Growing in the Knowledge of Christ

There are so many believers who are "spiritually" handicapped in their own personal and spiritual walk with the Lord.  The reason for such is their lack of the knowledge in the Person of God in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).  Instead the church have been made to believe that having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is not enough to possess such knowledge, but "knowledge" that transcend beyond what is revealed in scripture.  Jesus Christ is the fount of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Col. 1:9).  In order to know God's will is embedded in scripture through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives (v. 9).  The Holy Spirit is divine Truth by which God have disclosed everything we need to know through the revelation of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:15, 16).  God is the Author of scripture by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Scripture is complete without any further revelation or revelation of the spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21).  

   The problem with many professing Christian teachers is to also have the Church to believe that in order to have a "relationship" with God is to receive such revelatory knowledge that is beyond the boundaries of God's Word by which many believers are "dysfunctional" when it come to their knowledge and understanding of the truth of scripture. Jesus Christ is God's Final Word by which is complete (Heb. 1:1-2a). Scripture is sufficient in and of itself. To live a life that is worthy of the Lord and to please Him in every way is to have such a proper knowledge and understanding of God's Word (Col. 1:10): that of bearing true spiritual fruit.  

   Throughout this article I will begin to (1) give a description in "how" believers are to live their lives. (2) To live a life pleasing unto the Lord. And (3) the means by which believers can produce such spiritual fruit. It is so important to note that the reason why the Church is in the mess that it is in is because of its lack of knowledge and understanding in regards to God's Word. The church is paying a dear price for its biblical ignorance of scripture. 

   The recipe of "how" believers are to live to their lives is to live a life that exemplify the character of the gospel.  Quite unfortunately the church have been accused by the world of living a life that are contradictory to what they profess.  In so many words instead of walking the walk; they are making such mere lip service as to their Christian profession.  Our lives must be consistent with what we teach. Doctrine and lifestyle goes hand in hand with each other; they are intrinsically linked together.  It is difficult to make a difference between the Christian and the unsaved simply because the Church have become worldly; the world have become churchy.  As believers we must live our lives separate from the world (Rom. 12:1-2).  Also there are many professing believers who are of such strict holiness believe that a believer who for some reason live double lives makes them a hypocrite.  It is true that even the most sincere believer who are truly saved can act and live in ways that does not please the Lord, but it does not make them a hypocrite.  They are wayward believers who are to be restored unto Christ's fellowship (1 Jn. 1:9).  A professing believer is an hypocrite because of their false profession (Matt. 7:15-21) by which they never have known the Lord in the first place. They are hypocritical liars (2 Tim. 4:2).  Professing believers because of their false profession does not bear any true spiritual fruit (Jn. 15:1-2ff).  The truly saved does not sin on the same degree as the unsaved.  The saved are regenerated by the power and work of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:5-6); the professing believer are unrestraint as to their immoral nature: that of sinning day in and day out (Tit. 3:5).  

   For the saved to live a life pleasing unto the Lord by bearing such spiritual fruit is to have a proper knowledge and understanding of God's Word.  The fount of the wisdom and knowledge of God is in Jesus Christ; not the empty philosophy of theological mysticism (Col. 2:8, 18, 19).  The infiltration of mysticism have in fact destroyed the faith and life of the Church by which many believers are barren as to their own spiritual and personal walk with the Lord.  The avenue by which mystics receive that of salvation is through knowledge (i.e. "gnosis"); not personal faith in Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:36).  Mystics will also have the Church to believe that a person must recognize the "spark" of divinity from within: that of who you are as to your position in Christ.  It is through such revelatory means outside the boundaries of scripture (contrast 2 Pet. 1:20).  In so many word for believers to "know" their position in Christ is to recognize that they are the "Christ" so as to conquerors over sin, sickness, disease, and death.  Within many Faith circles that of its leadership clearly deny the Fall of Man in the garden as one Faith televangelist Robert Tilton once says, "The fall of Adam was not as a result of sin, but to lose his godhood in the garden."  The sin of Adam was a result of his disobedience to God whereby it ruined the whole human race (Ge. 3:1-7 with Rom. 5:21). The substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is God's Gift of salvation in order that the unsaved can be saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16, 17).  

   There are many within the church today who are not completely satisfied with just simply having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ but want more of the "presence" of God through such esotericism and intuitiveness. For the Church to replace the knowledge of Christ in favor of mysticism is to cross the threshold of spiritual apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1).  The remedy for spiritual apostasy is God's divine judgment.

   The means by which believers can live lives pleasing unto the Lord so as to bear any spiritual fruit is their proper knowledge and understanding of God's Word.  Their is such widespread ignorance and spiritual "indifferent" among God's people in regards to God's Word by which they shun sound doctrine and biblical theology (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  Subjectivism, mysticism, and legalism is the norm of the day within the professing church today.  The question (?): "How is it possible for the Church today to live lives pleasing unto the Lord when God's people are "dysfunctional" in their knowledge and understanding of God's Word?"  Improper knowledge and understanding of scripture is to hinder the spiritual progress of many believers so as to experience God's grace in their own lives by extending grace to others. Legalism has in fact sap the spiritual lifeblood of the church today by which the false teaching of legalism is based upon such works-righteousness; not the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:1-4).  The issue of justification by faith in Christ and sanctification is that believers are made holier and righteous based upon such human works (contrast Eph. 2:8-9).  For the believer to be justified in Christ is through that of the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22-24).  For the believer to be sanctified is to be set apart as a result of salvation or to be saved.  Sanctification is a progressive work in the life of the believer; not what is instantaneous (Rom. 8).  Legalism, judgmentalism, perfectionism, moral plank, and sacrilegious are the hallmarks of spiritual apostasy: that of doctrines taught by demons (1 Tim. 4:1; [Matt. 23]).

Rev. Darryl L. Miller is founder & Lead pastor of Contending for the Faith Church (International) of Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the president and Chairman of Darryl Miller International Ministries and travels extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is the Radio Host of, "Answers In Focus" which is aired weekly in metro Atlanta, Georgia.  Darryl is also the bestselling author of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From?: Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation?"  As a pastor, apologist, senior researcher/editor, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside of Atlanta with there puppy "Little Baby."