What/Who Is the Source of Your Knowledge?
Significant to determining the answer to the title question is the honest consideration of two points.
- The first is to determine the definition of “knowledge”.
- The second is to consider a statement by Dr. Harold Lindsell, as relates to your answer. Dr. Lindsell’s statement was associated with his book “The Battle for the Bible”, published in the mid 1970’s. We will consider this statement at a later point in our study.
In Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary knowledge is defined as:
- A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas. We can have no knowledge of that which does not exist. God has a perfect knowledge of all His works. Human knowledge is very limited, and is mostly gained by observation and experience.
- Learning; illumination of mind. Ignorance is the curse of God, knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
3. Skill; as a knowledge of seamanship
4. Acquaintance with any fact or person. I have no knowledge of the man or thing.
5. Cognizance; notice.
6. Information; power of knowing.
For the purpose of attempting to answer the question, “What is the source of your knowledge?”, I would direct your attention to the first two definitions Webster supplies us with as those definitions pertinent to accurately answering this question. These two definitions generally conform to the primary definition of “knowledge” as used in God’s word. The word “knowledge” appears in the New American Standard translation 153 times in 32 books – from Genesis 2:9 to II Peter 3:18. The majority of times the word either directly or indirectly refers to knowledge of God and/or His revealed truth in His inspired word – the Bible.
With this in mind, based on these two definitions, what/who really is the source of your knowledge – the source of that body of “clear and certain perception” that you believe, as testified to by your daily living, to be true and factual?
Lastly, before we consider the answer to our question, in seeking to accurately answer it, there is one more fact that it is needful to understand and acknowledge and that is that there are only two sources from which you will ever draw knowledge to live by – the first is Satan and his deceptive, inherent to his evil nature, lies and temptations (John 8:43-45; 10:9-10) or God and His inherently sinless, pure, Holy Truth (Psalm 19:7-11; II Timothy 3:16-17; Proverbs 30:5-6; 21:30-31). Men, as fallen sons of Adam, apart from God’s redeeming grace, will forever look to their own opinions and selfish will as their source of knowledge because of the truth of John 8:43-45, as did the pharisees of Jesus day. Undergirding that truth is the foundational truth revealed in Romans 1:18 and 8:3-8. Fallen sons of Adam do not believe God because, as Paul states in Romans 8:6-8, they are hostile (hateful) toward God and do not submit to Him because they are not even able to do so. As recorded in Romans 1:18, even though they know God is, they suppress that “knowledge” in order to live according to their own rebellious sinful wills.
If you are a Christian, consider, soberly and sincerely, what your answer to our question is – “What/who really is my obvious source of knowledge?”, as demonstrated by the content of your conversations and the decisions you make (thinking) and the lifestyle you practice (behavior/conduct). Is it God as revealed through His word, by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:6-16; 3:16-17; I John 2:20, 27) or is it clearly your own opinion’s? In carrying out this exercise in self-evaluation consider the following question as a tool to help you answer the title question.
How does the word of God inform your thinking and as such, shape, inform, and direct or determine your decision making each day of God’s good gift of your life in His kingdom service here? I Timothy 4:4-5; 6:17; Psalm 118:24; Proverbs 1:7; 2:6; 3:4-6; 23-26; 30:5-6; Psalm 139:16; Acts 17:24-28 (26); Matthew 6:33-34; Romans 12:1-2,14-21; Philippians 1:21-22; 2:3-4; 3:12-14; 4:4-13; Isaiah 55:8, 9-13; 66:1-2; II Timothy 3:16-17: 2:15
Now, as our closing consideration, put all that we have considered and whatever conclusion you have come to concerning what/who really is the source of your knowledge under the “microscope” of the following statement by Dr. Harold Lindsell, as referred at the beginning of this study.
“If the source of your knowledge is wrong, everything you learn will be wrong.”
I encourage you to diligently consider the eternal impact of this statement as relates to your answer to our question.
Colossians 1:9-12