The Other Half of Knowledge

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” - John 17:3

Head Knowledge vs. Heart Knowledge

As far back as I can remember I have heard people say that “head knowledge” is not sufficient to save a person, but that the truth has to reach the heart. I struggled to understand exactly what this meant in practical terms, and I sensed that even those who said it didn't really to know either. It is clear that we must move beyond knowing about God to knowing God, or from awareness to intimacy. The devils believe in God - and tremble. Knowing God is obviously more than that. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:11,12. The devil knows all about Jesus, but he doesn't have Jesus.

Experience can be defined as “knowledge gained by experiment”. You learn things by doing that you can't learn by study. This experience is the “other half” of knowledge.

The Theory of the Truth

Back when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, before sin had entered this world, God warned them about Satan. He told them to watch out for the devil's temptations. He told them not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He explained the consequence of so doing - namely, death. He told them as much about sin as they needed to know. They had a certain understanding of the theory of sin, but this knowledge did not make them sinners. They were not lost.

There was a knowledge of sin that God never intended for Adan and Eve to have. This was the knowledge that Satan offered Eve, when he said she would know “good and evil”. He made it appear that this knowledge was very desirable, and would elevate her to some higher plane of existence. Unfortunately, she ate the fruit and acquired this forbidden knowledge, and so did Adam.

The knowledge they gained was the experience of sin. Remember that experience is knowledge gained by experiment. The theoretical knowledge of sin had done them no harm, but when they actually experienced disobedience they became sinners, and lost everything. Not until Eve's interest in the forbidden fruit had reached such a point that she took it and ate it, did she enter into the experience of sin. Not until her faith in the serpent's words motivated her to action, did she trade her righteousness for unrighteousness. Now Eve knew evil in a way that she never could have known it before.

Now we can learn something wonderful from this sad story. If we apply what we have learned about the knowledge of evil to the knowledge of good, we can get a better idea of how to be saved from sin. It is actually possible to hope and desire to be saved and go to heaven, but never actually get around to it. Many, many people know something of the “theory of the truth”. They know that salvation is available, that Jesus died for the sins of the world, that whosoever will may have eternal life, but most of them will never end up in Heaven. The mere theoretical knowledge of truth will not save anyone. Salvation is not just something to know about, it is to be experienced. One has to experience the truth. It is possible to understand the finer points of theology, and even have advanced degrees, and still miss out on salvation because that vital experience was missing. This experience, this experimental knowledge of truth, is available to anyone who wants it. Jesus said: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32. And this can be experienced today. “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” - 2 Cor. 6:2. This knowledge that will make us free is both the theoretical and the experiential knowledge combined.

We have to go beyond being interested in, or intrigued by, the promises of God, to practicing those promises. At some point we have to transition from knowing the truth to doing the truth. Faith must reach a certain level of completeness so as to result in action. James 2:22 tells us that by works faith is made perfect. Perfect in this case means “complete”. So, until faith has gone so far as to move us to action it has not become completely developed. And then beyond that, faith grows stronger with every use.

The promises of God are huge. He has committed Himself to do things that human minds struggle to believe could be possible. Unfortunately, most people never will be able to bring themselves to accept them as they read. Allow yourself to believe that God is able, and willing, to fulfill the promises that He has made to you. He has thought this through already, and He would be so honored if someone would just venture to trust Him.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” - John 14:12-17.

Jesus is glorified when we ask for power to live the Christian life. And we will receive this power if we expect to receive it. And we will receive it precisely when we need it – when we attempt to use it. When we put forth effort to obey God's commandments, knowing that He will supply the power, we will be enabled to do it. This should never be confused with trying to obey God in our own strength. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” - John 15:5. Nothing means nothing! But, Jesus goes on to say: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” - John 15:7,8.

This fruit that we are to bear is the fruit of the Spirit, who Jesus said “shall be in you”. Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit. When we bear this fruit, we are His Disciples. When Jesus lives inside of us through the Holy Spirit, He controls our thoughts and actions. He transforms us into His likeness in a supernatural way. When this is happening to us, we know Jesus by experience.

We cannot share what we do not possess

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matt. 28:18-20, margin.

The command to go to all the world and make disciples requires that we share this experience with others. We have to somehow transmit this practical knowledge of truth, along with the theory, or else we can't make real disciples. I believe that unless we have this experimental religion ourselves, we can't give it to anyone else. We can't share what we don't possess!

When Jesus lives in our hearts, He will shine out from us. He will give our words power that they otherwise would not have. Our profession and our conduct will send the same signals. The power of the Spirit of God will work through us to influence others.