[CORRECT] KNOWLEDGE
INTENTION:
Whether we believe
the lie, or don’t believe the truth, we are deceived.
With so much
“knowledge” available to us, we often don’t know what is true.
Hence why, having the
correct knowledge of the Lord is crucial to a richer life.
I.
TOPIC:
We want to look at having [Correct] Knowledge.
All of us have a knowledge about the Lord, but is it the
right knowledge?
Striving to find that correct knowledge helps us in our relationship
with God the Father to produce Life in us. And we are able to discern if we
actually have the correct knowledge of Him through what transpires with our
lives.
In the verses below, it talks about knowledge of the
Lord—yet it really is talking about having the “precise and correct”
knowledge (G1922)
of the Lord. For it is not just knowledge that benefits us, but His correct
knowledge.
There are so many variations in trying to understand who God
is (teachings and interpretations and personal experiences), that it becomes
difficult to know what (who / what) is telling the truth. Even I have failed at
that.
But this is where the importance lies in our personal
relationship with the Lord. For in that relationship, we get to discover who They
are—both as a whole and personally for our own lives.
A key to discerning who the Lord is (to gain this correct
knowledge) is to have an understanding and belief that:
2
Timothy 2:15 {PoG}
When you study the word of God,
to be able to rightly discern what it says, you must first know and understand
that: You yourself are already approved unto God, and that you have absolutely
no reason to be ashamed towards Him!
Knowing that the entire world has been redeemed, all sins of
the flesh are forgiven (for all humans once-and-for-all-time at the Cross), and
that we have been Gifted righteousness because of Christ Jesus (and titled
Righteous when believing); we can confidently approach the Lord without any
fear. For without fear, we remove the filters in our eyes and ears (with all
parts of our tabernacle) that can block us from embracing and understanding Him
rightly.
From this mindset, heartset, and belief, we can get to the
correct knowledge of the Lord (God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy
Spirit).
In this lesson, we will look at all the times we are told to
have the correct knowledge of Him, and what we gain when we do have that
correct knowledge.
Note too, how many letters to the different churches open
with “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”—a
key to having that correct knowledge of the Lord! For Grace and Peace does come
from the Lord to you; but moreso, we actually experience Grace and Peace when
we have correct knowledge. If Grace and Peace are not manifesting in your
relationship with the Lord with what you hear / learn, then question whether
what you are hearing / learning / or have and understanding of is actually the
correct knowledge of the Lord. The same applies to our sharing of the Lord to
others—if they do not experience Grace and Peace in how you / others share,
then maybe it is not the correct knowledge of the Lord either. Love is what
brings this Grace and Peace (1
John 4:14-19).
II.
READING: 2
Peter 1:1-21 (HCSB) {PoG}
Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ:
To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with
ours through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 {Grace and Peace is} multiplied to you through the {correct
(G1922)}
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has given us everything required for life
and godliness through the {correct (G1922)} knowledge
of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 4 By these He has given us
very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the
divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil
desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith
with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with
brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these
qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless
or unfruitful in the {correct (G1922)} knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and
short-sighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 10 Therefore,
brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if
you do these things you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the
eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to
you.
12 Therefore I will always remind you about these things,
even though you know them and are established in the truth you have. 13 I
consider it right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a
reminder, 14 knowing that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus
Christ has also shown me. 15 And I will also make every effort that you may be
able to recall these things at any time after my departure.
16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we
made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we
were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honour and glory from
God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory:
This is My beloved Son. I take
delight in Him!
18 And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we
were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic word strongly
confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a
dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20
First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s
own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man;
instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
III.
RELATED VERSES AND QUESTIONS:
A. Since
we have been gifted Christ’s Righteousness, we only need to believe it as so.
If we do not hold this as true, we fall into the trap of trying to achieve our
own righteousness (Bible Study Lesson 022).
Romans
10:1-4 (HCSB) {PoG}
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for
their salvation! 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but
not according to {correct (G1922)}
knowledge. 3 Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted
to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to
God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone who believes.
Question: Do you hold onto this identity that I
have Christ’s Righteousness gifted unto me?
B. There
is so much we can gain in understanding what we have been given by the Lord and
the wonderful hope therein. If you feel you are living a “defeated Christian
life” (as I have lived before), then seek out His truth.
Ephesians
1:15-19 (HCSB) {PoG}
This is why, since I heard
about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never
stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the perception of your mind may be
enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the
glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the
immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working
of His vast strength.
Question: Can you pray for that same “spirit of
revelation and wisdom”—so as to know all They have given you?
C. As
we studied before (Bible Study Lesson 046), the Lord provides us with
all these Ministry Types to help us (as a whole) discover that correct
knowledge. And in doing so, achieve the unity Jesus prayed for us to have.
Ephesians
4:11-16 (HCSB) {PoG}
And He personally gave
some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build
up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature
measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children,
tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human
cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth
in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. 16 From Him
the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes
the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of
each individual part.
Question: Where do you see unity in the Body of
Christ? When do you feel we will all reach that unity?
D. Love
is key to our life here on this earth—to love the Lord, to love others, and to
love ourselves. Love is one of the most difficult things (to me) to fully
comprehend. As such, I really want to know it for my life.
Philippians
1:1-11 (HCSB) {PoG}
Paul and Timothy, slaves
of Christ Jesus:
To all the saints in
Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.
2 Grace {is} to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I give thanks to my God
for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my
every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day
until now. 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me
to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are
all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and
establishment of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of
you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And I pray this: that your love will
keep on growing in {correct (G1922)}
knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that you can approve the
things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the
glory and praise of God.
Question: What misunderstandings of the Lord
have shut out love in your life?
