Why should we acquire knowledge?

Text: Prov 18:15 “Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.“

Background:

• According to Google, knowledge is awareness, understanding, and familiarity acquired through facts, learning, or through experience.
• Knowledge in the Bible goes beyond that; it signifies a deep understanding and relationship with God, encompassing spiritual truths, moral principles, and the nature of God, crucial for wisdom, righteousness, and a life that glorifies Him.

☆ That’s why it says in Proverbs 1:7 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It is only when we accept and reverence God that we begin to truly know the truths of life.

• To acquire knowledge, you have to have access to it. Without access, you cannot learn or build knowledge.

☆ The word of God is accessible to all, but only those who have a relationship with God will be able to access the mystery of the word of God.

• To acquire knowledge, you need to understand what you’re reading or learning. You can’t be knowledgeable in an area you don’t understand.

☆ Because the Bible is full of mystery and secrets, it is hard to understand it on your own. That’s why we have the Holy Spirit. ☆ The Holy Spirit is supposed to teach and guide us in the truths of the Word. John 16:13 says the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truths. He will communicate God’s truth and plan to us so we understand what He is doing per time and season.

• To sustain knowledge, you need to be familiar with it.

☆ You need to constantly read and meditate on the Bible to familiarize yourself with God’s truth. Joshua 1:8.

• God is always sending people to teach and preach His word to His people so that they can be equipped with knowledge of His kingdom, His plans, and to protect them from the evil plans of the enemy.

Benefits of being knowledgeable.

• It deepens your relationship with God. Because you’re continually learning about Him, intimacy grows.
• It strengthens your faith. Attacks from the enemy won’t cause you to waver or stray away from the faith.
• It paves the way to wisdom. Wisdom is gained through knowledge and understanding.
• Boosts your confidence. Reading about what God has said about you in His word not only boosts your self-esteem but also shapes you into who He wants you to be.
• It facilitates your personal growth. Continuously learning about God and gaining knowledge from His word will help you in your personal life because God’s word is to edify, teach, rebuke, and correct, which helps us to grow. 2 Tim 3:16-17.
• It strengthens your discernment and helps believers not to fall victim to false doctrines.
• It leads to salvation. Hearing the word of God leads to repentance. As much as gaining knowledge is good, we must be careful of harmful information that may destroy us or lead us away from the faith. Filter the information you receive and decide if it improves your quality of life or destroys it. A few examples of people who had bad information are:
  • Eve. She was convinced of the serpent’s lie, which led to the fall of man. Gen 3:1-6
  • Amnon took the advice of Jonadab, his friend, and lost his life doing so. 2 Samuel 13.
  • King Rehoboam listened and acted on the wrong counsel, and his people rebelled against him.

We as the church (the body of Christ) must ensure that we are equipped with the necessary information/knowledge that would improve our quality of life as well as increase our literacy

A short exhortation by Jennifer Ogirisen