Knowledge - "More, More About Jesus"

Scott Price

"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" Jer 3:15

The Scriptures are often twisted by preachers to the detriment of many of God's sheep. Some preachers hold their congregation back from progressing in knowledge in fear of the potential risk that they will become "puffed up". Is that risk a real threat? Have we not met people in different congregations who are hard to deal with because they are know-it-alls and as a result are not pleasant to be around? Yes, these people do exist in some places. But should we, as the old saying goes, "throw the baby out with the bath water"? If we look at God's word as a whole, comparing Scripture with Scripture, we very quickly find a preponderance of texts exhorting us to progress in the area of knowledge rather than staying stagnant or ignorant in our life and walk of faith.

Besides the clear testimony of Scripture, which, by the way is enough, but also from our experience in times past, the joy of our minds being enlightened by the knowledge given by the means of God's word should be an incentive to progress in knowledge. When we see glimpses of our Lord Jesus Christ as our minds are exercised in meditation of the gospel throughout our lives is the best part. This results in edification and worship. God is says in John chapter 4 to even seek worshippers who worship Him in Spirit and in truth. So, if this is the case what do you think would be a good means for the Spirit of God to use to spur on worship in the hearts of God's people, ignorance or knowledge?

The Scripture says people who are those who are perishing think the gospel is foolishness (I Cor 1:18) and that they have not received the "love of the truth that they might be saved" (II Thes 2:10. Do you think God's sheep are hungering for the knowledge of their Savior? Is not this their food for life, the truth as it is in Christ? As the old hymn goes, "More about Jesus would I know". Give us Christ else we die! In this land of famine why on earth would people who claim to believe God's gospel of free and sovereign grace ever, ever want to stunt the growth of God's sheep by withholding or slowing the process of knowledge? Is it like the Dark Ages where the information was bond up and hoarded? Truth is only profitable for God's people if it passes through their mind and sticks there in the form of growth in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ignorance is NEVER bliss.

Just as the old satanic idea of doubting one's salvation being somehow humility, the same goes with the halting of knowledge. Being "puffed up" is definitely sin. Let's not starve the church because some are puffed up. God gives grace to His people to see that He is the One who makes people to differ. God gives wisdom as He gives knowledge. As God's people we cannot take the place of God. He alone can make people utilize knowledge properly. We are not to try to be grand puppet masters of people's minds. This is not the mission of the church. God will deal with the folks who are puffed up. Do not join the other side of the war thinking you are helping God weed out the puffed up people but at the same time starving out the hungry. "For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ...." II Cor 10:4-5 (MKJV). Ignorance kills!

Preach and promote the knowledge of Christ and His gospel using whatever means available and necessary. This should be the unceasing effort of the church. Spread the knowledge far and wide of the Savior who this world is so ignorant of. The same Savior who the church is panting for the knowledge of like the deer that pants, thirsty by the brook. Let the church have a bountiful gospel buffet to feed on. Let us progress (grow; a mathematical idea) in knowledge of the Truth. I wish it were not the case but I actually heard a "sovereign grace preacher" on tape, say that you can get too much gospel. There is no excuse whatsoever for the promotion of ignorance. It only takes an elementary reading of God's word to see the trouble folks get in for two things: Not knowing and not remembering what you know. Oh that God would give us the maximum dose of the knowledge of His Son! Is God's church hungry for Him or not? Can you over-eat in this case? You cannot get too much gospel, ever.

Loving Him More as We Know Him Better

"We love Him because He first loved us" is a verse we often quote. God gives us the desire, the will, the ability, to love Him by giving us an understanding of who He is and what He has done for us in His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. This cannot be said of the non-elect, who hates God. If God loved them, they would true love Him since His love is always effective. Do you see the effect of God's love to His people? It is effectual, in that it is more than words that says He loves, but rather ACTION. This action was displayed in choosing the His people, not conditioned on anything in them or even any future performance by them, but for Christ's sake alone (Rom 9:11 & Eph 1:4-6).

