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Knowledge vs. Spirit

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KNOWLEDGE VS. THE HOLY SPIRIT

Knowledge is wonderful and we all seek and desire knowledge.  Adam and Eve sought knowledge above the spoken Word of God and Spirit of God and that was the fall of man.  They relied on “self” through deception, perhaps they thought if God knew what was good and evil why shouldn’t we?  Really, are we God?  Unfortunately much of this is still taking place today because how things appear is not necessarily the truth.  What is true might not be truth.  God wanted to protect us from evil back then and The Lord still wants to protect us from evil.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself but we must be discerning when it comes to knowledge of spiritual things.

We all go through refinement, trials and tribulations edifying us and refining us into the likeness of Christ Jesus.  There is much knowledge and revelations to be achieved in the “refiners fire”!  We have all endured many trials, tribulations and hardships and quite frankly may endure a few more.  

Are we to forget what we have learned, achieved and overcome?  Absolutely not, yet this is not to be our sole determining factor in our discernment or decision-making.  Head knowledge is not necessarily spiritual knowledge and what happens in the natural is usually founded or rooted the spiritual. 

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians that we do not wrestle and war against flesh and blood. (Natural/Physical) What appears in the natural is spiritually motivated.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(Revelation 12:11 KJV)

We must embrace what we have learned and overcome in our natural lives and submit these things to the Lord in spirit and truth towards the application of our current problems and situations.  While there were many great battles in the bible and great hero’s such as Moses, Isaac, Jacob and David each great victory had a unique application towards that victory.  Many of these battles were fought and won utilizing an unconventional manner after seeking the Lord.  We must seek the Lord in our battles and this is more critical with each passing day in the troubled world we live in.   

 

Imagine Moses with the Israelites at the Red Sea and only relying on human knowledge.  I am sure Moses may have entertained thoughts such as we can’t swim as we will surely drown.  If we turn around many will die and others will likely be enslaved again.  Yet in the midst of trial and tribulation Moses raises his head towards heaven and seeks the Lord.  The Lord tells Moses to put his staff in the water and the Lord parts the sea!  Can you imagine if Moses relied on only what he had formally known from personal experiences?  

 

The point I wish to make is that it is easy to fall into extremes when it comes to discernment.  Some people rely to much on personal experience or head knowledge never submitting such things to the Lord for truth, revelation and application.  We are not to forget our victories, trials and tribulations as everything works out for the glory of The Lord, nothing goes to waste in the Kingdom of God.  Often these experiences help us to understand what others are currently going through that we ourselves have overcome by the grace of God.

  

We still occupy and live in this world even though we are no longer of this world.  You can’t forget what you have learned here on earth. However our battles are not carnal or fleshly and everything should be submitted to the Spirit and The Lord.

 

If we follow the beliefs of man we are likely following the “fall of man” and not the Lord.  The method of your personal victory may not be the method the Lord desires for me or someone else.  What is visual in the natural surely looks different in the spiritual.  What you hear in the natural is different than what you hear in the Spirit.  For example have you ever talked with a friend and asked them how they are doing and they tell you they are ok but you discern in their voice that they are not well or struggling?  What you heard didn’t match with what you discerned.

 

Satan is the master of deception.  If he tempts you one way and you overcome him, he will likely try a different method the next time.   An old method of victory might not be your current method of victory.  It is important to submit what you have learned and experienced from prior situations along with your current situations seeking the Lord for revelations and application.    

 

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing.

(John 15:5 KJV)

 

We can do nothing without Christ Jesus and the Victory is His not ours.  So if the victory is the Lord’s then the battle must also be the Lord’s!  We must submit to the Lord.

 

The enemy would love nothing more than to eliminate your discernment and decision making when confronted with new situations, trials and tribulations.  While I believe most things are “black & white” are we deceived into believing we know all things or do we seek He who knows all things Christ Jesus.  Surely we will face new trials and tribulations as we achieve personal and spiritual growth. We must seek The Lord on these matters.

