Today’s Scripture ReadingToday’s Scripture Reading

Hosea 4:6Hosea 4:6

Real Christians Are Real Christians Are KNOWLEDGEABLEKNOWLEDGEABLE

Hosea 4:6Hosea 4:6

Do We Know What We Know?Do We Know What We Know?

““My trouble with My trouble with Christians isn’t Christians isn’t what they know, what they know, but that they know but that they know so many things so many things that aren’t so.”that aren’t so.”

True Christian KnowledgeTrue Christian Knowledge

True Christian knowledge is a vital element True Christian knowledge is a vital element that is largely missing in the church today.that is largely missing in the church today.

• Knowledge of the word of God is indispensable to our Christian walk.

• As Christians we should never be satisfied with, “I believe…” but only with, “The Bible says….”

• Anyone can say they are a Christian, but REAL Christians are KNOWLEDGEABLE.

The Dangers of the Loss of KnowledgeThe Dangers of the Loss of Knowledge

Hosea 4:6Hosea 4:6

““my people are destroyed from lack of my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. knowledge.        "Because you have rejected        "Because you have rejected knowledge, knowledge,        I also reject you as my priests;        I also reject you as my priests;        because you have ignored the law of        because you have ignored the law of your God, your God,        I also will ignore your children.”       I also will ignore your children.”

Complete spiritual destruction!Complete spiritual destruction!

Complete National DestructionComplete National Destruction

• Invitation to the Invitation to the nations to devour nations to devour IsraelIsrael

• Israel compared to Israel compared to mute dogsmute dogs

• Their lack of Their lack of knowledge would lead knowledge would lead to national to national destructiondestruction

Isaiah 56:9-11Isaiah 56:9-11

Spiritual BlindnessSpiritual Blindness

Matthew 15:14Matthew 15:14

• Leave them; they are Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."both will fall into a pit."

Spiritual BlindnessSpiritual Blindness

• Matthew 23:24

“You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Spiritual InfancySpiritual Infancy

““Then we will no longer be infants, Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”Christ.”

Ephesians 4:14-15Ephesians 4:14-15

Enslavement to the “Experts”Enslavement to the “Experts”

"Woe to you experts in the law, "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and younot entered, and you have hindered those have hindered those whowho were entering."were entering."

Luke 11:52Luke 11:52

A Depraved Mind

Romans 1:28Romans 1:28

Furthermore, since Furthermore, since they did not think it they did not think it worthwhile to retain worthwhile to retain the knowledge of the knowledge of God, he gave them God, he gave them over to a depraved over to a depraved mind, to do what mind, to do what ought not to be done.ought not to be done.

The Benefits of Knowledge

Proverbs 10:13

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,        but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

Knowledge leads to wisdom

Knowledge Aids in a Righteous Walk

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

Philippians 1:9-11

Knowledge Leads to Obedience in Christ

2 Corinthians 10:5 -- We demolish We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.obedient to Christ.

Knowledge leads to spiritual maturityKnowledge leads to spiritual maturity

Ephesians 4:13 -- …Ephesians 4:13 -- …until we all reach until we all reach unity in the faith and unity in the faith and in the knowledge of in the knowledge of the Son of God and the Son of God and become mature, become mature, attaining to the attaining to the whole measure of whole measure of the fullness of the fullness of Christ.Christ.

Knowledge Is Part Of Our Spiritual Renewal

• Colossians 3:10“…and have put on the new self, which is

being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

2 Peter 1:2:“Grace and peace be yours in abundance

through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

Knowledge brings grace and peace

True Knowledge and False True Knowledge and False KnowledgeKnowledge

1 Timothy 6:201 Timothy 6:20

““Timothy, guard what has been entrusted Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge…”falsely called knowledge…”

““Christianity” abounds in false knowledge Christianity” abounds in false knowledge posing as the real thing.posing as the real thing.

Knowledge Tempered With LoveKnowledge Tempered With Love

1 Corinthians 8:11 Corinthians 8:1

“…“…We know that we all possess knowledge. We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

Knowledge Tempered With LoveKnowledge Tempered With Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 – 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 – “If I speak in the “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”nothing.”

Knowledge Carefully Examined Knowledge Carefully Examined and Provedand Proved

1 John 4:1 -- 1 John 4:1 -- “Dear friends, do not believe “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the false prophets have gone out into the world.”world.”

REAL CHRISTIANS ARE REAL CHRISTIANS ARE KNOWLEDGEABLEKNOWLEDGEABLE

•Only with knowledge can we combat Only with knowledge can we combat Satan and his lies.Satan and his lies.•Only with true knowledge can we find our Only with true knowledge can we find our way safely through the murky fog of this way safely through the murky fog of this often troubled world.often troubled world.•Real Christians are KNOWLEDGEABLE.Real Christians are KNOWLEDGEABLE.•How about you?How about you?