, you are in trouble. The Christian life is defined by worrying less and trusting more. Many Christians talk about “finding God’s will.” But what exactly are we to find? Is God’s will “lost?” While it is accurate that our great need is to seek God for guidance in every area of life, the truth is we don’t have to find God’s will. God’s will is not lost. His will is that we be involved in His mission – the advancement of His kingdom on earth. His mission is clear. The unfolding of His mission and how we play a role in it is where we need guidance. The question is not, “Can you find God’s will?” The real question is how you and I are called to pour our lives out for the mission of God. It is unlikely that you will follow God on mission if you navigate life with a personal compass. God must be the captain of your ship. Settle this in your heart here and now: give your yes to God and allow Him to use you as He best sees fit. Let God meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go. God’s will is more about Him and less about you.

  5. God’s wisdom is revealing. God’s wisdom is known by revelation. Not by book information. Not by classroom accumulation. God’s wisdom is revealed. It is received. You can never know a person unless that person chooses to reveal himself or herself to you. In the same way, you can never know God unless God discloses himself to you. There is good news. He has. God has revealed himself to us – through creation, through the Bible, and through Christ. The natural (you and me) knows not the supernatural unless the infinite (God) reveals himself to us (1 Cor. 2).

  6. God’s wisdom is eternal. I love what Leonard Ravenhill once said, “If God should stamp eternity on our eyeballs, I’m quite convinced we’d be a very, very different tribe of people for God.” God’s wisdom is unending. It endures forever (Is. 40). And his wisdom should change our outlook on life. Let that comfort you. If you have something that is over your head, it is under God’s feet.

  7. God’s wisdom is illumining. Now, what does it mean that God’s wisdom is inspired? Well first, it’s important to know what it does not mean. It does not mean you will know everything about God. God’s Word is like an ocean – shallow enough that a child can understand it and deep enough that the greatest theologian is unable to plumb its depths. So, when you read the Bible, you can dive into the deep waters of Scripture and come-up with a bucket full of truth. But that does not mean the entire ocean is in your bucket. There are some things you will never know this side of eternity. And then there are some things you will never know – no matter what side of eternity you stand. And that is okay. Illumination also does not mean, as a believer, you have no spiritual requirements. You cannot come to God and say, "God illumine me" if your life is marked by duplicity. If you want God's Word to come alive, it will require the disposal of sin. So, what does it mean for God to illumine your heart? It means every Christian can know the important truths of God’s Word when we approach God in a posture of diligent obedience. Remember: God does not educate past the point of your obedience. To know God is to love God; to love God is to trust God; to trust God is to obey God. Illumination requires obedience.

  8. God’s wisdom is inspired. Not only did God reveal Himself to us through creation and Christ. He has inspired the Scriptures to preserve His self-disclosure through human history. Now what is the difference between revelation and inspiration? Revelation is God disclosing Himself. Inspiration is the holy men of old taking what God has given and recording it in such a way that it is sufficient and without error. Inspiration is the accurate transmission of God’s revelation. It is the very Word of God given to us by men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). God did not just inspire the thoughts of the Bible. God inspired the very words of the Bible. This is what theologians call “verbal plenary inspiration.” Why does this matter to you? Not only can you thank God for stepping out of heaven to reveal Himself to you, but you can trust the Bible – God’s revelation to mankind. What great lengths God went through in order to give and preserve his wisdom for us.

You may say, “I agree, but where do I go from here.” In other words, “Now what and so what?” If you want more of God’s wisdom, let me encourage you to take four immediate action steps that we, at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, are taking this year:

  1.  Read the Bible faithfully
  2.  Memorize Scripture intently  
  3.  Pray desperately
  4.  Study the Bible in community immediately
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