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Coming To A Knowledge Of The Truth

by Chris Simmons

Knowledge is essential to be pleasing to the Lord and great diligence is required to learn what we need to know of God’s will. In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus invited us to “come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.” Fellowship with the Father is defined by those who have truly “heard and learned from the Father” (John 6:45). Understanding the critical need to learn the will of God, it’s curious to note, as Paul warns Timothy of “difficult times” that would come due to the wickedness of men in II Timothy chapter 3, that he cites one of the underlying causes of such wickedness to be the presence of many who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (verse 7).

How can that be? How is it possible that someone can be “always learning” and never acquire the knowledge of God’s saving truth? Does not continual learning automatically lead to true knowledge? The fact is that God’s word says that some indeed will spend their lives in a learning mode and “never” develop the knowledge of God’s word that will save their souls. It should be sobering to all of us to think that our learning might not lead us to the point of knowledge and understanding that we need to have. Some would say that II Timothy 3:7 speaks of those that God has not chosen to be one of the select few miraculously chosen to understand and know His will. Such a position is contrary to the teaching of Ephesians 3:3-5 where Paul teaches that all men can “understand … the mystery of Christ.” Without the space for a complete rebuttal of the false doctrine of limited atonement and all the other tenets of Calvinism, we simply need to appreciate the fact that God’s word promises that we can read and understand His revelation to man and that without distinction (Acts 10:34-35; Romans 10:12-13). God’s will is that all the world be taught and come to a knowledge of His will (Matthew 28:18-20). So again the question, why will some be continual learners who never come to a full and correct knowledge of God’s will?

One reason is that they are going to the wrong source for their knowledge. If we are trying to learn our knowledge through the wisdom of men (I Corinthians 1:18ff), we will never acquire the knowledge we need to have. We need to seek those who will teach us the truth and not treat them as our “enemy” because we learn spiritual truths that smite our conscience (Galatians 4:16). Paul warned the Galatians that they need to steer clear of anyone who attempts to teach them anything that is “contrary” to what Paul had originally taught them (Galatians 1:7-9). If we spend our time learning from false teachers (II Peter 2:1-3) we will never come to a knowledge of God’s truth.

Another reason is that there are many who are listening and learning without understanding or making any application to their lives. We read in Nehemiah 8:2 that when “Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly” he did so before “all who could listen with understanding.” Learners and hearers who never process the information they’ve learned and never make any application to their lives will never come to the knowledge of the truth. Without a doubt, we need to know biblical facts and it is critical and essential that we understand the context that scripture is set in, but until we learn with the understanding of what we must do with it (Acts 9:6), we will not be what God expects us to be. “Hearers” who are not “doers,” according to James, are deluded and not blessed by God (James 1:22-25).

A third reason man can be always learning and never be able to come to a knowledge of the truth is that we can be learning with a wrong mindset. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 3:1-3, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” The brethren in Corinth were trying to learn spiritual truths with a fleshly mindset and that will never work. Until we have a spiritual mindset (Romans 8:6-8) that is focused on the spiritual things above and not the physical things of the earth (Colossians 3:1-2), we will never come to the point of knowing and understanding God’s will as He would have us to do.

Another reason is that many fail to handle God’s word correctly and fail to have an understanding of divine authority. Acts chapter 15 illustrates the need to learn Bible authority through direct command (verses 13-18), approved apostolic example (verses 7-9), and forced conclusions (verse 12) and when man today tries to learn without these three principles, doctrinal error will run rampant and men will learn something other than God’s truth. It takes diligence on our part to learn to handle accurately even as Paul wrote in II Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” Coming to a knowledge of the truth demands that we answer the question, “by what authority” (Matthew 21:23) are we doing the things we do.

Another reason is a lack of humility. When out of human pride we think we know better, no amount of learning will ever enable us to know the truth that God wants us to learn. James wrote in James 1:21, “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” Many think they know better than God (I Corinthians 1:18ff) and no amount of learning will ever overcome that attitude.

Finally, inconsistency and infrequency in our learning will keep us from a knowledge of the truth. In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites (Deuteronomy 6:4) that the learning of His will was to take place every day and was the responsibility of every parent. Paul’s exhortation to fathers to “bring them (their children) up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) has to be understood as something that is to take place continually and consistently. Also, when our presence in Bible classes in the assembly is sporadic and infrequent, there should be little surprise if we find that we are not truly growing in our knowledge of God’s truth as He commands (II Peter 3:18). School teachers will tell you that the longer the summer break, the more they have to do to get their students back to where they were before the break. Infrequency and inconsistency is a killer when it comes to true knowledge. Learning that leads to a knowledge of the truth is done consistently – every day in the home environment and at every opportunity in the assembly.

We can’t afford to spend time learning that does not lead us to the knowledge of the truth. Thus, we must make sure we’re consistently and continually going to the right source, with the right mindset, with humility, with respect for divine authority, and with the determination to make application of the truth every day of our lives.

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