The Key of Knowledge

Q: What does the Bible say about spiritual knowledge?

The Bible teaches that spiritual knowledge is found in Jesus Christ, who reveals the Scriptures and the purposes of God. Spiritual knowledge, as emphasized in Colossians 1, is directly linked to understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul highlights that true wisdom and understanding are revealed in Christ, who fulfills the Law and the Prophets. As stated in Luke 24:44, all Scriptures point to Him, suggesting that knowledge of the Scriptures is unlocked through a relationship with Christ. Without this key of knowledge, many may read the Bible and not grasp its true meaning, merely encountering words without understanding.

Q: How do we know Christ is the key to understanding the Scriptures?

Jesus Christ is the key to understanding the Scriptures because He is the fulfillment of all biblical prophecies and teachings. The central message of Scripture is focused on Jesus Christ, as evidenced in passages like Luke 24:44, where Jesus explains that all things written in the Law, Prophets, and Psalms are concerning Him. This establishes that the understanding of Scripture cannot be separated from Christ. Furthermore, the argument made in 1 Colossians illustrates that knowledge and wisdom are bound up in knowing Him. Thus, understanding the Scriptures requires acknowledging Christ as the foundational key which unlocks the meaning and application of the entire biblical narrative.

Q: Why is Christ important for Christians?

Christ is essential for Christians as He provides redemption, reconciliation with God, and the key to understanding spiritual truths. The importance of Christ in the life of a Christian cannot be overstated. According to Colossians 1:14, it is in Him that we find redemption and the forgiveness of sins. This reconciliation means that we are no longer at enmity with God but have peace through the blood of His cross. Furthermore, as the very image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), Christ serves as the ultimate mediator and teacher who reveals the fullness of God’s character and intentions. Thus, the believer's relationship with Christ is fundamental to grasping the truths of the Gospel and living out a life that honors God.

Q: What does wisdom mean in the context of the Bible?

Biblical wisdom is the understanding and application of God's truths, primarily found in Jesus Christ. Wisdom in a biblical context transcends mere knowledge; it involves an understanding that leads to right living in accordance with God’s design. Proverbs 8 depicts wisdom as a personified figure, emphasizing that true wisdom is rooted in the fear of the Lord and understanding His ways. In Colossians 2:3, Paul notes that all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ, indicating that to genuinely understand and apply wisdom, one must engage with the person of Jesus. Therefore, biblical wisdom involves recognizing Christ as central to understanding how to navigate life's complexities through a godly lens.

