FAILURE TO HAVE A SOUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD OF GOD!

In continuation of our discussions on the enemies of faith, we are going to look at “FAILURE TO HAVE A SOUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD OF GOD!”

In First Timothy 6:12 the Bible says, “Fight the good fight of faith…” Every Christian is expected to fight the good fight of faith. And without a sound knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, you cannot win in this battle. 

This is so because faith begins where the will of God is known (Rom. 10:17). The will of God is the Word of God. Therefore, if you don’t know the will of God concerning any area of your life, you can never have any faith in that area. And if you don’t have faith, you can never win in the battle of faith in that particular area of your life. The more the Word of God you have in you, the greater your faith (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3; Prov. 4:20-22). 

In Colossians 3:16 God said, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” 

How can the Word of God dwell in you richly? In 2 Timothy 2:15 the Bible says, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” 

In 1 Peter 2:2 the Bible says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.” 

Daniel 11:32 says, “…But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” You know God by knowing His Word.

Lack of a proper knowledge and understanding of the Word of God will bring you into captivity and eventually to destruction. 

In Isaiah 5:13 God said, “Therefore, My people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” 

Who is a captive? A captive is someone kept in detention. Everyone that lacks the knowledge of God’s Word is in detention or prison. He is a captive or prisoner of Satan. Why did they go into captivity? Because they lacked the knowledge of the Word of God in a particular area of their life. Any area of your life you lack the proper knowledge of God’s will, the devil will bring you into captivity in that area. 

What does it mean to be famished? It means to suffer from extreme hunger. Beloved, every difficulty in your life, every failure in your life, every mistake in your life is because you do not know and understand the Word of God. 

Do you know that when you lack the knowledge of God’s Word you come to destruction? (Hos. 4:6).

God says that His people are destroyed. Why? Because they lack the knowledge of the Word of God. When you know the Word of God and correctly apply it, you’ll come out of every captivity or destruction. 

Do you notice something here? The extent to which you can be free from the captivity and destruction of Satan is proportional to the amount of the Word of God you know and properly understand. 

What then is knowledge? Knowledge is the information or the skills acquired through experience or education (study). 

2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as HIS DIVINE POWER hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM that hath called us to glory and virtue.” 

A man of knowledge is more powerful than a strong man. Proverbs 24:5 says, “A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” 

Without knowledge you cannot have understanding let alone wisdom. It is the knowledge of the truth that makes you free. For instance, the children of Issachar had understanding of the times because of their knowledge (1 Chron. 12:32). 

When you have knowledge, you can then seek understanding of that which you know. When you have a correct understanding of what you know and then take the next step of applying that knowledge which you have thorough understanding of, then you can be said to have wisdom. Wisdom is the correct application of that which you know and have understood. Wisdom is doing things God’s way. 

If knowledge is power, then we need the knowledge of the Word of God to be spiritually strong. We need it to have faith. We need to be moulded, motivated and managed by the Word of God. Look at some of the things that the Bible says about KNOWLEDGE:

1. Knowledge has a beginning (Prov. 1:7; 16:6). 

2. Through the knowledge of the Word of God shall the righteous be delivered (Prov. 11:9).

3. Fools hate knowledge (Prov. 1:22).

4. The wise loves knowledge (Prov. 10:14).

There is a way to know who loves knowledge. Anyone that loves instruction loves knowledge (Prov. 12:1). 

5. Therefore, a wise person tries to gain more knowledge. But a foolish person wants only more foolishness (Prov. 15:14, 18:15). Why?

6. Knowledge of the Word of God will make you a man of excellent spirit (Prov. 17:27). 

When you have knowledge then you can have understanding because you can only have an understanding of what you know. Then you can be said to have an excellent spirit. So when you have a proper knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, you have an excellent spirit indeed. You are a wise man.

7 Knowledge will fill your house with riches (Prov. 24:4). Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

8. The knowledge of the Word will make you strong and help you to do exploits for God (Dan. 11:32). 

9. The knowledge of the Word of God will give you all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). 

10. The knowledge of the Word of God will cause grace and peace to be multiplied unto you (2 Peter 1:2).

11. Zeal without knowledge is destructive (Prov. 19:2; Rom. 10:2-3). 

12.  Knowledge is treasured by the wise (Prov. 10:14).

What are the benefits of knowledge of the Word of God? Look at a few advantages of knowledge of the Word of God: 

1. Through the knowledge of the Word of God shall the righteous be delivered (Prov. 11:9; Jn. 8:32).

2.  The knowledge of the Word of God will make you strong and help you to do exploits for God (Dan. 11:32). 

3. The knowledge of the Word of God will give you all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

4. The knowledge of the Word of God will multiply (increase) the grace and peace in your life (2 Pet. 1:2-3).

5. Knowledge will keep you away from destruction. 

For instance, consider your Cell Phone: We know that electricity can enter your body through your cell phones and digital camera. Because of this knowledge, you should:

• Avoid using your cell phones at petrol pumps.
• Avoid using mobile phones when driving because of accidents.
• When your cell phone is charging, don’t receive calls. First remove the charging pin and then receive the call.
• When your cell phone is on charge, don’t put it on a wooden platform or the bed. Fire can break out.
• Use only your left ear when using your mobile phone. Avoid using your right ear. Why? Because that makes your brain more prone to mobile radiation. This radiation damages your brain cells.
• Keep your mobile phones far away from your bed room just for the same reason. Do not keep it anywhere close to your bed because of the mobile radiation that could destroy your brain cells.
• Don’t use your cell phone or digital camera-flash at railway stations or any other place where there is a heavy flow of electric current.
• Do not use your cell phone where there is high electromagnetic waves or near electricity transformers.
• Do not use cell phone in the rain especially when there is lightning and thunder. If you must, stay away from windows and doors.

For instance: A 21 year old engineering student was burnt to death because he stood near an electric wire with 40,000 Volts in a railway station to take a group photograph with his digital camera.

As soon as he pressed the button of the digital camera, 40,000 Volts of electricity entered the camera through the flash and burnt his whole body.

All these happened in a fraction of few seconds and 50% of his body was burnt, and later on he died.

In another instance, a high voltage of electric current entered the body of a certain person that was receiving calls when it was raining. The flash of the lightning entered her body and burnt her ear and part of her face.

Do you want to be an all-round overcomer? Do you want to see mountains crumble before you? Do you want to see the Red Sea part before you? Do you want to see demons bow before you? Do you want to be a man of unshakable faith? Then give an undivided attention to a diligent study of the Word of God. Seek a proper understanding of the Word of God. Appreciate the Word of God. Assimilate the Word of God. Then you can appropriate the Word of God. And I guarantee that if you do that, it will not only transform your life, but it will make you a man of excellent spirit and your faith in God will become unshakable.  

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!

• Your friend: I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor)  01.03.2020