“¹⁴But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” – 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (ESV)

When I read these verses, I see, like you likely do as well, that there are two types of people in the world. There are those that learn of the knowledge of Christ and accept Him as their Savior and Lord, and then there are those that are turned off by His glory and greatness. I see that the aroma Christ and His knowledge is beautiful and sweet to those that accept and sour and repugnant to those that are turned off.

When we that are of Christ, are in the world, our role is to emit the aroma and fragrance of Christ. It is not up to us who will accept and who will push away. The fragrance of Christ and the knowledge of Him is what it is and I have to remember that not all will accept that aroma as I do. My job is simply to spread the aroma around the world and allow God to do His will in those that come in contact with His fragrance.

When you are in the world, are you out there spreading the fragrance of God? Have you noticed the acceptance or rejection of His aroma? What if you just spread the fragrance and allowed God to do His work on others with the aroma of His knowledge?

I have studied “love” and “knowledge” and by far, love is greater. Even in the concordance of my ESV Bible, there are just over 20 references to “knowledge” where there are over 120 references to “love”. So it stands to reason that love is indeed greater.

This morning I continue to study “knowledge” and was led to chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians. Interesting that the title of the passage is “The Way of Love” and not knowledge. Verses 2 and 8 tell the story of what I reference in the beginning paragraph as identified by Paul.

“²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ⁸Love never ends. As for prophesies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2 & 8 (ESV)

As my study takes me, I am taught and reminded that knowledge, where it is great to have and important to continue to obtain, does not have the same sustainability that love does. Love does not go away just because I happen to forget how things are done. It does not disappear at the first realization that I am not the smartest person in the room. I can have all of the knowledge in the world and be the smartest person there ever was, but without love, I am nothing. I am nothing without love, and I say one more time, I am nothing without love.

My studies take me a lot of places and in those places God provides me with the knowledge I need to make it through and prevail over adversity. But no matter the circumstance or situation I am in, the one constant is that I always have love. When all else around me is in shambles, I have love. When things are humming right along as planned, I have love. When there is work to be done, the one thing that never fails is love.

Where do you look and what do you count on as you are out in the world? Are you leaning on those things that are fleeting, like knowledge? What if you were to put your faith in God and the love that never fails?

As I continue to study the word “knowledge” this morning I was led to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and eating the food offered to idols. At first I ask, how does this contribute to knowledge, until I read the passage and draw on what I already have learned.

“¹⁰For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? – 1 Corinthians 8:10 (ESV)

In this verse we see that having knowledge of something that is controversial means that we have a responsibility to not influence one way or the other.

“⁸Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.” – 1 Corinthians 8:8 (ESV)

As a Christian, eating food does not make us any better or worse, just like having more expensive possessions, or having attended a popular university, or working for a specific company. We are here to honor and glorify God and that is our purpose. We have a responsibility to guide others to their relationship with God, and as such we should not be doing anything to cause others to stumble. The eating of food offered to idols could cause someone take action that they do not fully understand, like that described in verse 8.

“¹¹And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. ¹²Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” – 1 Corinthians 8:11-13 (ESV)

I am not to do anything that causes someone to stumble. I have to understand that I am responsible for sharing the glory of God and with that I have a responsibility to love others and ensure that they are give every opportunity to develop and cultivate a relationship with Him that is pure and built on love.

“¹Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ This ‘knowledge’ puffs us, but love builds up.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV)

We are to have knowledge, but be careful with that knowledge that it does not define us. We should be defined by love and with the knowledge of what our purpose is and how to act, we are driven to share our love with others and that can be as simple as abstaining from something that could cause another to stumble in their relationship with Christ. Our knowledge leads to love of Christ and our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those in the world that are seeking Him.

Are there things in your life that could cause others to question or stumble in their relationship with Christ? Are you possibly contributing to someone’s stumbling, even inadvertently? What if you used your knowledge to love and build up others by abstaining from things that could cause them to stumble?

I feel as though I am a pretty smart fellow. I am an educator and have committed to lifelong learning. I am not satisfied with what I know and strive to not only have information that I can recall, but a depth of understanding that allows me to speak intelligently with others when subjects come up. All of that said, I still do not have the same or anywhere close to the same knowledge or depth of understanding as God.

