Next to the New Birth, the Word of God is the most important possession you have. I’ll say it again: The Word of God is the most important thing in the Christian’s life. Take a look at these verses below and I’ll explain it further.
“1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:1-4 KJV
The key word in these verses is “knowledge.”
What we must understand about these last days is that false doctrines are not on the decline but are on the increase. And they are drawing in many Christians because they do not have the knowledge of God’s Word.
I am contacted all the time by people who seem to be convinced that they have discovered something new, by sitting under some “great” minister, who is unveiling things to them they have never seen or learned before. Once they begin to share these new “insights” with me, I share with them numerous Bible verses that completely contradicts their new-found revelation. And every single time, I can’t help but think: If this person just had a commitment to read their Bible every day, they would never have been hoodwinked into this false doctrine that was designed to separate them from their walk with Jesus and lead them astray.
Now, getting back to the verses above, something I want to draw your attention to is that every person who is born again obtains that same precious faith. However, it is completely up to you as to what level of faith you have today, and what level of faith you will have in the future. This faith to receive more from God is based upon His promises, and it came to us in the beginning when we were born again and received the gift of righteousness. And it continues to come to us as we position ourselves to hear the Word of God (see Romans 10:17).
Then in addition to this precious faith, we also received grace and peace at the new birth. In fact, notice carefully that grace and peace can multiply. But the only way they can multiply in our life is by growing continually in the knowledge of God’s Word.
For example, fifty times zero is still zero. So then why are Christians walking in such a small amount of grace and peace? And why do so many believers have such weak and shallow faith? It is because they have not increased in the knowledge of God through His Word.
Now notice that in verse one above Peter talks about the new birth, and then in verse two he talks to us about growing in knowledge. Sadly, many Christians want to go from the new birth to some ministry position or something, when according to the Bible, we are to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word substantially first.
After you are born again, you are to learn, learn, and then learn some more. In fact, if you have come to a place in your walk with the Lord that you are not continually growing in the knowledge of God’s Word, you had better begin immediately taking a close examination of your life.
Now in verses three and four above, Peter begins to tell us what he expects us to grow in knowledge in. First of all, we can never escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, without growing in the knowledge of God’s Word and His promises. In fact, in one way or the other, all false teaching plays on lust. The entire false grace doctrine for example, draws on the lusts of individuals who desire to live any way they choose.
Yet the more of the knowledge of God’s Word you have, the more you will escape these things. And you are protected from false religions and false doctrines through the knowledge of the great and precious promises.
The word “life” in verse three above, is a reference to everything you need for your natural life. And the word “godliness,” is a reference to everything you need for your spiritual life. There is not one thing you could need or desire that God has not already given to us through His resurrection power, and by His promises.
But these all things are obtained through the knowledge of God. So, we should start studying and meditating on these promises so that we can have them.
And what’s more, most believers are not partakers of this divine nature even though it is within them. And the reason they are not partakers is because they have never studied and gained knowledge in the exceeding great and precious promises. The same promises that help us partake in more of God, are the same promises that help us shun the world and its ways. The way you resist the things of the devil and the temptation that he brings your way, is to grow in the knowledge of the promises of God.
To live a victorious Christian life, you must become relentless in growing in the knowledge of God and His Word. And I am convinced that many Christians are just a little bit of knowledge away from their breakthrough.
