“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” 2Peter 1:3
I will never forget the day our family went on an outing to a historical site in North Carolina, where we saw an old mill, my son turned to me and said, “Dad, how did we get from this to the micro chip?” I answered, God decided to share a little more knowledge with us about His universe.
The idea that scientific knowledge and advancement is the means to solve the problems of the world has made many people skeptical of the supernatural and religious. Sophistication and learning that is meant to make our lives better has not made us more loving, which can be seen in road rage, impatience on waiting lines, a loss of certain social graces like standing when women enter a room, disintegrating marriages, children seen as an inconvenience, etc.
What the world needs more than scientific knowledge is knowledge of God. Only knowledge of God will grant individuals what they need pertaining to life and godliness, so that real change can take place in their heart. What is knowledge of God? The knowledge spoken of in our text is correct and precise, which means it must come from God and not the preconceived and prejudice notions of self-deluded, man-centered people. The knowledge of God cannot be obtained it must be given; in a fallen world sinfully proud men think they can obtain understanding of things by their own efforts. The obedient man who studies to show himself approved of God is aware that for all his study, knowledge and wisdom are imparted by God, and he must ask for it.
In Bible terms, for a man to understand truth, and see the world as God sees it, he must die to self. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny (refuse to associate with) himself, take up his cross (an instrument of death) and follow Me” Matthew 16:24. The unregenerate person does not accept the word of death, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,” 1Corinthians 1:18, and because of it he cannot understand spiritual knowledge. Unless a man is willing to die to the wisdom of this present world, he cannot understand the wisdom of the world to come. “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world” 1Corinthians 1:20. No man can walk in two worlds, he must deny one and receive the other, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” 1Corinthians 2:12.
Those who remain in their sins remain in the dark, but those who fully acknowledge wrongdoing in themselves come into the light and in repentance and faith turn from sin and to God, who is light. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God…” 1Corinthians 1:30
Do you love Jesus Christ, enough to speak out for Him, acknowledge your sins on a daily basis, choose his plan for your life with joy no matter how painful?