“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”
Hosea 4:6
When we celebrated our "10 Year Anniversary" as a church in 2001, the congregation sent Jeff and I and our four kids on a 7-day cruise! What a huge blessing that was. It didn't take long for our kids to discover all the amenities that were included in the price of their ticket. Our youngest son, Eric, found the ice cream machine immediately and that knowledge gave him great pleasure on the cruise! The rest of us discovered that cruising means you are at an “all you can eat” buffet 24/7 and we definitely did not lack knowledge about that!
The result? We totally enjoyed our family cruise, made great memories, gained weight and had lots of fun! What a shame it would have been for our church family to have sacrificed their love and hard-earned money to purchase such a gift for us – and we never bothered to discover all that was included in the ticket! What if we returned home unaware of and having never partaken in all the blessings of the cruise that had already been paid for?
What has Jesus provided through redemption for each and every person who will receive it? What amenities are included in the S.S. Salvation? Sadly, many Christians have no idea the magnitude of all that Jesus purchased for us on the cross by shedding His blood. A lot of Christians live on saltine crackers during their entire life on earth, unaware that Jesus has purchased a complete redemption!
While we will face adversity, tribulations and persecutions in this life – we can triumph in Christ since, by definition, our salvation includes: forgiveness from sin, freedom from hell, eternal life and a home in heaven, healing for spirit, soul and body, wellness, safety, abundance, prosperity, purpose, destiny, the power and fruit of the Spirit – love, joy and peace and so much more! We must “get a grip” on all that Jesus has included in salvation!
The enemy uses one major tool to destroy, discourage, frustrate and keep God’s people from experiencing all that belongs to them in Christ – ignorance! We’ve heard for years that “what we don’t know won’t hurt us…” but nothing could be further from the truth. What you don’t know can hurt you – in fact, it can kill you. One of the greatest plights facing today’s believer is a “lack of knowledge”! It’s amazing how many Christians are Bible-illiterate and have no idea how to appropriate God's Word by faith. What a shame.
We shouldn't be surprised because Jesus told us that we have an enemy – the devil! Satan’s primary goal in a person’s life is to “steal the Word.” The devil himself knows that if a believer ever truly discovered all that belonged to him in Christ, he would be ineffective and God’s people would “reign in life through Christ” – that’s why he works so hard to destroy God’s children through a lack of knowledge!
Let’s not insult Jesus and the extremely high price He paid for such a great salvation; but rather, let’s dive into the Word of God and discover all that He has purchased for us. The Bible is clear: “In Him we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings….” Do we know what that includes?
“Father, I thank You for Your Word. Jesus, thank You for purchasing such a great salvation for me. I apologize for my lack of knowledge – for being lazy – for not being diligent in studying Your Word. Help me to obtain the knowledge of all that You have purchased for me in redemption. Help me to study the Bible in such a way that You uncover all the things that You want me to know, appropriate and experience. I don’t want to be destroyed by a lack of knowledge in any area!”
Dive into the Word of God and discover all that Jesus has purchased for you.