E. Many
of us do not feel focused in life—having a purpose. Other times, it feels as
though we don’t know what the Lord wants us to do in a given situation. This is
a want to know what His Will for our lives is.
Colossians
1:1-14 (HCSB) {PoG}
Paul, an apostle of Christ
Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:
2 To the saints in Christ
at Colossae, who are faithful brothers. Grace {is} to you and peace from God
our Father.
3 We always thank God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5
because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about
this hope in the message of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. It is
bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since
the day you heard it and recognized God’s grace in the truth. 7 You learned
this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of
the Messiah on your behalf, 8 and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason also,
since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking
that you may be filled with the {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in
every good work and growing in the {correct
(G1922)}
knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according
to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy 12 giving
thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance
in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred
us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. 14 We have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins, in Him.
Question: Have there been times of being
hesitant when you are unsure if it is God’s Will to do something?
F. With
all the confusion that can arise from reading and hearing about God, we have
been given a clear and precise image of Him in what Jesus demonstrated and
accomplished. Any misunderstandings about God can be compared against what
Jesus did (who Jesus is). The more we know Jesus, the more we accurately know
God.
Colossians
2:1-10 (HCSB) {PoG}
For I want you to know how
great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have
not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined
together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding
and have the {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 All the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge are hidden in Him.
4 I am saying this so that
no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5 For I may be absent in
body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are
and the strength of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you have
received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and
established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.
8 Be careful that no one
takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition,
based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. 9 For the
entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been
filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Question: Is God (the Lord) still a mystery to
you?
G. Everything
that Christ accomplished was for all of mankind—the entire earth. He didn’t
just do for those who would believe, but for those who would never believe.
Every person is given the opportunity to believe in Him. This is God’s Will
that all would come to Him through Christ Jesus.
1
Timothy 2:1-7 (HCSB) {PoG}
First of all, then, I urge
that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,
2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil
and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God
our Saviour, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and
humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human,
6 who gave Himself—a
ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.
7 For this I was appointed
a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of
the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Question: Have you heard some say that only
people “pre-selected” by God can be saved?
H. We
live in an age where knowledge is abundant—through literature, pastors,
teachers, academics, interest groups, religion, science, philosophy, and so
much more. Of which so much is at our disposal through the digital realm of
technology and the internet. Yet, how much is mis-interpreted, made-up,
mistaken, mis-directed, or driven out of fear or ignorance. So much that is out
there (intentional or not) can lead us astray from the truth that is Christ
Jesus. If we are not careful, we can get deceived by it all. And deception is
simply either: believing the lie, or not believing the truth. What we believe
becomes the “truth” to us—even if it is not God’s Truth.
2
Timothy 3:1-9 (HCSB) {PoG}
But know this: Difficult
times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers
of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without
love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its
power. Avoid these people!
6 For among them are those
who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with
sins, led along by a variety of passions, 7 always learning and never able to
come to a {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so
these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind, worthless in regard
to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress, for their lack of
understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also.
Question: Has there been an area of your belief
in the Lord that has changed recently?
I.
As we learned in our study on our Flesh and
Spirit duality (Bible Study Lesson 044), there is a battle in us that
wages—in essence, defining our actions and reactions to life. The flesh leads
to destruction, the Spirit leads to life. And what can help us live that
Spirit-life is this correct knowledge of God’s Truth.
Titus
1:1-4 (HCSB) {PoG}
Paul, a slave of God and
an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their {correct (G1922)}
knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal
life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. 3 In His own time He
has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the
command of God our Saviour:
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace {is} from God
the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Question: How does a correct knowledge of God’s
Truth actually help us?
J.
Faith is simply the manifestation of the Lord in
your life—it is this manifesting that is crucial to overcoming this world. And
the Lord provides us this ability to manifest Them, as Faith is a fruit of the
Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23). Our help to “unlock it” here is through completely understanding
“every good thing that is in us in Christ Jesus”.
Philemon
1:3-7 (HCSB) {PoG}
Grace {is} to you and
peace {is to you} from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God
when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and faith
toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. 6 I pray that your participation
in the faith may become effective through {correct
(G1922)}
knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. 7 For I
have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the
saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Question: What are ways you can learn more about
all that is in Christ Jesus that is also in you?
IV.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
A. Ephesians
1:1-23 (HCSB) {PoG}
Paul, an apostle of Christ
Jesus by God’s will:
To the {saints} in Christ
Jesus at Ephesus.
2 Grace {is} to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
spiritual blessing in the heavens. 4 For He chose us in Him, before the
foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He
predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His
favour and will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace that He favoured us with
in the Beloved.
7 We have redemption in
Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the
riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure
that He planned in Him 10 for the administration of the days of fulfilment—to
bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on
earth in Him.
11 We have also received
an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who
works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, 12 so that we
who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
13 When you heard the
message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him,
you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 14 He is the down payment
of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His
glory.
15 This is why, since I
heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I
never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the {correct (G1922)} knowledge
of Him. 18 I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you
may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His
inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His
power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.
20 He demonstrated this
power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right
hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and
dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to
come. 22 And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over
everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of the One who
fills all things in every way.
Thoughts: This chapter is one of the most
profound acknowledgements of the entirety of what we have been gifted. To read
this over and over again is a great reminder to me of what (who) Lives inside
of me. I have already been “blessed with all Spiritual blessings in heaven in
Christ”. This is the absolute truth that I MUST hold onto!
V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & SUPPORT:
A thank you to Kelly and Joshua who are inspirational in this life-journey. And to all the family, friends, sponsors, and donors who have fed into this ministry and outreach.
If you would like to support this ministry and outreach, you may do so via our website or at:
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