The Bible says; 2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth.  This elucidates the principle that a seeker of knowledge is performing the works base analysis of the world based on a collection of knowledge to achieve a specific, enlightened, “knowing”.  Perhaps this is why those mentioned may never find the Truth for they are looking at in a “works” based defined accumulation system?  How does faith differ from the collection of knowledge, faith in itself being an action word portraying the belief in something after a certain accumulation of understanding?  Here in lies the difference between faith and knowledge.  Faith is a suspicion that something is true or false, rather a collection of emotion and mounting evidence leading to a conclusion.  Where knowledge may lead to an enlightened understanding or it may not based upon accumulation of data and inductive reasoning some “epiphany” may or may not occur.  Faith will always grow as evidence is pursued as the accumulation of knowledge also grows when learning continues.  However, as faith grows and becomes stronger there is less need for evidence as at some point it is simply taken as Truth where learning will always be seeking additional information to in fact achieve that state of desired epiphany.

Here in is a clear declaration and definition of the battle lines between believers and those who continue to seek evidence of God.  One group started out with something small and then as it was built upon it grew into something that required no more feeding but continued to grow through understanding, relationship and evidence of promises kept, that being the faith group.  The other group, continued to seek evidence and learning and was unable to find the necessary proof of the supernatural understanding sought so it continued in its doubt, never growing simply adding more data to a ever increasing accumulation of ideas, history, principals and knowledge.  Faith leads to some purpose and that purpose is an increased relationship with God and the courage to continue in the face of overwhelming odds armed with nothing but a belief in promised success or victory.  Where knowledge may be pursued for a lifetime and still remain knowledge at the end of that lifetime having never reached an epiphany or evidentiary confirmation of some manner of Truth.  Certainly accumulation of knowledge will lead to experience and that experience will give a manner of street wisdom based on having seen situations in past experience, but it does not promise a growth or an understanding of supernatural ideas and ideals as faith portends.

What then of what pleases God or what may be used as a deceptive device for the enemy’s purpose of alienating us from Almighty God?  Certainly faith must be limited by the enemy or inhibited in its growth stages in order to deconstruct, diminish or place governing limits upon the growth of faith within each believer.  As the Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God”.  Why then does this become relative explanation for the enemy’s continued efforts to limit growing faith within the body of believers.

Well, simple.  If faith is the call that first acquainted each believer with the Truth of God and growing faith allows them to become rooted, sure and safe in those promises as reliance upon them grows with our faith, then the enemy must do everything in his power to stop our faith in its infancy.  Additionally, if as in the garden of Eden, the enemy is capable of convincing us that Knowledge is in fact equally or more important than faith, he has effectively achieved the one degree of separation between our path and the skinny path God intended us to walk.

For once questing knowledge instead of taking the Truth of God on faith, a human is turned over to their own decadent thinking and begins a spiral toward narcissism and misunderstanding eventually leading to academic reasoning and the absence of the faith that pleases God.  So the enemy’s motives, groups, followers and those in danger of missing God will always be shrouded in a singular focus upon the accumulation of knowledge in that absent faith.  Therefore they are typically easy to identify by this over or laser focus upon knowledge as the way to future prosperity in comparison to believers who hold steadfast to the emotional understanding that a faith in God’s promised deliver, provision, protection and prophecy is the only element necessary to successful future endeavors.

This argument may have seemed at outset something trite or minute, but in actuality this is argument that separates the two halves of the population of man.  Those who either subscribe through faith in some understanding of the supernatural outcomes of humanity’s future and the everlasting based upon logic, reasoning and data analysis.  Or those who have heard the call of God through the Holy Spirit placed upon their hearts and by faith have sought a greater understanding of those supernatural issues outside of the embrace of logic and reason to grow in their educated faith and become sure in the reality that is Almighty God and His Will for Mankind.  This battle rages before us and I will continue to point out this mounting gap that separates us, but we must become aware of the signs that indicate the division between the Earthly and the Heaven Bound that we might be called out from those secular things into the holiness in which God wishes we reside.  I pray for clarity in your minds, hearts and souls regarding this difference for though it may appear subtle, within that subtlety resides the enemy’s talent to lead us astray from our growing faith in God’s Promises.  In Jesus’ Name I pray.