Add to your faith…Knowledge

2 Peter 1:5 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

In this passage (2 Peter 1:5-7) Peter is exhorting his readers, including us, to no just be content with our faith in Christ, but to add to it, be diligent in allowing these qualities listed to be seen in our lives.

To our faith we are also to add knowledge.  Knowledge, “gnosis” in the Greek, is “the act of knowing”, or “a seeking to know”.  Basically this speaks of our knowledge of spiritual things, of God Himself.  A Christian is to add to his/her faith a knowledge of who God is.

In Peter’s last words in his letter he wrote: 

2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  A Christian’s life is totally by grace.  A Christian knows that he does not deserve any blessing, any moving of God in his life.  A Christian knows that it is because of Jesus Christ, whom he has put his faith in, that he can approach the throne of grace. So everything he receives – his life, his health, his salary, his strength, his wisdom – is all from God.  And so when every blessing, every provision, every answered prayer comes a Christian knows it is from God – and he grows in his faith.

But there will be times when blessing will not come, or at least be delayed.  There will be times our health will fail.  And there will be times when we will pray, ask for something, and God will not give it.  Many Christians’ growth are stunted, even thrown away, because of experiences like this.  This is where knowledge comes in.

We grow not just by experiencing God’s grace but also with knowledge of who our God is, and this knowledge continually transforming our hearts, thus moving us to grow.  This knowledge comes through the renewing of our mind, through the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is why it is so important for a Christian not just to desire to know God through experience, but to also know God through His Word.

When it seems like God is not blessing, what convinces us that “God is good”?  God’s Word.  When our health fails, what tells us that God is in control?  God’s Word.  When it seems like God is not answering our prayer, what will convince us that He knows what He is doing?  God’s Word.  Our knowledge of God and who He is allows a Christian to continue to grow.

Let’s not be satisfied with just experiencing the Christian life.  Let’s grow in our knowledge of Him.  Let’s read and study God’s Word because it truly is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  Sad to say we live in a world of “tweets” and “wall posts”, that we don’t want to spend too much time reading so much about God in His Word.  But this is essential for a Christian’s growth!

Acts 17:11 (NIV) 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Add to your faith knowledge.