“³³Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” – Romans 11:33 (ESV)

Back in early 2017 I wrote these words as I was studying the same verses above: “I spend a lot of time thinking about the immediate and how to handle the current adversity, when God is about 900 steps ahead. He has moved on, waiting on me to do my part. He has allowed me to decide for myself how to handle and it is my responsibility to work on catching up with him. Can we ever comprehend the wisdom of God?”

Oh how true they still are today. I will never reach the understanding and comprehension of God. He is so far ahead of me and He leads from there, encouraging me to continue moving forward with the plan to get there. I may have understanding and a depth of knowledge of certain topics, but God, He has a depth of knowledge and understanding of all things. I can only strive to reach that depth and fully know that I never will, and that I am okay with.

How much do you know? Are you one of those that knows it all? What if you surrender the idea of knowing all and accept that God’s knowledge and wisdom far exceeds anything we will reach?

The world is in a shambles. I think that we all know this and are wondering what to do about it and how it will be remedied. Well we should be looking to God’s Word for the answers to those questions.

As I read this morning I am reminded that the world has always been in shambles. But there have always been those that lived righteous lives. In Habakkuk chapter 2 we see in the beginning where the LORD speaks of the righteous and how they “shall live by His faith”. God tells that when we are doing work for and with Him that we will wait for Him and His answers to our prayers and questions as we do His work.

And then, God speaks of those that are less than righteous, which as I know is a large majority of the rest of the world. They will “take up their taunt against him”. They will not do as the LORD commands, in fact they will largely do the opposite and work against Him. Reading in Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 6 through 20 we see that there are the many things that were/are done in direct contradiction to the LORD. But, there are verses that point to the glory of the LORD.

“¹⁴For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. ²⁰But the LORD is in his holey temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” – Habakkuk 2:14 & 20 (ESV)

We are made aware of the glory of the LORD, if we would only look out for it. His glory is all around us. If only we would accept His salvation and live our lives to His glory only, we will be a part of the righteous and “live by his faith”.

I am not saying here that I am a righteous man by any means, as I am still learning and growing in my faith even as I reach 36 years saved. I am working each day to do the will of God and follow His lead in my life. But, I know that the glory of the LORD and how when I seek it out, I will live by faith in Him.

What are living by? Are you seeking the glory of the LORD? What if you read and studied to know and live for the glory of the LORD?

“⁹They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” – Isaiah 11:9 (ESV)

Notice in the verse above that “they shall not hurt or destroy”. I see that written and think of all of those that are against me. I then think of what can be done to make sure that I am protected against such destruction. And then I read the verses above that one and see the whole truth.

“⁶The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. ⁷The cow and the bear shall graze; their your shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand of the adder’s den.” – Isaiah 11:6-8 (ESV)

Now I see the whole story being told. We live in harmony with all, even those that want to destroy us. As such we find peace with them and are able to love and live together in this world.

I know that there will always be those out there looking to hurt and destroy me. But, even though they are, that does not mean that I should. I live by the LORD and with that I love all. My knowledge of the LORD provides me with the understanding that all are here for God’s glory, even if they don’t know it. I am the one that drives harmony in the world, knowing that God will protect me against the persecution that is contrary to His plan for me in this world. I am to use my knowledge to drive harmony.

Are you able to live and work with those that are out to “get you”? What have you done to turn the tables and live in harmony? What if you were to use your knowledge of Christ and understand the reasons for their persecution, forgive them and drive the harmony in the world?

Knowledge is for all of me. Not just my head and heart and body, but in my soul as well. I am always looking for ways to increase my knowledge and understanding and the verse I was brought to this morning helps me to understand how.

“²Desire without knowledge is not good,” – Proverbs 19:2a (ESV)

I know what you may be thinking, where is there discussion about knowledge and the soul. Well, where is it that real desire is found, in the soul. In my ESV Bible, there is a note tied to the word desire that indicates the meaning is “a soul”. The soul is where we find the true desire. Deep down it is that we find ourselves wanting for things and it is deep down in the soul that we need to make sure and have the knowledge to make the right decisions and choices related to those wants.

