Read I Corinthians 5-9
It has been said, “Some Christians grow, others just swell”. Growth is commanded in the Christian life. It is also a natural process for a spiritual life to grow, just as it is natural for our physical bodies to grow. The problem lies with how this growth process takes place for each person. Paul addresses a common problem with this church, and it is a problem that we still see in our churches today.
When you got saved, you probably had to find the index page in your Bible when the preacher gave the text for his message. The more you read your Bible, went to church, and were around other mature Christians, the more you gained in your knowledge about the Bible and about the Christian life. Here’s the problem-some will grow in their knowledge about the Lord, but they will never grow in their love for the Lord. It has been said that some will miss salvation by 18 inches (the average distance between the head and the heart). The same can be true about the Christian life. Some will learn to say all of the right things, do all the right works, and on the outside, they appear to have it all together. However, on the inside, they are unchanged. Christians like this never make it very long if they never truly develop a heart for the things of God.
I Corinthians 8:1 ends, “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” This is not to say that knowledge is bad. You ought to know where the books of the Bible are, where verses are that talk of important doctrines, and the “why” behind your beliefs. The bottom line is this: a tender heart towards the Lord will affect your mind and drive you learn more and gain knowledge, but knowledge alone will not always drive you to have a heart for God. The heart gives you motive for everything that you know is right. You can know all the Bible stories, but if you do not know God in your heart and develop a love for the information you’ve retained, you are no better than the Pharisees that Jesus so often rebuked.
Today’s Truth: One of the key pieces to Christian growth is to develop a sincere love for the Lord. Your knowledge will increase, but it should never supercede your heart for God.