Knowledge

Guilt.

I need to read my Bible more...serve more...give more...do more...pray more.

What sort of motivation is guilt? It isn't very compelling, and it leads us to view our behavior as duty. Reading the Bible is something we "ought" to do. Giving is something we are "commanded" to do. Praying is something we "should" do.

Love.

Love is a different sort of motivator.

My husband knows me. I mean really, really knows me. He knows the easily observable things about me, such as my fondness for twirling my hair, but he also knows the secret things; who I am when other people aren't around, what makes me smile, how I kiss. Often, he takes the words right out of my mouth. Sometimes, he tells me something about me that I hardly even realize.

Why does he know so much about me?

He loves me. I am his passion. He studies me and observes me, and he commits the things he learns about me to his memory.

What would our lives look like if we had this kind of love for Jesus? What would our churches look like? Our families?

Love at first sight is something all little girls dream about. Will we know our prince the moment we lay eyes on him?

I knew Michael for a week before I knew he was "the one". While I didn't know much about him, I knew enough to know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Yet, that initial euphoria and the little we knew about each other wasn't enough to help us endure some of the dark and painful days ahead. Every day, we came to know a little more of one another's character, and based on that knowledge we began to trust each other a little more, and develop a love that would withstand hardship.

In the same way, most of us don't become great theologians before we become Christians. God uses the knowledge that He has revealed to us to draw us to Himself and give us the faith to call Him our Savior. Yet, when hard times come we must know Him; His character and faithfulness and holiness. He will sustain us and use those truths we have learned to comfort us.

I wonder if the Biblical illiteracy of Christians has anything to do with the droves of young people leaving the church today?

Romans 10:13-14 says "For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"

In this passage, Paul was speaking about the Israelites, but it seems applicable to young people in the church today. Earlier in chapter ten, he talks about the zeal the Israelites have for God, but "not according to knowledge". Consequently, they were "ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own (righteousness), they did not submit to God's righteousness".

Ignorance of God's Word begets ignorance of God which begets ignorance of the need for His righteousness which begets self-righteousness, and in the end, God is not glorified and people are not saved from God's wrath.

For people to call on the name of the Lord and be saved, they must first hear the preaching of God's Word, all of God's Word, which leads to the knowledge of our unrighteousness and His gloriousness, which leads to believing and loving the One who has saved them.

When knowledge of God grows, so will our love for Him. May we be passionate about studying God through His Word and may our knowledge change us as we become more like Him, the One we love.