Today’s Bible reading is 1 Chronicles 22 and 1 Corinthians 8.
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. (1 Cor 8:1-2)
Here’s something worth thinking about this weekend: the more you know, the more you ought to love.
Unfortunately, that’s not always true. Sometimes, the more we know, the more impressed we become with ourselves. Sometimes, the more we know, the less we think of others. Sometimes, the more we know, the more “puffed up” we get.
Notice how the Holy Spirit describes this sort of “knowing.” If anyone “imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.” In other words, the real aim of knowing has been neglected or forgotten and my learning has led me to the land of self-centered imagination.
In 1 Corinthians 8:6 we’re reminded, “there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist.” Think about that. I exist from God, for God. What amount of “knowledge” could I possibly acquire that would merit shifting attention away from him to myself? It’s not about me. When I allow myself to become so impressed with myself that I get “puffed up,” I’m missing the point of my very existence.
But when I remember, “I exist from God, for God,” now I have a different focus. A better ambition. Love. The love that glorifies my Creator. The love that builds other image-bearers up. The love that sacrifices as my Savior has sacrificed.
If “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov 1:7), isn’t love the aim of knowledge?
The more I know, the more I ought to love.