The effect of God's love does not stop at this Covenant of Grace, wherein the promise is that salvation is conditioned on Christ alone as their Representative and Surety. The effect of His love goes to provide what His holiness demands from all His people: Absolute perfect satisfaction to law and justice and the establishment of a flawless righteousness by Jesus Christ, that is imputed to the elect's account and justifies them before God Almighty, forever.

The effect does not stop there but extends to the work of the Spirit of God in regeneration and conversion through the means of the gospel of free grace. This is where we actually experience the fruit and effect of Christ's life and death for us as God dispenses the spiritual gifts from the Spirit that were merited by Christ. We are given knowledge of Him in the gospel. We are given eyes to see and ears to hear, a renewed mind. We are given an understanding that we may know Him. It is impossible to love Him if we do not know and understand who He is and what He did. We are given faith to trust and lean on Him for our righteousness, peace, assurance, and completeness.

The effect of His love never stops but takes us to the state of glorification where we shall see Him face to face. He insures we will be finally delivered from even the very presence of sin, and not having sickness and sorrow anymore. The more we learn of Him in His word and His gospel the more we love Him. Thank God for this means He has given us to increase our love for our Savior. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. For it is written, The just shall live by faith. Make continual use of the gospel, the gift He has given us to help us see Him clearly and love Him dearly.

The Doctrine of Christ Crucified

"Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son" II John 9

In a day when thinking, especially on spiritual things is unpopular, Mystics calling themselves preachers have been the means to further blind the minds of modern churchgoers. This goes beyond not defining, being cloudy, not explaining, passing over or leaving out certain Biblical teachings on purpose, but even all the way to making definite and dogmatic statements that would totally divorce the doctrine of the death of Christ from the gospel itself. How can someone fall for such a deception? How can some preachers from all over the world who would even call themselves "Sovereign Grace Preachers" fall for such a thing? How can they disconnect the very Person of Christ from His glorious work? It is a constant struggle and battle to exhort, teach, warn, etc., God's people about the bombardment of these evil things.

Many today in so-called "Christianity" deny that the Scripture is the infallible and inspired word of God. This is the first step down the road to swallowing just about anything that comes along. Where then is their basis for believing something? They become their own standard implying they are wiser than God. Those who do at least claim the Scripture is the very word of God often wrestles it to their own destruction. This too is an indication that implies they think they are wiser than God. Yet another type are those who hear it, CLAIM to believe it but fold under pressure because it is not the popular view to hold and they compromise to avoid persecution.

The offense of the cross, which is the result of the clear gospel preaching of the effectual redemption of the elect by God's Christ, encapsulates the focal point of what really matters. It keeps the main thing being the main thing. The main thing is the glory of God in the death of Christ. It is simply the magnification of the redemptive glory of God by the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ in the salvation of sinners. It is the message that honors His love and at the same time magnifies His justice. It is a message that excludes all boasting without exception. It is a message that holds in place the preeminence of Christ making sure that from start to finish that salvation is of the Lord. It is a message that looks at grace as it opposes and excludes works for salvation. It shows the Righteousness of God in Christ as opposed to all other forms of righteousness. It corners and flushes out humanistic doctrines that men have invented. It cuts the wicked throat with the Sword of the Lord of false gospels such as Pelagianism, Arminism, Freewillism, and any other doctrinal thief that attempts to rob the Lord of His glory.

Most all the doctrinal wickedness can be summed up in the satanic stronghold of Universal Atonement. Denominations small and large are dominated by this lie of a failed "Christ". Most of you already know this to be true. But the problem comes when people tolerate Satan's lie to legitimize their seniority in religion as a whole and count themselves saved when they believed such God-dishonoring garbage. God is not impressed at all. The pride of man to include a few extra decades onto their supposed conversion by claiming hope in such a wicked message speaks volumes of what they really of God in the first place. They have, in the end, divorced, the glorious, effectual and victorious death of Christ from the gospel itself. O how freewill dumbs down the heart and mind to fool itself. God sees the heart. Repent now if this describes you. Join us in the stand against the popular "gospel" which is no gospel.