Knowledge puffeth up…

These are the first lines of 1 Corinthians 8! Yes I know Paul was addressing the idea of men esteeming knowledge higher than love! But I’m here to concentrate on the Knowledge bit!

He states it this way…in the Amplified version 1 Corinthians 8:1…. of course we know that all of us possess knowledge [concerning these matters. Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature].

When you read further, it’s like Paul is trying to say ‘Knowledge without love is pointless..’ But, what if I have knowledge with love! What if I want to share my knowledge to help edify (To build, construct/ To instruct or improve morally or intellectually) you.

The more knowledge we have about ourselves, about what God says we are, will increase our self esteem and confidence! Let me give one huge example; Accidents! O yes accidents are on the rise! Once one happens, there’s a lot of friction in families!

A few months ago, we had one huge one that caused a lot of trauma in the country! A fast speeding truck’s brakes failed to work, and it bashed into over 10 static cars! The video was allover the media! People as far as Madagascar received it even before some Ugandans did!

That evening my aunt prayed! She prayed God stopped accidents. She bound the demons of accidents! She rebuked the spirit of accidents! And I’d see The Holy Spirit shake his head and clap his hands!

There’s no spirit of accidents! It’s humans that come up with these things! And God won’t stop accidents even if He is able to! Why? This world is under some other management! It’s not Heaven! If earth was heaven, there’d be no accidents, but sadly the devil exists here…

Nevertheless, The Christian is under God’s management, and even if accidents won’t stop, like ambassadors of a different country (Heaven) there’s a convoy of body guards assigned to protect you!

Psalms 91:10-11 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

The message version puts it this way; Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go.

It seems too good to be true, right? But God’s not a man that He should lie (Num 23:19) It is what it is! Believe it! When such stories break out just remembering this helps keep my peace! Having this knowledge puffeth.

You can’t wallow in fear of danger when you know this! You can’t tolerate the existence of funny spirits when you know what God says. This is the confidence I have by the knowledge of what God has provided for me through his word, and I’m here (since love builds up) to beseech thee to regard highly God’s word over you, and not to let what the world states to override you!

The word puff also means to inflate with self esteem…Self esteem to me is holding your head up with confidence that there’s a much stronger power that is at work around you, which is greater than the several forces of darkness around you!

The more knowledge you have of God concerning you, the more confident and unshaken you will live on this earth!

No evil shall befall you! No plague shall come near your dwelling! This will only work if you believe it!