Turn in your Bibles to Colossians
chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Now I had
an interesting conversation with one of the men of this congregation
this past week. And this message was born out
of that conversation. The title of the message is The
Key of Knowledge. The Key of Knowledge. And what
kind of knowledge I'm talking about here is spiritual knowledge,
spiritual wisdom, because all other knowledge is going
to pass away. But this man with whom I was
talking, he told me about an encounter
that he had with a person who worked with him. He was talking
to this man who worked with him, and this is what the man said
to our brother. He said, you know,
called him by name, he said, I go to church. I go to church. It's not that I don't go to church.
I do. And I go to church in different places and I hear different preachers. But I don't understand what they're
trying to say. I don't understand what these
preachers are trying to say. And he said, I go home and pick
up my Bible. He said, I'm serious. I pick
up my Bible and I read it. I read the Bible. I'm not just
saying that, he said, I read the Bible. But he said, I don't understand
a word it says. Not a word. Now you'd be surprised, you'd
be, perhaps you wouldn't, but a lot of people would be
surprised at the folks that are in that very condition right
now. They're hearing preachers, but
they don't understand what the preachers are trying to say.
He used the right word, trying to say. And there's so many people
who will read the Bible, they read it for various reasons,
but they read it and they do not understand what it says,
not at all. Well, that's why I prepared this
message. I do know that man's problem.
I know his problem. And that's not being proud at
all or presumptuous. I know his problem. I've been
there. I know his problem. And I know
his preacher's problem. I've been there. This man and his preachers have
not found the key of knowledge. Our Lord talked about the key
of knowledge. He accused the Pharisees, the
religious Pharisees, of keeping from the people the key of knowledge. There's a key. A room may be filled with treasures
and riches, but you're not going to get in that room and you're
not going to enjoy those treasures and riches until you have the
key to that room. The man that holds the key, the
riches are his. They have not discovered the
key of knowledge. It's just that simple. If he
had the key, it would unlock this scripture. I was sitting
over here in the Pollard Baptist Church as assistant pastor, 24
years old. I had been to preacher school
for three years. Without embarrassment, I was
the pet of the president of the school. I was editor of the school's
annual. I took the president's radio
program when he was out of town. I was well accepted in that preacher's
school, but I didn't have the key. It
was a closed book. I said to my wife Doris, when
we're reading the book of Romans in devotions at night, I said,
let's skip that book. I just flat don't understand
it. That's something for a preacher to say, just skip it. You don't
know it, skip it. But I sat over here in one service
and a preacher passing through, an evangelist, put in my hands
the key. He put in my hands in one service. I left that service and went
over to the pastor's study and sat down, and Cecil, that book,
it opened up. He said, just like that? Just
like that. Well, give it to me. I will if
I can. It's just this simple. Jesus
Christ. His person and His work, Jesus
Christ, who He is, all that He is, what He did, why He did what
He did, where He is now, Jesus Christ, His glorious person and
work, is the key to understanding the Scriptures, or preaching
the Scriptures. That's just so. Jesus Christ
Himself, His glorious person and work, is the key to understanding
the purpose of God, the kingdom of God, and the word of God.
Turn with me to Luke 24. Now, I'll come back to my text
in a moment, Luke 24, but if you can... I've read this scripture
so many times here, I'm going to read it one more time. It
may be that all of us, God will be pleased in his providence
and grace to reveal to all of us what these Scriptures are
saying. Luke 24, verse 44. Here is our Lord Jesus Himself
speaking to His disciples. And He said to them, He said
to them, These are the words that I have spoken to you while
I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
are written in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, in the Psalms.
Say these next two words with me aloud. Let's say them together. Ready? Concerning me. The words and writings of Moses
are concerning Christ. The book of Psalms is concerning
Christ. The prophets, Isaiah, Adrian,
Minor, are concerning Christ. Then, and don't be embarrassed if you
haven't laid hold of the key before now because these disciples
hadn't. And you know what it says here?
Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures. Don't be embarrassed if the key
hasn't been laid in your hand before, because they certainly
didn't understand it. And listen. to understand the
scripture, and he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus
it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, the
third day that repentance and remission of sin should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. That's
our message. One other scripture, turn to the book of Acts, chapter
10. Now, I imagine you've read this, but let's read it again,
Acts 10. The apostle Peter had been sent for by a Gentile
man who was interested in God. He was a devout man, a man who
sought the Lord. He was interested in knowing
God, and he sent for Peter. God told him to send for Peter,
and Peter would come down there and tell him what he needed to
hear. Well, Peter came down, and here's the Apostle Peter
speaking to a crowd of Gentile people, people who knew nothing
