Truth Matters

The Bible doesn’t pit knowledge against kindness but it does demand both. This article explores why faith, understanding, and action must grow together if we want lives that truly reflect Christ.

By MATTHEW MCCRACKEN

Read Time: 5 minutes

But the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4).¹ God speaking through His prophet, explains that the salvation of an individual hinges on their faith.

The Apostle John picks up this exact idea: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4). It is our faith in our God that overcomes all challenges. Yet, sometimes we may find ourselves thinking that simply being a nice person with good intentions is all that God is looking for; that being kind and doing the works of charity without a proper knowledge and belief in the gospel is the same as being kind and doing these works with an understanding. God willing, together in this article, we’ll refresh our first principles and remember that, although a moral transformation is God’s ultimate purpose, this transformation must first be stimulated by true and refined knowledge.

Micah provides a beloved sentiment of God’s desire for said morality in verse 8 of chapter 6: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Peter says very unmistakably: “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’” (1 Peter 4:8).

In Acts, Peter once again states: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:34-35).

Examining these three isolated statements would certainly lead one to believe that love, humility, and good works are solely what God wants—and one would be partially right in that conclusion. However, a potential danger may arise when these qualities of character are sought without proper knowledge of how God defines each attribute. In other words, to simply say “God wants you to be loving” is a fallacy, as God’s definition of love can differ significantly from modern philosophies.

Sticking with this example, if one were to lead a lifestyle of Godly love, they would first have to study the pages of the Scriptures and learn what Godly love looks like. They would soon notice that God’s love asks for a 130-year-old father to slay his son, whom he loves, as a test of his faith. God’s love strikes a blameless and upright man, who feared God and eschewed evil, with tragedy and bodily affliction. God’s love lifts His perfect Son on the cross to be brutally tortured, agonized, spat on, and mocked in public crucifixion. They’ll discover that Godly love is a “self-sacrificing” love, an “others-first” love, not a “me-first” love. They’ll learn that what they would have defined as love is leaps and bounds different from how God portrays it in His word. This is why it is so vital to have knowledge and understanding of God before setting out to enact His principles and way of life. Yes, the Father wants a specific character formed in us, but that character is so adverse to what we’d think proper and necessary that it is simply not possible to achieve the high calling of transformation without fully grasping who we are to transform into! So, no, our hypothetical friend can’t decide to just be a really nice person—they may be “being nice incorrectly,” as crazy as that sounds!

Now, all of that is a good brain exercise and perhaps a note or two in the margin, but it’s more than that. It’s also a vital exhortation that concerns our salvation and our role in relation to our brothers and sisters.

Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, For the LORD [brings] a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land… My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:1, 6).

The sentiment is unmistakable: a true understanding of the Almighty is of absolute life-saving necessity! And on that note, could God be saying that those who “know the most about the Bible” will be saved? Or is He instead saying that this life-saving knowledge is more akin to a personal and intimate understanding of Him? The root Hebrew word for “knowledge” in the Hosea passage is yada (H3045). It’s used twice in Exodus 33:13 in Moses’ powerful plea to see the Father’s glory—just to give a sense of the strength of the word—making this more than just knowing that our God exists and shows His hand in the outplaying of the nations. No, this is knowledge that seeks to discover and comprehend. This is knowledge that is not content with the inherited understanding; it must try to learn the ways of the Almighty for itself and nurture a personal faith unique to its context. This is why in the days of Hosea, God rejected those who rejected knowledge. Why would God want to add people to His family who have no interest in getting their hands dirty to learn about what He does, why He does it, and to whom He does it? Perhaps you and I can incorporate the spirit of Moses in our prayers more: “And now, if, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, cause me to know.” (Exodus 33:13 YLT).

There is now one more door to go through after the above has been founded in our minds: how this knowledge takes its form in outward manifestations.

The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from iniquity. “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and [people] should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:6-7).

If Hosea brought a warning to those unwilling to possess the knowledge of Yahweh, Malachi encourages those who’ve acquired it to store it and spread it like wildfire. Most of us reading this article probably fall into Malachi’s audience; those who know the first principles inside and out. But what God wishes to impress upon us with these verses is the often-overlooked effect of the words we can impart. Just quickly re-read the last sentence of v. 6—the priests were able to bring people back on the straight and narrow and, in an eternal sense, save lives. And now all of a sudden, the ideas of possessing adequate knowledge or doing good works can be linked! Continuing with this example, the priest, through his curiosity to know (not “know about”) the God of heaven, led to a rich storehouse of the Divine teachings. The law of truth, now being his second nature, moved him to share and exclaim said truth, prompting many to not only turn from their wicked ways, but begin their own path of discovering their Creator.

So, no, there shouldn’t be a separation between being exceptionally knowledgeable about the Bible and being exceptionally kind. We cannot possibly know how to behave rightly in God’s eyes without exposure to the mold of the Christlike character. Subsequently, if knowing how we should behave doesn’t align with our actual everyday behavior, then our reading of God’s inspired Word is in vain.

As we end our thoughts in this article, one thing that can appear from a discussion like this is unnecessary remorse. Those with a more detailed mind will naturally find joy in knowing obscure, intricate particulars in the Bible. And those with the passion to serve and feed others with kindness don’t always enjoy reading the lists of genealogies. So while it’s of no benefit to make anyone feel bad for their perspective, hopefully what this article has done is get us all to remember there is no “Team Knowledge” versus “Team Do-ers”—all disciples must soak in the Truth through the pages of Scripture, then “put on the new [man] who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” (Colossians 3:10). We all work together and allow the word to transform us, knowing that all begins there, with that book.

Matthew McCracken,
Milford Road Ecclesia, MI