As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 4)

Paul’s Encouragement to Increase in Knowledge and Understanding

Start this series of posts with: Part 1

Paul’s letters are full of statements that encourage one to learn, to increase in one’s knowledge of God’s Word, and to gain understanding of it, so that it embeds in one’s heart and becomes part of the outflow of one’s life, in thinking, reasoning, speech, and actions. You cannot go far in Paul’s epistles and not read statements that encourage growth and increasing in knowledge and understanding.

In Romans, the foundational epistle that establishes us in ‘the faith’, Paul immediately starts to fire up our minds, compelling us to think upon things, or to know things, coercing our learning and understanding. Have a look at the following statements that we encounter so early in the mystery curriculum,

Rom.6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom.6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom.6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Rom.6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Rom.7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

The above statements are vital in our growth and in the establishment of our position in Christ. The knowledge and understanding that one gains from these statements results in laying the cornerstone of justification and faith in grace, but our learning does not end here.

Romans to Galatians is about knowing about our justification, our salvation through Christ, our identity in Christ’s death and resurrection, and being joined to the body of Christ. The knowledge in these letters is to grow us up into the faith and lay the cornerstones of our faith in Christ. But after this, we are to continue increasing in the knowledge of God and His will.

From Ephesians onwards, Paul encourages us to learn about God’s will for us. We are to look towards our future, our vocation, our inheritance, our sonship, and the ability to execute His sound judgement and will in the ages to come. As we grow in knowledge, it takes us past this temporal world, its momentary troubles and sufferings, the vanities of this life, the philosophies of men, the ordinances and traditions that bind us, and it takes us into our purpose and the fulfillment of the body of Christ. The knowledge that we have access to in God’s Word will inspire us into these levels and give us the hope and reward we seek when we are united with Christ, our Head.

Here is just a small selection of statements from Ephesians onward that inspire the gaining of knowledge in God’s Word to this end,

Eph.1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph.5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Eph.1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Php.1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Col.2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Our primary objective as grace believers is to learn the spiritual truths that shape us for our purpose in the heavens. The knowledge and spiritual blessings we have is not for this world. Our short journey in this natural world is to learn the truths and grow up in the knowledge that we will be using in the ages to come. There is not much to act upon here, but rather, there is much to learn and much to understand about God. Our purpose, our vocation, and what we will be doing is primarily in the dispensations to come. Let’s stop being overly busy with temporal things and put our time and attention into study, learning and understanding of the truth of God’s Word, rightly divided.