about the gospel of God. How shall he proceed? Well, look
at verse 34. Then Peter opened his mouth,
and he said of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
He has people among the Gentiles as well as the Jews. But in every
nation he that seeth God and worketh righteousness is accepted
with him. The word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace, By Jesus Christ, He is
Lord of all. Now Peter is preaching to these
Gentiles who knew nothing about God or grace or the gospel or
eternal life. And he is preaching what? Jesus
Christ. He is Lord of all. Read on. That
word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all
Judea and began from Jerusalem after the baptism which John
preached, how that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.
And we are witnesses of all things which he did, which Christ did,
both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew
and hanged on a tree, but him God raised up the third day and
showed him openly. Not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink
with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to
preach unto the people and to testify that it is He which was
ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead. It's
Christ who is ordained of God. And this is what God commanded
us to preach. To Him. To Jesus Christ. Give all the prophets witness. Who did Moses write up? Christ.
Whom did Abraham see? Christ. Of whom did David speak? The Lord is my shepherd. Christ.
Of whom did Isaiah speak? He was wounded for our transgressions.
Christ. To him, to Christ, who is Lord
of all, to Christ whom you slew, to Christ whom God raised up,
to Christ who is Lord of all, did all the prophets give witness,
watch it, that through His name, whosoever believes in Him shall
receive forgiveness of sin. Can we get any plainer? There's
the key of knowledge, Christ Jesus. Alright, one other Scripture.
Now let's turn to, and we'll come back to the text. Proverbs
chapter 8. Proverbs chapter 8. And I'll
begin reading with verse 24. Oh, how blessed, blessed, blessed
is this portion of God's Word right here. And I've got written
out in the margin of my Bible, Christ. Got it written in bold
letters, Christ. And these scriptures underscore,
this is Christ. Here Solomon, writing in the
Proverbs. And you know, the average person
turns to the Proverbs to find something clever. Turns to the
Proverbs to find something that's meaningful for the moment. You
know how we read Proverbs. But listen to Solomon as he writes.
Speaking of Christ, this is Christ. When there were no depths, I
was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, I was brought forth. Before the mountains were
settled, before the hills was I brought forth. This is Christ,
who incidentally is wisdom. That's what this is all about.
This is the doctrine of wisdom. This is the doctrine of understanding.
Isn't that what it is? Wisdom. All right, read on. While
as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest
parts of the dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens,
I was there. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God. All things were made by Him.
When He set a compass upon the face of the depth, when He established
the cloud above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when
He gave to the sea His decree that the water should not pass
His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth,
I was by Him. Would you know God? You have
to know Christ. I was by Him. As one brought
up with Him, I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before
Him, rejoicing in the habitable part of the earth. My delights
were with the sons of men, even at this time, even at this time. Now therefore, hearken unto me,
O ye children," and that's all we are. We're just children.
God, I'm a child. Teach me. I don't want to become
so adult and so traditionalized and so set in
my ways that God doesn't teach me. I'm a child. God teach me. Blessed
are they that keep my ways. Verse 33, hear instruction, be
wise, don't refuse it, blessed is the man that heareth me. Heareth whom? This one who has
been talking, Christ. Blessed, happy, twice blessed. Highly favored is that man who
hears me, who watches daily at my gates, waiting at the post
of my doors, for whoso findeth me, finds the key. Am I exaggerating that too much,
Steve? I don't think so. I had a preacher call me from
Oregon yesterday. And he said, I'll tell you our
problem out here. He said, we're not having a great
problem with the doctrines, with Calvinism, with the doctrines
of sovereignty in these things. But that which is missing in
the preaching is Christ, who makes the doctrines to live,
who makes all things to be understood, who gives life. Whoso findeth
me, he said, findeth life and shall obtain favor of the Lord.
I say to that dear man who said, I don't understand what they're
trying to say. I read the Bible. I don't understand the Bible.
Whoso findeth me, Christ, findeth life, and he'll obtain favor
of the Lord. That's where it is. It's not
in the pool or the church or the altar or the tithe or the... Over in England right now, they've
got something going. arguing and quarreling about
what we're supposed to do on Sunday, Lord's Day observance.
Well, I know the Scripture says something about some man keeps
the day unto the Lord, and another man keepeth it not unto the Lord,
and let him not judge him who keeps it unto the Lord, nor him
who does not keep it unto the Lord, but it's unto the Lord.
That's what we're missing. That's what we're missing. We're
keeping a day. We're not keeping a day. We're doing the duties. But it's unto he that findeth
me, me findeth life. And he that findeth me shall
obtain favor of the Lord. What's verse 36? But he that
sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. I can't come to Christ. I can't
