Friday, May 14, 2010

THE EVER-INCREASING LEAK OF KNOWLEDGE

Faith causes a slight problem with knowledge.  It causes it to begin a slow leak.  Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies, Paul asserted.  Strangely, we have to know this about knowledge.

Knowledge absolutely fits in the kingdom.  A factor of importance is to beware it is not the apex of Christianity; love is.  Therefore faith becomes a most necessary, as well as tricky, element of kingdom life.  Some knowledge tends to want to know facts when faith will lead us to know Christ.  When knowledge desires to be the chairman of spirituality, it will eventually begin a slow leak for it does not belong in such a position.

John Mark Hicks and Bobby Valentine wrote in KINGDOM COME this important concept.  Trust is the key word.  Our response to God's sovereignty is faith rather than pride; dependence rather than self-reliance.  This child-like trust does not understand everything. (Notice the leak beginning?)  Quite the contrary, faith seeks understanding rather than understanding grounding faith.  We live by faith, not by sight.....The more we understand, the more we know we don't know.  We live by faith, not by sight. (The leak in knowledge increases.)

The more we understand, the more we "know" we don't "know".  Why?  Knowledge has a necessary leak in it.  It cannot grasp the faith world in its fullness.  It surely participates for we are to know God, know mercy, know our Bibles, etc.  Yet, knowing will not/cannot serve as our complete formula to experience God's mysterious style.  Faith will.  We will see by faith; not by explainable terminology. 

The more we understand, the more we "know" we don't "know".  Do you "know" what this does for us?  It lets us touch a freedom to explore the rich universe of God's vineyard!  It sets us alaunch for tasting actual nuances of His glory that no man has thought to even wonder about...let alone know about!  The more we understand, the more we know we don't know. 

Knowledge has a slow leak.  Eventually we will admit we don't know as much as we had once assumed.  Then.....then maybe we will seek to know Jesus over knowing rules and regulations about religion.  Possibly then we will awaken to His incomprehensible, fuller-than-full creation. 

Abundance of God.  By faith we seek it.

4 comments:

Amanda Sanders said...

Excellent post Terry Rush!

Unknown said...

I love it when you write a post just for me. And now, two in a row! Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Great post Terry. It reminds me of what someone asked me last week. They said, "don't you think that un-educated faith is not really faith." My answer was, "why do you need faith if you think you have all the answers? Our faith is not in a proposition. Our faith is in a person."

Tom

Stoned-Campbell Disciple said...

from now on i will stop trying to fix the leaks i have!! Love the analogy Terry. Love leads to self-sacrifice ...

Glad you have found something of value in Kingdom Come.