Flourishing in Knowledge – A Summary

    This has been far from an exhaustive study on knowledge, but I hope that the previous posts and this post will encourage you to pause and take note in your reading and study each time you come across “know,” “knowing,” “knowledge,” and “made manifest” (which means, ‘made known in a clear and obvious way’), so that your study continues; allowing your growth in this area to continue as well.

    Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” and I believe that as you continue to flourish in knowledge it will lead you to humble obedience and loving service. You will come to eagerly await Jesus’ return (2 Peter 3:11-13; 17-18, Philippians 3:20-4:1) and anticipate the Day when faith will become sight (1 John 3:1-3), when hope will be realized (Hebrews 6:17-19, Romans 8:18-25), and when love will carry you through eternity (1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 John 4:17-19).    

“…the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.” (Ecclesiastes 7:12b NKJV)

Why should we flourish in knowledge?

    Without knowledge of God’s righteousness, we risk making up our own (or following someone else’s, i.e. doctrines/creeds of men) – Romans 10:2-3. Knowing of God, but not pursuing His righteousness, will prevent others from knowing the truth and obeying it (Romans 1:18)!

    Refusing to grow further in knowledge reveals a complacency about God and His will (Proverbs 1:32-33, Revelation 3:15-16, Matthew 24:42, 1 Peter 5:8). Without proper knowledge we may teach and/or guide others incorrectly (Acts 8:14-24, 13:45, 14:1-2), we could be a roadblock to their understanding (Galatians 2:11-13, Luke 11:52, Hebrews 5:12-13), and we, ourselves will inevitably become weak (Hebrews 5:12-14).

“…attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2b-3 NKJV)

As you read and study the Bible you can discover:

• The knowledge of salvation (Luke 1:77, Acts 2-16)
• The knowledge of the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6)
• Knowledge of God and His Son (Romans 11:33, Ephesians 3:4, 4:13, Philippians 3:8, 2 Peter 1:2-3)
• Knowledge of God’s will (Colossians 1:9-10, Ephesians 5:8-10, 15-17)
• Knowledge of God’s righteousness (Romans 1:16-17, Matthew 6:33, we need to know His righteousness so we don’t make up our own, Romans 10:2-3)
• Knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4, John 14:6)
• Knowledge that renews you and keeps you on the narrow path (Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 4:17-24, 2 Peter 1:3)

And you will discover the veritable storehouse of assurances – all the things we can know - declared within the epistle of 1 John, who wrote these things (through the Holy Spirit) “that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13):

• We know we know Him if we keep His commandments (1 John 2:3)
• We know that we are in Him because when we keep God’s word, His love is perfected in us (1 John 2:5 ,6)
• We know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him (who is righteous, 1 John 2:29)
• We know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2)
• We know this is the last hour (1 John 2:18)
• We know that [Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5)
• We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren (1 John 3:14)
• We know love, because He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16)
• We know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him if we live in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18-19)
• We know that He abides in us, by the Spirit He has given to us and we keep His commandments (1 John 4:2, 12-13)
• We know the Spirit of God (every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is of God, 1 John 4:2)
• We know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:6)
• We have known and believed the love that God has for us (1 John 4:16)
• We know we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments (1 John 5:2)
• We know we have eternal life (1 John 5:13)
• If we know God hears us, we know we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:15)
• We know whoever is born of God does not sin, but keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him (1 John 5:18)
• We know we are of God (1 John 5:19)
• We know Him who is true because the Son of God has come and has given us understanding (1 John 5:20)

John also wrote about the things that were made manifest (made known):

• The antichrists are made known (that they were not of us) by going out from among us (1 John 2:19)
• The Word of life was made known - the apostles have seen and bear witness (1 John 1:1-2)
• The Son was made known that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8)
• God’s love was made known towards us in sending His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9)
• The children of God (and the children of the devil) are made known in this: whoever does not practice righteousness and does not love his brother is not of God (1 John 3:10)

    Isn’t that comforting – and exciting! We can know these things! We can grow in our knowledge of these things! And we can tell others about them too!!

    Please take time over the next couple of weeks, as the Lord wills, to read and think on the epistle of 1 John. Reread the list above and, throughout your day, try to recall a few of the things ‘we can know and be assured of.’ Try to keep them in mind so that if anyone asks you the reason for your hope you can make mention of these assurances and point people toward God and the truth found only in His word!

    You can know. You can grow and flourish even more in 2024 in knowledge! From wherever you are right now – BEGIN!

You can do it! So can I!!