bow to Christ. I can't find and love Christ.
I wronged my own soul. All they that hate me, they must
love death. They must love death. He's the wisdom of God. And I
say to myself, after reading these scriptures, I say to myself
and I say to all who will hear me, the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord Jesus Christ, very God and very God, who is and was and
ever shall be, who is the same yesterday, today and forever,
who was with God and all things were made by Him and became flesh,
bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, and walked this earth
and loved us and lived for us and died for us and was buried
and rose again and ascended to heaven and is seated at the right
hand of God. He is the very wisdom of God. He is the way, He is the truth,
He is the light. No man cometh unto the Father,
or can come to the Father, or knows the Father, or has any
interest in the Father, or in the kingdom of God, except in,
by, and through, and for the glory of Jesus Christ, my Lord. And with that in mind, let me
just glance for a few moments at Colossians 1. I'm coming back
to this text now. And here's the Epistle, here's the
Scripture, here's the Word of God, here's the Apostle speaking
to the early church 2,000 years ago. Let's see what he has to
say in relation to this person. See Christ as the revelation,
the manifestation, the fulfillment, the understanding. Find Christ
here. Pick up, suppose you pick this
up, verse 12. Watch it. Colossians 1, verse
12. Giving thanks unto the Father. which hath made us meet. What
is that word? Well, that word is fit. He made
us fit. He made us sufficient. Who made
us? The Father did. He made us sufficient
and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in
life. He regenerated us and sanctified us and gave us a righteousness
all according to his character and made us sons of Adam who
were unfit and unable. He made us fit and sufficient
to stand in glory. Who did? The Father did. It's
all of God. He purposed it. He chose us. He set out to do it. He sent
His Son to redeem us. He called us. He made us fit. We weren't made fit down here
talking to a preacher, or made fit up here by being dipped in
a pool, or made fit by taking a catechism class. Giving thanks
unto the Father, who Himself, according to His divine will,
made us fit. He did it. To Him be the glory. That's what it says, isn't it?
The Father did. What did He do? He delivered
us. He delivered us from the kingdom of darkness. That was
our habitation. That was our home. That was our
dwelling place. That's what we love. Men love
darkness. We dwell where we love. We love
where we dwell. And He came and lifted the bugger
out of the dung here. He came and delivered us from
the kingdom of darkness, like old Jonah was down in darkness
three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, sitting
down there wrapped in seaweeds, and the iron bars clothed about
him in darkness, and he cried, Salvation of the Lord! And the
great fish vomited him out upon the seashore in the sunshine.
God delivered him out of darkness into the kingdom, the glorious
light of his dear Son. And that's what He did for you.
The Father did it. He did it. He delivered us from
the power and oh, that... Let me tell you something. You
talk about the power of darkness. This is second only to God's
power. We talk about, our Lord said,
My sheep hear My voice. I give them eternal life. and
they'll never perish. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man can pluck them out of my Father's
hand. No man. You say, I believe that. I believe
the man is in God's hand and nobody can get him out. Well,
let me tell you something. There's a power that's just less than
that power. It's less, but it's greater than
your power or anybody else's power, and that's the power of
darkness. And there ain't nobody, you or anybody else, or all of
him that willeth or runneth that can take a man out of the power
of darkness except God Himself. That's what I'm preaching. And
you can appeal to people to leave sin and leave sin's darkness
and leave sin's power. They can't. They can't. They can't. But He can. And the disciples asked our Lord,
they said, who can be saved? He said, with me, and it's impossible.
Translating deliverance, transferring us from the kingdom of darkness,
the power of darkness, into the kingdom of God's Son? He said,
that's impossible with me. But it's possible with God. That's what that says. Alright,
verse 14. Where is this salvation? Where
is this deliverance? Where is this transference and
translation? It's in whom. It's not in what. It's not in when. It's in whom. In whom we have this redemption. In whom we have this deliverance. In whom we have this blessing
through his death, through his blood. Even, think of it, the
forgiveness of sins, all sins. I told the folks up in Dingus
Thursday and Friday night, there are two things of greatest value. There are two things of uppermost
importance. There are two things I've got
to have, I must have. God Almighty demands it. Righteousness
and satisfaction for sin. I've got to have a holiness without
which no man will see the Lord. And I've got to have an atonement
before the justice of God. For the soul that sinneth shall
die. And I have that in whom? I don't have it in when. Well,
I know when I say it's not in when that I was saved, it's in
whom that I was saved. Well, I know who I stand for.
Well, keep standing. God will knock you down. I know in whom I have belief.
I know whom I have belief. It's in whom we have belief.
in whom I have a righteousness, in whom I have a sin offering.
It's in Christ. God thanks me to God, who delivered
me from the kingdom of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom
of the Son of His love, in whom I have redemption. And I told
