The Knowledge of Good and Evil
Are we too smart for God? Do you seek the Lord’s direction with the humility of a child, and gladly receive the instruction He provides? Or is it all too easy to devise your own ways, and expect that you will continue to stand by God’s grace?
In these last days, it seems that mankind will employ any solution imaginable to given problems; any solution except for prayer, along with the corresponding submission to the Lord, that is! We have considered ourselves to have such an understanding about our world, that any “hungering and thirsting” after God is reserved for those very few desperate moments when the answers elude us. Even at those times, we have become so “out of tune” with prayer that receiving God’s true leading is nearly impossible. God will not give His glory to another, and therefore He wants us to have an utter dependence upon only Him—He needs to be the Lord of our lives.
So it has struck me of late how much we still stumble over that original sin, all the way back in the Garden of Eden; when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There is something highly significant about this original sin! Let’s look at the scriptures regarding that first sin. Bold or italicized type has been added for emphasis.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:15-17
God gave this “obedience” instruction to Adam, before the woman was created. As the man is Biblically the head of the wife, we assume that Adam passed along this instruction to the woman (not yet named). The scriptures do not indicate that it was otherwise. Now let us look at the fall of mankind by sin, which was initiated after the creation of woman.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:1-6
This, then, was mankind’s original sin; the desire for the knowledge of good and evil. Since that time we have been as gods, for we determine for ourselves what things are right or wrong. It is a rebellion against the sovereignty of God. Lucifer did this first (Isaiah 14:12-15), and enticed us with that same sin! As part of the woman’s rationale is this passage, she altered God’s Word by adding to it; God said that they (man and woman) could freely eat of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of that tree God said that they must not eat of it; the woman added the words, “neither shall ye touch it.” the Lord tells us in Proverbs 30:6;
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. Proverbs 30:6
Religious leaders and professing Christians today carry out this sin every day; making themselves to be like God, claiming to have the knowledge of good and evil. We are born with this sinful desire to know all, and be self-determinate. Our intentions may initially seem to be good, thinking that we only want to know our Savior and Lord more completely! Yet the carnal nature is strong, and will tend to lead us toward self-determination by adding to God’s Word. We then claim God to be in support of doctrine(s) which He never gave to us, or intended. Having a desire to know and understand is not wrong in itself, but we need to be constantly reminded that ours is a walk of faith; as such, there is much that we will not be able to completely comprehend.
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) II Corinthians 5:7
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:1-3
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. I Corinthians 1:26-29
While I may be sharply critical of this tendency in others, I also readily acknowledge that it is present within myself. It is by God’s mercy that the Lord has revealed this weak area to myself, and only by His power (Romans 8:11) will I be able to overcome it. Yet I see this corruption so much, among so many, it is only fitting to write and warn others about it.
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:28-31
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. II Corinthians 11:13-15
There are an incredible number of examples that I could use, but all of mine will be from direct experience (rather than referring to celebrity evangelists). These are people which do appear to be well-educated, spiritually regenerated (saved through Christ) individuals. Some are pastors, some are not. By their fruit, I perceive that some do not truly know the Lord at all, while others may have simply gone astray (hopefully temporary) in only an area or two; no one can know everything, remember? All of these names have been changed to avoid destructive gossip. I am not saying that I know what each person’s final standing with the Lord shall be!
An early example of this occurred while I was a teenager. My sister and I began attending a non-denominational church that was meeting in an old movie theater. This group started out well, but eventually collapsed (I believe it was within a 3-year period).
Pastor Wayne taught from God’s Word, and there was a heavy emphasis on miracles and spiritual gifts. This emphasis became disproportionate, however; the miracles were being sought out apart from true inner transformation (see Luke 10:20).
