Knowledge and Faith

Written by Emmie Stanley

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“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

Well, we know that the word of God is very important, but like seed without water it lies dormant until we add the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why sometimes God’s written word can seem dull and makes no sense to us.

To be able to properly read and understand the word we need to realize that it is a spiritual language, and can only be understood by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who teaches us and causes the word to come to life for us, as we surrender and invite him to fill and control us. (1 John 2:27)

Don’t just be satisfied with having “knowledge” about what the Bible says, add the Holy Spirit and move from words to power. A seed is just a seed until you add water – but once you do… life bursts forth, food, trees, babies! God’s word is seed. (Luke 8:11) We need to take the seed of the word, plant it in our lives, and by the power of the Holy Spirit expect a crop of hope, joy, healing, saved loved ones, healed relationships, victory, and success.

Don’t settle for just knowing God’s word, add the water of the Spirit, and expect to experience everything promised to us through it.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

Father, I pray that as I read Your word Your Holy Spirit would teach me so that I can know You better. Amen

Question: How do you invite the Holy Spirit in to your study of the word?

Tags: 1 Corinthians 4:20, Bible, Devotional, emmie stanley, God, Holy Spirit, Women, word

2 Responses to “Knowledge and Faith”

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Jamie says:

July 12, 2012 at 11:52 am

Hi Mary Lynn, I love the emphasis you have on the way that we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to direct us. I have known people who approached the Bible as an academic study and filled their minds with so much knowledge but completely missed the relationship that comes from interacting with God through His Word given to us in written form. I think that is one of the reasons that Paul wrote “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) The Holy Spirit is the one who leads people to a new life in Jesus Christ and just as we were dependent on Him (the Holy Spirit) to begin our life in Jesus so we are equally dependent on Him (the Holy Spirit) to live every moment of every day.

I will say though, that I have more confidence in the ability of the Holy Spirit to preserve the integrity of the Word of God than you. If He was such a crucial part to the initial writing of the Bible and to our understanding of the Word of God, He must also be active in preserving the Bible so that we can have confidence in the words that we have today.

And the evidence bears that out! One of the amazing aspects of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the unbelievable match to the words that we have today. The most complete scrolls include Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. The Isaiah scrolls are 95% accurate to the Masoretic Texts (the earliest Isaiah manuscripts in Hebrew that were available prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls) and the 5% that is different includes no doctrinal differences. Rather than call into question the translation work of the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls have helped bring clarification to questions that existed between the Masoretic Texts, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that is most often quoted in the New Testament) and the Samaritan Bible (which includes only the first 5 books of the Bible) so that our modern translators are better equipped to render the true words of God (I found a website with some interesting information about the Dead Sea Scrolls http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/searching-for-the-better-text-2/) The result has been an increased confidence that our modern translations are as close as possible to the original text as it was written by the authors. It is my opinion that the Holy Spirit is the one who has led in that whole process.

So we must read the Bible because, as Paul wrote, it is inspired by God Himself and “is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” (2Timothy 3:16-17) In our reading and studying of the Bible we sensitize our hearts to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit and are able to guard against other voices that are trying to deceive and destroy. We know that Jesus read and quoted from the scriptures as well as all the New Testament authors. If it was important to them I think we should also pursue that discipline.
Mary Lynn says:

July 7, 2012 at 8:53 am

Excellent article! I was in publishing and I know what a book is – printing – ink and paper and it is dead, not alive. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is a printed book of ancient texts where they put authors names that they are unsure of, approximate dates, add words, take out words, translate differently (even today they are still changing it), and make a lot of money.

The “marketplace” is flooded with someone’s version, it kind of makes me sick. STILL, we are grateful for the Old & New Testaments – it sets us free to seek the Truth on our own not through a corporation, but we must always remember who provided the copies we have access to – the rulers of the church who also killed and tormented people for money and power – that doesn’t make them very trustworthy to me. Dead Sea Scrolls have the original text and it’s much different – by changing just one word, it can change the whole meaning of a sentence. Can we trust their translations?

Have the churches and the bibles all over the world produced Christians? I mean real ones that are doing as Jesus Christ did? No, sadly, no! So, the power is obviously NOT in the printed word, but some other form of Word being from God. I believe it is as the article points out: the Holy Spirit translates it from printed page to personal experience and there is the transformation; all other forms are false.

Every culture has their own “bible” but there is One Creator. Perhaps God is doing a new thing (or perhaps He’s been doing it all along) and the revelation provided by Him through the Holy Spirit is not in a book, but in the fruit produced by the trees It waters? (I love your analogy!) That’s our evidence and confirmation – the fruit we produce? But, who judges that? Isn’t the anti-christ supposed to imitate the miracles of Jesus? Wow, few there be that find it – this is not an easy quest and we have made it out to be!?!?

He promises to write His Law in our Hearts. So, that’s my personal approach – after many years of trying to read the Bible and understand it, searching for the perfect church, trying to learn Hebrew and Greek to know the root meaning, trying to be a good person to no avail – I seek Him first and allow Him to add what He wants to me and take away what He doesn’t want in me. Then, I get the confirmation from Scripture to test the Spirit to see if it is from God and wait for the fruit to be produced to judge that under His guidance. I still believe the Holy Spirit is the interpreter and no matter the changes made to the Bible, the Promise is that He will lead us into ALL Truth.

If we had but this ONE text “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 and took this as a spiritual transformation call and not as we do – to provide for our physical needs – no book could contain what He would teach each one of us!

Hey, but our frames are dust, we’re still working on it and He is a patient Father.

More exciting is that we are in the time of His Latter Rain and more people than ever will have access to the Holy Spirit and learn the mysteries of Christ and the Love of our Heavenly Father quickly and easily. Now is the time!!!

I could be wrong, that’s just my opinion. Don’t crucify me – Jesus has already done that for me and I know I needed – and still need – His help.