them up there the other night, you know, I read that scripture.
God said, and their sins and iniquities I remember no more. I remember no more. You know,
one of the things about growing up in a small town, I did, and
many of you grew up right here in Ashland, or Boyd County, or
Summit, or Cannonsburg, or Salyersville, or somewhere up there, you know?
And you know about your friends where you grew up? If I were
to go back there and say, You know so-and-so? Yeah, I know
him. Boy, he's an awful fine man.
They'd say, you ought to have known him when he was a kid. That's right. They remember.
They remember. They'll bring out everything
you ever did back then. But you know something? In Christ,
what the Father said, I don't remember anything wrong
you ever did. I remember your sins no more."
That's how powerful is the blood of Christ. That's how cleansing
and purifying is the blood of Christ. That's how merciful is
the grace of God, in whom I have redemption, even the total forgiveness
of sins. Now, who is this Redeemer? Look
at the next verse. Well, he's the image of the invisible
God. Somebody said he's the exact
likeness, the express image and the visible manifestation of
the invisible God. The disciple said, show us God.
He said, you're looking at him. He that has seen me has seen
my Father. Christ is God. He's the very image, the very
exact likeness. He's the visible manifestation
of the invisible God. He's the firstborn of every creature.
Not that he was the first creature created, for he is the creator.
But he's the owner. He's the king. He's the firstborn. Do you know how important was
the firstborn in the Word of God? Firstborn son? Well, you
read the story of Esau, and you'll find out how important is the
firstborn son. And what it cost a man who despised
the inheritance of the firstborn. But what the Father is saying
here is that Christ is the firstborn. He's the owner. He's the heir.
He's the King of every creature. Bob, that's what he prayed. He
said, you've given me power over all flesh. He said to his disciples,
Mike, I have all authority in heaven and earth. I tell you,
don't waste your time feeling sorry for Jesus Christ. He's King. He's Lord. Sovereign Ruler. heaven and earth. I don't appeal to any man's pity
for Christ. I appeal to Christ to pity us.
I don't ask you what you're going to do with Jesus. I tell you
what you're going to do. You're going to bow and confess
He's Lord sooner or later. But I sure am interested in what
He's pleased to do with me and you. I'm awfully interested in
that. He's the King. That's how I'm
telling you the truth. And it's no wonder a man can't
find the key to the Scriptures and the key of knowledge when
he's talking about a Jesus that wants to and can't. When he's
talking about us doing something for him, what we need is him
to do something for us. You can't read anything backwards
and understand it, can you? It says he's the envy, he's the
firstborn of every creature, look at verse 16, by him were
all things created. that are in heaven, that are
in earth, visible and invisible, even demons, even principalities
and powers, and atoms, invisible things, everything, whether they're
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers or wherever they may
be, all things were created by Him and, buddy, for Him. For Him. Moses will glorify God's
mercy and Pharaoh will glorify His justice, but they're both
going to glorify God. God said, for this same purpose
I raised you up that I might get glory out of you. He will. He'll get glory out of every
little dogwood tree. He'll get glory out of every
little chickadee. He'll get glory out of you and
he'll get glory out of me. Mike, put that to music. Because he owns everything. That's
my Lord. That's the key to this work.
That's the key of knowledge. You've got to know Him. If you
know Him, you'll know His Word. You can't read a letter from
a stranger and understand anything he says, but you read a letter
from a friend. We're talking family business,
me and that friend. All right? And He's before all
things. And by Him, everything exists
and consists and is held together by Him, by His wisdom. You can
understand the stars if you know him and their path and their
course. You can understand the full moon
and the half moon. You can understand the rising
and lowering of the tide. It's all by his wisdom. You can understand the growing
of vegetables and the blooming of flowers because it's his. And he's the head of the church,
the body. The head's the government. He's
the beginning. He's the firstborn from the dead.
He's the first one to rise and die no more. And because He lives,
I live. And in everything, in all things,
He might have the preeminence. How can you decipher? How can you learn? How can you find the meaning
of anything when you leave out the preeminence? How can you? That's like Joe Turner here and
those fellas that make oil out there at Ashland Oil. When they
make all these different products, what would you fellas make if
you left oil out? Just leave the oil out. You'll
make anything but a mess. And that's the same thing here.
You're not going to find anything that God has purpose, planned, Or whatever if you leave out
him who is preeminent. He hath all preeminence. For it pleased the Father that
in him should all fullness dwell. Want to find the grace of God?
Look where it is, it's in Christ. Want to find the love of God?
It's in Christ. Want to find the purpose of God?
It's in Christ. Want to find the kingdom of God?
It's in Christ. You want to find the grace of God? It's in Christ.
In him pleased God to put All fullness in Christ. Everything's in Christ. Everything
now and to come. Everything in the kingdom. And
having made peace with God. God was at war with us. Did you
know that? Well, folks don't know that. They say God loves
everybody. God's in love with everybody.