The gift of tongues is my direct case in point. While tongues (and interpretation) were readily received, it was at first held in Biblical perspective; that tongues is one of the lesser gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that not everyone (believers) will speak in tongues. In time, Wayne’s position on this changed; he began to declare that all who are saved will speak in tongues! As you can tell, this is quite a difference! Yet this pastor’s experience began to tell him something which is contrary to what God reveals in His Word. The Holy Spirit cannot bless in such an instance. I am not saying that Wayne’s position on tongues was the only problem area, but it was a “fruit” born of an inner condition, that thankfully came to an end. Yet I continued to struggle concerning the gift of tongues for many years because of my experiences as a teen. Just think of the contradiction I was living with; at my home church, a Nazarene church, the pastor had called tongues a work of the devil! At the other church, Wayne declared that every Christian would speak in tongues. These were opposite extremes to be sure; both are wrong, and both were derived by men who were seeking a God-like knowledge of good and evil.
Still another experience happened as the result of a shared blog on the internet. I found a brother in Christ who also held to some of the unique beliefs God’s Spirit and Word have led me into embracing (the view on Christmas being the first one). There were some differences, of course, as we discovered while sharing websites. Most that we ran into were very minor, and merely reflected individual points of growth rather than serious doctrine.
When it came to the issue of water baptism, however, I was dumbfounded. I had never really considered that this could be a point of serious contention between believers. Buddy does not believe in water baptism for followers of Christ! He claims that a believer’s “baptism” is only by the Holy Ghost, and not water. I examined this on his website, and was amazed; he is spiritually blinded to the truth of God’s Word in this area. He listed many scriptures which did not seem to relate to the topic (without explaining why), and ignored many key areas which plainly support the sacrament of water baptism. This is definitely a problem in Buddy’s relationship to the Lord! It did prompt me into research on the topic, as well as bringing forth an article for our website. Buddy has been victimized by our sinful nature’s quest for the knowledge of good and evil, as well as our sinful tendency toward self-justification (Proverbs 21:2).
It is good to find pastors which continue to cling onto the King James Bible as the authority of God’s Word; Jerry is one such pastor. Over the years, however, Jerry’s teachings have veered more and more outside of the written Word of God. He is making numerous additions to the preserved scripture (Psalms 12:6,7), and claiming authoritatively that they are true.
One example of this would be his claim of a pre-Adamic civilization here on earth! The Bible plainly states no such thing—but I guess Jerry thinks he has a “special revelation” from God concerning this! He is now also calculating events based on what he calls, “God’s time.” Based on this reasoning, he has deduced that the antichrist will be in power for some 41 plus years; rather than the merely 42 months given to us in God’s Word (Revelation 13:5). It is one thing to speculate upon what “God’s time” might actually be—but it is another thing to claim having knowledge of what it is! Jerry has greatly blessed me, but I am sorry to say that I see great scriptural “additions” creeping into his ministry. I only pray that this will not lead to eternal consequences for his soul.
Lorraine also typifies what we have run into. While riding with my wife to work, views were shared about the nearby Easter holiday. Jamie (my wife) and I have discovered that Easter is a very ancient pagan holiday, without (and opposing) Biblical directives. In obedience, we laid aside observing this holiday to better serve and glorify God.
Lorraine, of course, is a typical church-goer that fully embraces Easter as being Christian. She conveyed to my wife how “neat” it is that she can honor God by observing Easter, and we can honor Him by refraining from it! Brethren, I hope you can see that this is impossible!
Our God cannot be for Easter, and against it. A kingdom divided against itself will not stand! To say that God honors people for their own sincerity indicates that we are the “lord” of our lives, not Jesus.
It is true that God loves all of mankind equally, and desires that all come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is also true that God is patient and longsuffering toward us, as we “grow up” in Him. Yet when more light has been given to us, we are expected to abide in it! We are not to continue in practices that grieve our Lord. Instead, we should be “hungering and thirsting”after righteousness, in an effort to please Him. Lorraine has been blinded about who God is, and lives with the deception that her own knowledge of good and evil is superior to that of Him whom she claims to have saved her!
Yet the real inspiration for this article came back at the beginning of this year, through a man I’ll call Robert. Robert is an enemy of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18), and was sent to me as a “minister of righteousness” by his father the devil (II Corinthians 11:13-15). Let me start, however, with some background information on our lives at the time of this attack…
In many ways, this was a rather bleak period of testing for Jamie and myself. Physical affliction was very great, but so were the spiritual moves of God! I believe that such periods are absolutely vital for the Lord’s servants to grow in faith.