I am grateful to have information beyond what is written in the verses that helps to explain things to me therefore allowing me to gain in knowledge and understanding. Knowledge is where I find the meaning behind things. For me as I continue to grow it is important for me to look out for my desires. I have to think about my soul and are the desires I have truly worth all of the effort I am putting into them. Do I really “need” that new car? What about that new TV, or computer?

It is for me to sift through the desires and use the knowledge of needs that God will provide for. Again I use the word “need” to describe that which I should think about for my soul. When I do, I take the time to dig into understanding and that is where the knowledge comes to the forefront. Knowledge is not just for the head, the body, and the heart, but also for the soul.

What is it that you desire? Are you looking at the depths of your soul for your needs? What if you were to dig into your soul for knowledge?

Over the years I have worked on my emotional intelligence to display a more even demeanor as I interact with others. I have read on the topic and spent time to consciously control my actions.

“²⁷Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. ²⁸Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” – Proverbs 17:27-28 (ESV)

Here I see the introduction of emotional intelligence. This comes way before what is considered its discovery. God’s Word once again proves to be the instruction manual that we should be using to get through this world.

I know that controlling our emotions is not the easiest thing to accomplish. Even with all of the study that I have done and the work that I have put in, I still struggle daily with putting on the right face for others to see. It is important for me to remember where to go for the help needed for control, God’s Word. I am in God’s Word daily and with my time there I have the ability to see and understand what is needed to be in more control.

Here in the verses I was brought to study today, I have found more evidence of the knowledge to get along in this world. Emotional intelligence is there for us all, and even the “fool” can and will demonstrate knowledge and intelligence with the control of emotions.

How is it that you react in those emotional moments? Are you looking to God’s Word for guidance? What if you searched and controlled your emotions, would you demonstrate knowledge and intelligence?

I have been studying the word “knowledge” for a few weeks now and have been drawn to the idea that knowledge is in the head. Whereas that is true and we use our brains to demonstrate knowledge in the eyes of those around us, it is in the heart that knowledge is really manifest.

“¹⁴The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. ⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. ²⁸The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” – Proverbs 15:14, 7, & 28 (ESV)

Yes, these verses seem to be out of order in the scheme of things, but really look at how I have captured them. First there is the heart seeking knowledge, then I see that the heart of fools does not work in knowledge, and finally that heart with knowledge, chooses carefully the words to speak to others. With this approach, it seems to me to be more in the right order for my understanding. And as noted in verse 14, my understanding of heart seeks knowledge.

I am not smarter than you, I only seek to understand and that gives me a bit more depth of insight and knowledge. I hope that my words drive you to the Word of God so that you are able to dive in and gain more depth of understanding.

When you are looking at learning, are you looking at your heart for understanding? Are you seeking to know with your heart and not just your head? What if you were to have the heart of understanding and knowledge and not just the head for it?

We live in a world where information is at our fingertips, and frankly I believe that information availability has contributed to a lack of real knowledge in the world.

I am, as I have mentioned many times, a proponent of gaining true knowledge and that comes from the study of and depth of understanding related to what it is you are looking at. Just taking the first bit of information as that which is correct is irresponsible. Aarron, my youngest son is currently taking a statistics class and is learning how something can be manipulated to tell the story wanted. With information, the ability to include and exclude information allows the story you want to be told so as to demonstrate your “intelligence” with regard to the subject. The problem is that your “intelligence” is based on limited or select information.

“¹⁶In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” – Proverbs 13:16 (ESV)

Knowledge is based on depth of understanding and not simply on the information you have at your fingertips. Anyone can look up data that will tell the story they are wanting to see. It takes a true man/woman of understanding to put their own biases aside and look for the truth. The idea that one person is right and another is wrong is likely way too far from the truth. The reality is that both are correct based on the information they have. Where the real truth is revealed is when the two get together, share their information with one another and dissect that information to find the real truth, which is likely somewhere in the middle of all of the information.

I have been in education for some time now and in that time have not been afraid of learning and understanding the full story. During my time I have asked for and accepted other perspectives and on a number of occasions have pressed to get something changed based on new information that was gathered and learned. It is important to put my own biases aside to learn the truth and get to the root of the information so as to be well informed with true knowledge in everything.

What information have you accepted blindly as being correct? Are you willing to look at other information that may challenge what you know? What if you were to look at everything with a curiosity to gain real knowledge?