There's no trouble between us and heaven. The trouble's between
us and the devil. You're wrong. The trouble's between us and
heaven. We're in league with the devil. We don't have any trouble with
the devil. We walk according to the principles of the Father,
the Spirit that now works within the children of this world. The
war is between heaven and earth. And he made peace with God. How did he do it? Through the
blood, the blood, the blood of his cross. A friend of mine told me this week,
her daughter, son-in-law, The little family lived out west
and they took them out of church. She asked the Lord, why did you
take them out of church? Why did you take the children out
of church? Because they came home talking about the blood.
We don't want them talking about blood. We want them talking about
love. It's impossible for God to love
you without the blood of Christ. It's the blood of Christ that
makes you lovable. It's the blood of Christ that
cleanses us from all sin. Without blood, there's no remission
of sin. He made peace by the blood of
His cross, by Christ to reconcile all things to God. Well, if God
loves everybody, why did you have to reconcile Him? You had
to reconcile Him because God was at war, because there was
enmity between men and God, between God and men. And I say He reconciled
all things, those things in earth and those things in heaven, people
who are on earth now and people who have already gone to heaven
when He died on that cross. He reconciled them to God. And
you, who now, you that were alienated, enemies in your mind by your
wicked works, hath He reconciled, Christ reconciled in the body
of His flesh through death. He had to die for you, He had
to live for you, He had to redeem you, and through death He'll
present you, me of all people, holy, unblamable, unchargeable,
unreprovable in God's sight. That just overwhelms me, in God's
sight. He. Well, I want to know how
in the world you can preach or understand God or the Word if
He, He redeemed me. He washed me. He presents me
holy and unblameable. I've got to find out who He is
to understand any of that that's going on. He's the key. What evidence do I have that
this is mine? If you continue in the faith,
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel. Who is the hope of the gospel?
It's Christ, which you've heard, which was
preached to every creature under heaven, where art thou, Paul,
and made a minister. Let me ask you five questions,
and then Mike's going to sing for us. I can ask you five questions,
and myself, which will determine if the gospel and the way of
life is or will be open to me and to you. Here there are five
questions, briefly. Number one, are my desires for a knowledge
of Christ, do I want to know Christ? Are my desires to know
Christ and the way of life, are they really genuine? Are they really sincere? That's got to be answered. Am
I honestly seeking Christ? Or am I looking for a fuss? Do
I really want to know? Or secondly, are my desires for
knowledge of Christ and the way of life, are they totally surrendered
to the Word of God alone? Not to my thoughts, not to my
traditions, not to what I've always heard, not the opinions
of others, but are my desires for Christ and the way of life
surrendered totally to what he says? I'm going to take it, what
he says. If it's contrary to everything
I ever thought, heard, I'm going to take it, he says. Huh? All
right, thirdly, are my desires for knowledge of Christ and the
way of life and salvation. Are they honoring and glorifying
to God? Let God be God and ever man a
liar, whether it's my daddy or my mother. Now come on, that's
serious there. Whoever's involved, me or whomever,
let God be God. Let His justice be honored and
His law satisfied. Is it honoring to God? Is it
honoring to God? I want Him to have the glory.
If He saves me or anybody else, it will be all for His glory.
Fourthly, are my desires for knowledge of Christ and the way
of life, are they permanent? I know we can, I can, I've been
preaching long enough to hold people's attention and I can
bring a study up and get people's attention for the moment, but
that's not what I'm asking you. Is it permanent or is it a passing
fancy? Is it something that comes upon
you Sunday morning or does it live with you? Does it ride down
the road with you? Does it dwell in you? Are my
desires for Christ and a knowledge of Christ and the way of life,
is it permanent? Is it something that's with me
or just comes on me at different times? Passing fancy, you know. Emotionalism or environment or
circumstances or something suggest that, oh, I do want to give that
a little thought. never leaves me, never leaves me. I want to know Him and the power
of His resurrection. I must have Christ. That's right. Our fifth good.
Are my desires for our knowledge of Christ and the way of life,
do they lead me to genuinely seek Him? Seek Him. He said, you'll seek
me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Where
do I search for Him? In the Word, in the preaching
of the Word, among those who know Him, where He is. Seek Him. And find no fulfillment till
I rest in Him. Old Jacob took hold of Him, and
he said, this is where I'm staying until you bless me. I will not
let you go.

The Key of Knowledge

What does the Bible say about spiritual knowledge?

How do we know Christ is the key to understanding the Scriptures?

Why is Christ important for Christians?

What does wisdom mean in the context of the Bible?

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The Key of Knowledge

What does the Bible say about spiritual knowledge?

How do we know Christ is the key to understanding the Scriptures?

Why is Christ important for Christians?

What does wisdom mean in the context of the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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