So when Robert and his family came along, I at first thought it was yet another move of God, such as we had been encountering more and more. I was to find, however, that as we grow deeper into Christ, so the attacks of Satan also grow in complexity.
Jamie and I had walked to a nearby park, and built a fire. We spent time in devotions and singing hymns. Robert walked up to us, and engaged in conversation. First, there were questions about Jamie’s covering. Then, church attendance and the Bible began coming to the forefront. Robert’s family also joined us later, and invited us to have supper with them.
At our first meeting, most of our conversation went toward getting better acquainted. We found similarities in our positions toward Christmas, and struggles in finding and appropriate church. I had visited 20, he claimed to have been in 30! The biggest difference was my belief in mankind’s freewill, as opposed to his belief in predestination. He kept referring to it as, “the sovereignty of God.” I really couldn’t understand his claim at first. His family had begun meeting with several other families in a Sunday morning fellowship, and asked us to visit. This seemed like a good thing, and a possible prayer answer in regard to fellowship. House to house meeting has always been the Biblical way for Christ’s true church to gather. Weren’t these people reflecting a return to that type of obedience? We accepted Robert’s invitation, and committed it to the Lord…
The group that Robert belongs to, and Robert, interpret God’s Word for themselves. They accept no Bible translation, but study the supposed “original” Greek/Hebrew for themselves; then they decide upon its meaning! There can be as many differing interpretations in this group as there are people! Yet the group leader, and the “elder” member of this group steadfastly hate the King James Bible. The elder member of this group was the loudest, and continually ridiculed other members for their interpretation—often claiming that they couldn’t know what a passage meant! How can faith be strengthened?
This group was far worse than anything I had seen before. We would have simply walked out, but Robert was our ride, and we were far from home (over 20 miles). I thought then that Robert was fairly close to my viewpoint regarding the KJV; but I was eventually to discover what a bad assumption that was!
We were also attacked more personally by this group on another front, and Jamie was the recipient. While sharing with a familiar member of the group, Jamie let it be known that we were not having children. Time here is short; I wanted to serve the Lord more directly for the rest of my life, so I had had a vasectomy some 2½ years before I ever met Jamie. This was known to her openly within the 1st week when we began dating.
When Jamie’s acquaintance Barb heard this, she brought it to the attention of Kathy (the group leader’s wife). Kathy is the mother of nine, with a tenth child on the way. Kathy conveyed this message; that if a woman isn’t going to have children, she shouldn’t marry! She claimed this is what the Bible teaches! When Jamie related this story to me, I replied that it seemed Kathy’s pride had gotten the better of her. I suppose it was good that only Jamie heard this ridiculous perversion of God’s Word. In sort of a “holier-than-thou” spirit, we were being shown the door (see Luke 18:9-14).
Robert, however, was not on my side (he also has a sizeable family). He and his wife also believe that a main purpose for Christian couples is breeding. They had a genuinely difficult time in even trying to consider that God would bring us together without the possibility of children! Robert’s wife even tried to goad us by saying, “What if Jamie got pregnant anyway?”
Brethren, I had long ago submitted this matter to the Lord! Why were we being grilled? Don’t fellow brethren trust the Holy Spirit to lead others? Is there room in God’s Word for our behavior, or must we act as the others of this group? The ability to have children is given to women of all faiths, and even to atheists! These people are still living in Genesis 9:1, without acknowledging that the Bible shows a progression toward Luke 23:29! The Bible does not support the position they have taken, and does support the notion that God’s service should be prioritized above family!
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26
A greater truth, however, is that Robert would disagree or criticize on virtually every major Biblical viewpoint that we hold to! At first I thought our differences to be merely according to individuality. It later became clear, though, that Robert couldn’t see (spiritually). He was well studied in many points of scripture, but without the Holy Spirit’s guidance. I found that the Bible warns us of men like this, who wind up “doting” over words;
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. I Timothy 6:3-5
Robert was so much worse than just being disagreeable; Robert was openly antagonistic to the directives God gave us in the KJV. His hostility (by contradictory actions) was meant to disrupt our faith, at a time when we needed it most.
