The Word of Knowledge

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb (mute, silent) idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are differences of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE through the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." 

(1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

"Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may KNOW what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." (Ephesians 1:15-21)

On occasion in charismatic ministries we hear that God had given an individual "a" word of knowledge. I do not contend with those activites. Although rarely do we hear that God had given "the" word of knowledge. "The" versus "a" has a 'specifying or particularizing effect as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force' (WCD). The word of knowledge through the Holy Spirit awakens to His calling that we might practice righteousness in Him. It refines the Way to us so we may become complete in Him.

In It the Righteousness of God is Revealed

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For IN IT the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.' "(Romans 1:16,17)

This week the calendar reminds us of Christ's last days: His discussion of communion for those who would follow, not betray, Him; His scourging and His crucifixion; His resurrection! So, after the calendar ceases to speak, what will the worshippers do?

..."if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made into salvation." (Romans 10:9,10)

confess- to reveal by circumstances (WCD)

In order to believe in YOUR heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you should believe in YOUR heart His death on the cross. "I have been crucified with Christ", Paul preaches; "it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me". IN THIS TRUTH the righteousness of God is revealed: not just over a four day span but daily throughout the year!

Your House is Left to You

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me again until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' " (Luke 13:34,35)

"For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them." (2 Peter 2:20-22)

desolate - depopulate; to forsake or abandon (WCD)

There is the abomination of desolation, where the man of sin sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Satan's fate is sealed. None of those who follow him, purposefully or ignorantly, can possibly know what destruction awaits. If they did, they would not. But, your house is left to you! Allow God to dwell richly in His temple through the holy commandment, by the way of righteousness.

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 

(Revelation 19:10) Holy men of God live to bring this requirement to the churches. You will see Him, again and again, when you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

No Turning Back: Steadfast in the Faith

"We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to hear from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you no being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain--- if indeed it was in vain?" (Galatians 2:15-21, 3:1-4)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is NO VARIATION NOR SHADOW OF TURNING. Of His own will He brought us forth BY the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."
(James 1:17,18)

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and CONTINUES in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he DOES." (James 1:25)

Christ died in vain for the Jew whose righteousness remains in the law, and for the Gentile who lives according to the wisdom of the world. Both philosophies set aside the grace of God, which preaches Christ crucified.