Faith and Knowledge
We're looking at how Paul introduced himself in Titus 1. He said, "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ."
Purpose of Ministry
And then he explains his purpose: “to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth.” That's quite a calling. He wanted to further people's faith through knowledge of the truth. And I think basically any minister or preacher has the same calling—to further people's faith through knowledge of the truth.
I know that's why I do these devotions. It's to hopefully strengthen your faith and grow your knowledge of the truth.
Balancing Faith and Knowledge
I think it's important for us to hold these two things in balance: faith and knowledge. Some people tend to reject knowledge and say, "I don't want to know any theory, any doctrine. That's not important. All that matters is that I believe."
But I think that's dangerous, because without knowing what's true about Jesus and God according to His Word, you can easily, easily be led astray by all sorts of false teachers, especially in today's world.
Have you noticed how false information gets spread so easily on the Internet? Chances are you get many spiritual messages on your WhatsApp or on your cell phone. You need knowledge of what's true and what's not true so that you don't get taken in.
So don't reject knowledge, my friends. In fact, pursue knowledge. Proverbs 10:14 says, "The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin."
So read that Bible of yours. Listen to podcasts like this and others from reputable teachers. Do courses at your church. Listen to sermons and take in knowledge about the faith.
Growing in Truth
But there is another extreme that you'll need to avoid, which is being so into knowledge that faith gets thrown out the window. Many atheists take this view. They become very obsessed with the scientific view of the universe that they can't see how faith fits into it. That's also a tragedy.
But as Christians, we too can be so proud of our own knowledge that we don't need faith any longer. We just think we've understood it all. And so avoid that as well, friends. Further your faith and your knowledge, but hold those two in tension.
Further your faith—your belief in God, your belief in the mystery of God, your conviction that He is who He says He is—and pursue knowledge so that you can understand this calling to faith as deeply as possible.
I pray that you will be blessed as you search for knowledge in God. May He guide you in all the right ways, and may you find a happy medium between the two, because after all, that's what Paul and all the apostles wanted for us—for our faith to grow deeper and for our knowledge to grow stronger.