During the 2½ weeks of acquaintance with Robert, he continually harassed us. He began (more or less) to insist that we engage in fellowship—and yet during our times together, he consistently put down the way we followed God; though all we had done was according to the Word, and most importantly, led by the Holy Spirit. I tried to show Robert that “fellowship” should never be placed above holiness, and that the Bible repeatedly instructs us to withdraw from brethren that walk disorderly. He wouldn’t (or couldn’t) hear it. As with many issues, if we didn’t see it Robert’s way, it meant that we had no true relationship with Christ!
The Lord encouraged us at this time by bringing to our house some KJV “only” believers. We were not meant to have extended fellowship with this particular group either, but we had a blessed time of sharing one Saturday morning.
When Robert found out about this meeting, it greatly disturbed him. It was as if he felt threatened! He bombarded us with questions, and only seemed more content when I assured him that we wouldn’t have extensive contact with them; we had surrendered it to the Lord’s purpose. The posture taken by Robert in these matters began to reveal what he really is…
We were given several books by Robert, all of which forthrightly opposed the organized church as it is today (a position we mostly agree with). Yet the worst of these books is called The Great Ecclesiastical Conspiracy; a book which Robert boasted of giving out to many professed believers along the way. This book continually bashed the KJV, and even blamed Bible interpretation for the problems in the organized church! It shocked me that Robert could read and embrace such a book, let alone be giving them away. Upon reading the book myself, my eyes were opened to the satanic nature of Robert’s “spirit.” The book is very thin, and is obviously written by men embittered against churches for their bad experiences within them. They used second hand opinions as a supposed “factual” base for their theory, and offer no solid proof at all! God’s Word is grievously mishandled, as they present to the world another gospel in place of what God actually preserved in its entirety. They are as corrupt (and perhaps more corrupt) than the church organizations they ridicule.
Robert’s blindness regarding this book was truly disturbing (and revealing!). It seemed obvious to me how absurd this book is; even beyond the fact of whether or not I personally agreed with it. The men writing it simply offered no evidence supporting their claim of blame, and where to place it. I would think that any well-educated person (and Robert is) should see this very clearly. A true believer with the mind of Christ ought to be able to “see” even more readily! Robert was not who he claimed to be.
The book was not particularly surprising to me; it was the way Robert handled it that was offensive. I wrote extensive reviews in the copy of the book he gave me, and returned it. This event was a final confirmation to me that the Holy Spirit was missing from Robert’s life. He was trying to understand God’s will (maybe) with his own intellect. This is what I supposed at the time! One final showdown (God knows) was coming…
God showed me plainly that Robert was not of Him, even by simply applying the truth from James 3:17 & 18;
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:17,18
What were we to do? How should the relationship be handled? The Lord gave me a format to follow, one that would show fairness first; though I already knew by God’s Spirit that Robert was an enemy of Christ.
The right timing of this event would also be important. I was hoping for perhaps a week to pray and prepare (because circumstances for us were dire, apart from Robert); God had other ideas! I am thankful that our God does things according to His perfect wisdom, and not our own flawed thinking!
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5,6
Robert called on 2 consecutive days, just missing me as I went out for prayer. He was somewhat miffed, thinking that I was avoiding him (which was not the case, but I was glad to miss those calls! Jamie had my sympathy!). So I sent Robert an e-mail to clear things up. I assured him that I was not ignoring him, first of all. Then I explained the crucial point Jamie and I were at in life; we needed prayer and patience most of all. I closed the communication by saying that I would be in touch when things calmed down. With this “peaceable” response I hoped for understanding from Robert, and that it would allow me more time to prepare for the “showdown.”