 

The grey area is real and that is when we process what doesn’t appear right, true or Godly in nature.  This could very well be a time frame to process and submit maters to the Lord for truth and revelations.  Many people will attempt to force you into rash or hasty decisions and this may very well be control, manipulation or intimidation which is ungodly.  

 

We were created with free will and the Lord desires to lead us not control us.  The Lord is looking for willing vessels not controlling vessels.  Take the “grey areas” and submit these things to the Word of God and the Spirit of The Lord and seek truth and revelations.  Anyone who desires a spontaneous answer is likely masking control, dominance and manipulation.  God created us with free will to worship, praise and love Him.  

 

Jesus said His people perish for a lack of knowledge.  He was referring to spiritual knowledge.  

 

27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you:but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

(1 John 2:27 KJV)

Contend for Christ in Your Thoughts

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The Lord has been putting on my heart the issue of our thought life.  Our thoughts reveal our heart.

Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…….

If entertaining evil thoughts precede and lead to the action of sin, conversely entertaining Godly thoughts lead to the action of love and confidence in the kingdom truths which leads to our kingdom walk.  Thoughts are not ours until we agree with them.  When we agree with heavenly inspired thoughts we produce Christ in us, while thoughts of worry, bitterness and strife produce despair.

Philippians 4:8 tells us:

[Meditate on These Things] Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

In any vacuum of heavenly thoughts the seeds of despair are being sown.  We must sow seed of life and life more abundantly.  Our own intimacy with the Lord is increased as a result of our heavenly thought life, the choice to cast down ungodly thoughts and rest in what we know in Him. Our heart is the soil for His word and we can prepare our soil to grow the goodness of Christ in us by choosing a heavenly thought life.

Entertaining wrong thoughts birthed the sin we were washed clean from, but we still have to contend for holiness.  We must align our thought life with Christ to be overcomers and eliminate the distractions which hinder our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and cause us to fall short of walking in a pure gospel of Christ.

Renewing our mind is essential to believe the truth of Christ to the point of trust and obedience when our natural reasoning may bring a thought or conclusion in conflict with the word of God.

Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

My Prayer for you:

Dear Father in heaven, I ask you in Jesus name to quicken to our spirit the thoughts which are not yours and the desire to cast them down, to live in the truth of your word and your hope.  May our hearts be purified so that we release pure love in which the world will see Jesus Christ in everything we say and expression of our behavior and choices.  Amen.

LOOKING TO GOD AND OTHERS

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Looking to God and Others


Jeremiah 37:1–38:28; Romans 9:1–12; Proverbs 23:19–35

We have a natural tendency to be concerned with our own condition. As redeemed people, God is transforming us from being self-centered people—concerned with our own ambitions—to other-centered people who want to see God’s work done in and around us. Sometimes even our spiritual concerns point us inward. But God’s work in us shouldn’t be just about us.

Paul sets a startling example in his concern for those who hadn’t come to know Christ: “I am telling the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit—that my grief is great and there is constant distress in my heart. For I could wish myself to be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my fellow countrymen according to the flesh” (Rom 9:1–3).

Although he was called especially to be an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul was deeply concerned about the spiritual state of the Jewish people—his own people. The promise of the Messiah was given to them, yet many refused to believe the fulfillment of this promise, the redeeming work of Christ. They weren’t aware of the fulfillment of that promise given especially to them. Paul was so grieved by their rejection of their salvation that he was willing to be accursed for their sakes.

God is at work in us—transforming us for His purpose. We should be keenly aware of His work. But our gaze shouldn’t be fixed inward. We should be looking to God, amazed by His grace and His concern for people like us. As we are changed into His likeness, we should be caught up in caring for the things that deeply concern Him. We should care about the people He wants to be transformed to His likeness. He is molding and shaping us into His likeness so that we can be His instruments, His agents on earth. The people we meet and the situations we encounter are all opportunities to reflect Christ—not because we want to be holy examples, but because we have a task to do.

How is God’s work transforming you to be deeply concerned about the spiritual state of others? Who can you pray for? Who can you reach out to?

 

 Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.