Now Is Not the Time to Be Puffed Up

There has never been more access to biblical knowledge than we have today.

We have Bible apps, commentaries, podcasts, sermons, theological debates, Greek and Hebrew study tools, historical resources, and thousands of teachers available at the touch of a screen. We can spend hours studying doctrines that generations before us may have spent years trying to understand.

Knowledge is not the problem.

The problem begins when our knowledge of God becomes a substitute for actually knowing God.

Paul gave the church a powerful warning:

“Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” — 1 Corinthians 8:1

Paul wasn't condemning knowledge. He was warning us about what knowledge can do to the human heart when it becomes disconnected from love.

Knowledge can make us feel important.

It can make us feel superior.

It can make us believe that because we understand something correctly, we must also be walking correctly.

But those are not necessarily the same thing.

You Can Know About God Without Walking With God

The Pharisees knew Scripture.

Jesus even acknowledged their dedication to searching the Scriptures:

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” — John 5:39

Imagine the weight of that statement.

They were searching the very Scriptures that pointed toward Jesus while standing in front of Jesus—and some of them still didn't recognize Him.

They possessed knowledge about God while resisting God standing before them.

That should humble every one of us.

We can know the verses.

We can understand theology.

We can recognize false teaching.

We can explain doctrines.

We can defend what we believe.

And yet somewhere along the way, it is possible to become so focused on being right about God that we neglect actually walking with God.

Truth Still Matters

This doesn't mean doctrine is unimportant.

Scripture repeatedly warns believers about false teaching. Paul instructed Timothy to rightly divide the word of truth. Jesus corrected false beliefs. The apostles defended the Gospel.

We should know Scripture.

We should pursue truth.

We should care about sound doctrine.

But biblical truth was never intended merely to fill our minds.

Truth is supposed to transform our lives.

Jesus said:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15

Knowing what Jesus commanded is important.

Living what Jesus commanded reveals something deeper.

Our knowledge should eventually produce obedience.

And our obedience should increasingly produce the character of Christ within us.

Look at the Fruit

Maybe one of the most important questions Christians can ask themselves right now isn't:

“How much Bible knowledge do I have?”

Maybe it's:

“What is all this knowledge producing in me?”

Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Those are fruits.

Jesus also said:

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” — Matthew 7:20

Notice that Jesus didn't say we would recognize people merely by how much they know.

He pointed toward fruit.

So what is our knowledge producing?

If studying Scripture makes me increasingly arrogant, something is wrong.

If learning theology makes me constantly look down on other believers, something is wrong.

If defending truth causes me to lose love, patience, gentleness, and humility, I need to examine what is happening inside my own heart.

Because knowing more about Jesus should eventually make me look more like Jesus.

Being Correct Can Become an Idol

There is a subtle temptation that can creep into Christianity.

We can begin wanting to be known as the person who is right.

The person who understands what everyone else missed.

The person who exposes everyone else's error.

The person with the deeper revelation.

And without realizing it, our pursuit of truth can become tangled with our pursuit of recognition.

Suddenly, we're no longer simply defending truth because we love God.

We're defending our identity as the person who has the truth.

That is dangerous.

James tells us:

“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” — James 4:6

The more we learn about an infinite God, the more humble we should become.

There should come a point in our study where we realize just how small we actually are.

We don't know everything.

We don't understand everything.

We haven't perfectly interpreted everything.

And we still desperately need Jesus.

The Church Needs Surrender More Than Pride

We are living in a time when Christians can argue about almost anything.

Doctrine.

Denominations.

Worship styles.

Spiritual gifts.

Church structures.

End-times timelines.

Bible translations.

Politics.

Traditions.

And some of these conversations genuinely matter.

But while we're arguing over who understands everything correctly, we should be careful that we aren't neglecting the condition of our own hearts.

Are we surrendered?

Are we forgiving?

Are we loving?

Are we serving?

Are we obeying?

Are we seeking God when nobody is watching?

Are we becoming more like Christ?

Because Jesus isn't preparing a Bride that simply knows more information about the Groom.

He's preparing a Bride that knows Him.

“I Never Knew You”

Some of the most sobering words Jesus ever spoke are found in Matthew 7.

People come before Him talking about the things they did in His name.

Yet Jesus responds:

“I never knew you: depart from me…” — Matthew 7:23

Those words should cause us to examine something deeper than our religious accomplishments.

Jesus brings the issue back to relationship.

“I never knew you.”

That's why knowing about Jesus can never replace knowing Jesus.

Christianity isn't merely agreeing with information.

It is following Christ.

It is surrender.

It is obedience.

It is relationship.

It is allowing the Holy Spirit to transform who we are.

What Does Your Life Say?

Maybe we need to spend less time examining everyone else's theology and spend a little more time allowing God to examine us.

David prayed:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23

That's a dangerous prayer for pride.

Because instead of asking God to show us what's wrong with everyone else, we're asking Him:

“Lord, show me what's wrong in me.”

Show me where pride has entered.

Show me where knowledge has become arrogance.

Show me where I care more about winning than loving.

Show me where I have confused knowing Scripture with obeying Scripture.

Show me where I talk about surrender but still refuse to surrender.

And then change me.

Look at Who I Know

I believe we should study deeper.

I believe we should understand Scripture.

I believe we should defend truth.

But the goal of our knowledge should always lead us closer to the One the Scriptures reveal.

Paul wrote:

“That I may know him…” — Philippians 3:10

After everything Paul knew, everything he had experienced, everything God had revealed through him, his desire was still:

I want to know Him.

That should be our cry too.

Especially as we look toward Christ's return, now is not the time for spiritual pride.

It's time for surrender.

It's time for humility.

It's time for love.

It's time to examine our fruit.

It's time to seek His heart.

It's time to make sure we're not merely accumulating information about Jesus while slowly becoming less like Him.

Study Scripture.

Know truth.

Stand for sound doctrine.

But never allow being known as correct to become more important than being known by Christ.

May our lives say less:

“Look how much I know.”

And increasingly declare:

“Look at Who I know.”

Because ultimately, our greatest pursuit isn't simply to know more about Him.

It is to know Him.

Pastor Scott