God's Love Edifies

The apostle Paul observed in 1 Corinthians 8:1, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."  We live in a day when vast amounts of information is available to us online, and this fits with what the angel predicted in the latter part of Daniel 12:4:  "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."  As knowledge increases potentially pride does as well.  Though in many situations we only know what we have heard, pride asserts it knows what has happened, will happen or what should be done.

The way knowledge can be rightly tempered is by walking in the love of God.  Having received the love of God by grace through faith in Jesus, those who are born again are filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit to wield knowledge to glorify God and edify the church--not to attack others or for self-promotion.  People are running to and fro to gain more knowledge, to hear something new.  When the news came out of Washington this week there was a riot taking place, I found myself checking various news feeds throughout the day.  Many times I was disappointed to check and find new articles and reports told me nothing I had not already heard.  Before I went to bed I was convicted that after all the times I had checked news reports to "hear something new" I did not pray instead to see what God had to say about it.  The most accurate news reports cannot ever tell the whole story, but God always tells us what we need to know.

With the amount of knowledge and information available, how much more important it is we seek the LORD to know how to properly respond to it!  Speaking for myself, I can be more keen to hear a breaking story than to be personally broken before the LORD and intercede for the needs of others in love.  I can be more outraged over political spin than mourning the sin of pride in me that delights to point out hypocrisy in others.  So much knowledge we are fed does not empower us to enact positive change but moves to polarise us towards or against others.  It is God's love that short-circuits this certain result:  instead of demanding others who disagree with our views unfriend us, it enables us to open our arms with grace to those who have expressed hate for us, to treat enemies with the selfless kindness we have received from Jesus.

The knowledge of God's love for us leads those who receive it to seek Him and walk in love towards others.  Those who are alienated from the love of God by their self-righteousness, pride and indignation cannot see the point of loving their enemies, yet children of God are commanded to do so.  We do not need to agree with people's views on politics or social issues to love them with our whole being, for we have a Saviour who loved and laid down His life for us whilst we were sinners.  Love is not pleased to see people suffer even when they "deserve it," even when they are proud or hypocrites:  Jesus is not willing any should perish but all come to repentance and be saved.  Believer, allow experience of God's love to compel us to draw near to God and seek to grow in His knowledge, for all His ways are truth.