03/04/2023
Do you know that our love is empty without knowledge?
Do you know want a profound knowledge of who God is and His perfect will? Don't scroll away then, what you want is what God has brought you to. Read on!
Philippians⏠â1:9â-âŹ11⏠âNIVâŹâŹ
[9] And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, [10] so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christâto the glory and praise of God.
Our love is incomplete without knowledge and depth of insight, which is also a function of how much knowledge we have.
There are so many people who love God, but lack knowledge of who God is.
They want to serve Him, but they do it in a wrong way because there is no just knowledge of who God is.
Only in love bounded by knowledge do we become blameless, discerning and bear righteous fruits to the Glory of God
Every Christian has love in them. The love of God, why? Because we have the Spirit of love living inside of us. The bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1 vs 7, that, âGod has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of Power, of LOVE and of self-discipline.(Added EMPHASIS- M.B.Mâ).
But like a prince who does not know He is a prince but a sees himself as the son of a chief wonât exercise His authority to maximum, we won't exercise our power of love; The Love of God, our neighbours and ourselves.
The Holy Ghost speaking through Apostle Paul says in ââColossians⏠â1:4â-âŹ6⏠âNIVâŹâŹ
â[4]Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all Godâs peopleâ [5] the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel [6] that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole worldâjust as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood Godâs grace.â
Speaking to the Christians in Collose, Apostle Paul says, they have heard of a faith in Christ and love that springs from the hope stored up in heaven: a hope they have come to know by hearing and believing the gospel.
But then Apostle Paul did want them to stop at just having only a love that springs from salvation; knowing and believing in the hope that Christ gives.
In subsequent verses, He wrote ;
[9] For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ( Colossians⏠â1:9â-âŹ12⏠âNIVâŹâŹ)
Since discovering their salvation, evidenced by love, Apostle Paul did not pray for love or faith, He prayed for knowledge that comes from SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING THAT ONLY THE HOLY GHOST GIVES.
We may read books and read bible passages, finish the bible every year; many Christians do; but if we do not allow the Holy Ghost to teach us, we end up deceiving ourselves.
The word of God is more than just a book of promises. It is a mystery, that was why God teleported Philip to the Ethiopian eunuchs who was reading the bible and could not understand.
Note; He[ The Eu**ch admitted he did not understand].
Until we admit our deficiency, we would never be able to understand the bible. The Holy Ghost is our helper, we do not help Him lessen His work, He is God, nothing too hard for Him to do.
And we allow the Holy Ghost to teach us God's word; his love and character and we put them into practice, we will grow in power and bear fruits for God, lasting and perfect fruits.
To get knowledge there are 3 steps; All in which God is involved. They are:
Ask, Seek and Knock (Matthew 7 vs 7)
ASK;
James 1 vs 5-6
âIf any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he MUST believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.â [Added Emphasis- M.B.Mâ]
God wants us to ask Him in faith for knowledge, just like Apostle Paul did. We must believe that as we ask God, He has given us; âFor without Faith, it is impossible to please GodâŚâ(Hebrews 11:6)
Unfortunately many Christians spend almost all their time asking. We do not need to convince God to give us something.
I am not in anyway discouraging praying for hours, all I am saying is that we should spend most of our prayer time, PRAISING GOD; INTERCEEDING; SUPPLICATING; and ASKING GOD WITH AN EARNEST DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS RATHER THAN TRYING TO CONVINCE HIM TO GIVE US BLESSINGS.
He knows our needs and our wants and I believe when we ask in faith and Holiness, we have received and what is left, is for us to take what He has given us; Jesus says, âYou may ask me anything in my name, and I will do it.â John 14 vs 14.
SEEK
In the bible verse, Matthew 7 vs 7, Jesus said, âAsk and you shall receive, seek and you shall find and knock and the door will be opened unto you.â
Many Christians are so familiar with asking for a desire and knowledge for God. They ask but have forgotten to go a step further; SEEK.
Knowledge does not come to us only asking, just as money wonât come to us, if we just wish and ask.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 gives a clear picture, The Lord says;
âThen you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [Asking]
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.â[Seeking]
Finally on seeking, Proverbs 2:3-4 tells us;
âAnd if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding [ASKING], and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and the find the knowledge of God.[SEEKING]â.
Verse 6 adds, âFor the Lord gives wisdom and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.â This emphasizes that if we seek outside the help of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of wisdom, then we will find nothing.
KNOCK;
Remember going to your friendâs house? Maybe you called him earlier using your phone, telling him to send you something you desperately need. Two days passed and you've seen nothing. Because of the desperate need of that item, you decided to go to his house to collect it. You called him telling him, you are on your way and a few minutes on, you are at the door.
You wonât just pass through the door, you will knock on the door; Why? Because without knocking, you wonât get your friends attention.
Itâs not different with God. Knocking shows desperation, desire and itâs a call for attention. When asking does not do give it to you, seek; when asking and seeking does not give you enough, knock and the door will be opened.
How do you knock?
1) Fasting: Remember when Jesus said to His disciples, âThis cannot be taken except by prayer and fastingâ. You want more of God, consistently ask, seek and knock.
2) Tithing: The bible says, âBring the whole tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in the house. Test me in this,â says the Lord Almighty, âand see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.â Pay your tithes faithfully, alongside your offerings and see God bless you.
3) Selfless service to God; Give to people in need, love, e.t.c (Hebrews 6vs10)
4) Evangelise, (John 15 vs 16)
Important notes;
⢠Love without knowledge is empty
⢠Itâs Ask, Seek and Knock- they work together.
⢠Asking, Seeking and Knocking outside the Help of the Holy Spirit is equally empty- zero power, zero divine wisdom.
Selahđ.