In spite of this e-mail, Robert called the very next day and invited us to supper! Again, it was Jamie getting the call when I was away. She accepted the invitation, and was right in doing so—it was God’s time for closing the door. Nothing could have been more revealing (about Robert’s nature) than to have me ask for time, and then he called the very next day anyway. In the 30 minutes or so I had before our meeting, I urgently prayed for the Holy Spirit’s intervention and strength.
The way of proceeding with Robert, given by the Lord, was to gently share about the baptism with the Holy Spirit (see our article here) and ask if he had ever received it. This was a fair approach; it was a way of proceeding which seemingly presumed that Robert had at least a saving knowledge of Christ, and merely needed the Spirit’s greater empowerment for service. By that same Spirit’s revelation, I already knew that this was not so; but there is a way of fairly proceeding which reflects the Lord’s great mercy (James 2:13). Yet when that way is accomplished, there is little left but God’s holy indignation. We who have God’s Spirit will experience this quality at times, and it is an emotional one!
Everything came out beautifully and gently—this was definitely the Lord! In what was all too typical fashion, Robert began arguing over what the baptism with the Holy Spirit actually is—he claimed that it is speaking in tongues, while I did not agree. My position used Bible authority, his used doctrine from a Pentecostal denomination he once affiliated with. His harsh reaction to my inquiry didn’t really surprise me. I know that Satan and his children will hate talk of being filled with God’s Holy Spirit! At this point, I dropped all pretense of regarding him as a Christian. He is, instead, now known and revealed to be a devout enemy of Biblical Christianity. My relationship with Robert ended with me giving strong, verbal rebukes from the Lord. Robert considers it a “call of God” to destroy true faith in God! The Lord warns us of this in His Word;
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29,30
Our encounter with Robert was the profound, direct spiritual attack that we have experienced. He claimed (and there is room to doubt) that after he was saved, he spent 6 months reading God’s Word and praying in near isolation. He continued studying many other sources of information, as well. His heart has become lifted up by his own perceived knowledge of good and evil. It is my personal belief that Robert has blasphemed the Holy Ghost, and is eternally lost already. Whether or not this is the case is unimportant; the fruit of Robert’s life is self-evident.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:15-23
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. Matthew 12:31-33
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Hebrews 10:26,27
Having knowledge, or wisdom, is a good thing! Yet this must come from the Lord, and abide according to His Word. Such wisdom is often foolishness in men’s eyes; it is indeed a challenge to our faith. Look at what the scripture has to say on this;
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. I Corinthians 1:18,19
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: I Corinthians 2:6
Therefore unless we rely upon our God, any “wisdom” that we may gain will tend to bring separation between us and the Lord. We are again reverting to that original sin, seeking our own knowledge of good and evil; becoming the God of our own lives. The Bible warns us of this type of “wisdom” as well;
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Job 4:17
Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. Job 40:1,2
For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Isaiah 47:10
God gives the Holy Spirit to those who have come to a saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. This Spirit will guide us into what is true and right before the Lord;
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23,24
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:16,17
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. I John 2:27
In your pursuit of holiness unto the Lord, beware of the unhealthy tendency toward a drive for an absolute knowledge of good and evil. Such righteous knowledge lies only in God’s hands. He gives us what we need to know for living in His Spirit, and patiently enables us to learn more day by day. Ours is a walk of faith and trust in God, and not in ourselves. We may not understand everything, all of the time! Yet we know with assurance that our lives are in His hands, the hands of a merciful God who will not forsake His people.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:5,6
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. I Corinthians 13:9-12
WARNING: To avoid Satan’s snares and deceptions, return to the pure Word of God; which is the King James Bible. Revised translations are not small word alterations meant to bring clarity! Major doctrinal changes have occurred, which will tend to bring doubt and destroy your faith. To follow these new “versions” of the truth, is to build your spiritual house upon sand, and become as the ones reflected in Matthew 7:21-23. Please use this entire passage, Matthew 7:21-27.
Satan means to deceive you into sincerely following his alternate “truth.” You are really being set up to fall, and serve the antichrist.
Pray and seek God diligently in this matter; for time is short. See also our Word of God section and the section on A Sure Salvation vs. Eternal Security.