Knowledge Without Application is Useless

20 Minutes

 

OUTLINE

1.   INTRODUCTION

2.   ATTAINMENT OF KNOWLEDGE

a.   We do well to seek wisdom.

b.   Application of Knowledge

3.   RESISTING APPLICATION

a.   Earthly Parallel

b.   Applying Spiritual Truths

c.   Lack of belief that one has personal value

d.   Lack of discipline -

e.   Lack of self-control 

f.    Lack of desire 

g.   Ignoring the truth

h.   Ignoring the significance of the truth.

i.     Ignoring that the consequences of the truth will apply to them

4.   THE BATTLE FOR OUR MINDS

5.   INSTANT GRATIFICATION

a.   Instant Gratification

b.   Our minds are clogged with the present:  

c.   Satan tempts us:

6.   MAKING THE FUTURE REAL

a.   Eye on the Prize

b.   The Three Main Roadblocks Overcome by Focusing on the Prize

 

   Knowledge Without Application is Useless

 

1.   INTRODUCTION

The concept that knowledge without application is useless should be obvious to everyone, yet most people possess essential knowledge they have not applied. The primary reason knowledge is not applied is that doing so can create, at a minimum, short-term discomfort.

   We naturally resist embracing truths that will make life more difficult for us.

 

We get deceived about the value of long-term gain. In this study, the knowledge we are talking about is what we are sure is true.

The application of knowledge could be called wisdom. 

Earthly parallels will be presented to help us understand patterns of not applying truth that may carry over to spiritual knowledge. Even the Bible discusses our health and the use of money for the purpose of helping us understand spiritual things. 

   Some doctors abuse their bodies through a lack of exercise, drug and alcohol abuse, and overeating.

They know better than most of us what that does to their body. Doctors understand beyond what most of us could even understand the intricacies of the human body and the damage caused by not caring for it. That does not result in them being healthy. Even though they have so much knowledge, most ignore what they know to be the outcomes of their behavior. Others may not feel they have enough value to live a healthy life. In any event, knowledge alone is not enough to result in a positive outcome.

Most everybody knows that drinking plenty of water, exercising reasonably, and eating their share of vegetables will make them healthier. However, only a tiny portion of people practice these things. The "why" may help us overcome the roadblocks, both physically and spiritually.  

 

2. ATTAINMENT OF KNOWLEDGE

The attainment of knowledge is through three channels:

  1. From the Bible, God's word to us is the only sure-to-be-accurate source of knowledge and wisdom:

    "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."  John 17:17, also 2 Pet 1:19

  2. from others, through reading and listening.

    "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."     Prov 15:22

  3. by our personal experience 

We gather information

  1. extrinsically (from teaching)

  2. intrinsically (by observing) Children learn what to do from their parents' commands and about life from observing their parents. 

We store information:

  1. As facts and data. (We may learn a lot of information about an individual)

  2. As intuition. (We know the individual personally.)

We do well to seek wisdom.

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get Understanding."  Prov 4:7

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  Prov 9:10

Three big pictures that the Bible teaches. 

  1. The Bible is a love story of God creating man, man turning away from God, and the rest of the Bible being God drawing man back to himself.  

  2. The Bible teaches us about who God is. 

  3. The Bible teaches us what God expects out of us.

We grow in knowledge as we read the Bible and listen to accurate biblical sermons. Some of it is specific knowledge, as in the Ten Commandments. We also learn what God is like and His nature. For example, we learn that God is all-loving and all-powerful. We learn both about God and get to know God. In Knowing God, J.I. Packer said,

   "First, one can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him."

 

Application of Knowledge

Having Bible knowledge is not helpful unless we apply it. It does not matter how much we know about God and what he expects of us if we do not act on that information. The Bible is clear about this. 

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does."

James 1:23-25

 

Pay attention to the word "immediately" and the significance of forgetting what one looks like. Immediately is an extreme word, and forgetting what one looks like is an extreme concept. 

So, how are we to live? 

"For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.'"

I Pet 3:10-11

 

Note that the focus of this passage is on doing. 

 

3. RESISTING APPLICATION

   "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me,

 it is the parts that I do understand."           Mark Twain

For most people, the knowledge they have that they are not practicing is more problematic than what they do not know. The pathway from information to application may be one of the longest and hardest paths people travel.

Matthew 13 describes reasons why truth is not applied. It is profitable to take time and self-assess the different categories we may sometimes fall into.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear." Matt 13:3-9 

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 

1. When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the Path. 

2. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 

3. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 

4. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, 

Matt 13:18-23

 

The three roadblocks to the application of information in this passage are:

  1. does not understand it,

  2. has no root

  3. worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth

 

Seven components that keep people from applying knowledge will be dissected, each with a different focus.

  1. An Earthly Parallel

  2. Applying the reasons to drinking enough water

  3. Applying Spiritual Truths

 

FOCUS ONE: An Earthly Parallel

There are many reasons people do not apply knowledge. One of them can be subconscious. Some of the information we received conflicts with what we have believed to be true. That means that we have been wrong in the past. Some people equate wrong with being bad or being flawed.

It can be even worse if someone has taught others wrongly or lived wrongly because of their past wrong beliefs. Some people are too proud to even admit to themselves that they have not been living correctly. The new knowledge gets ignored and so to speak "forgotten."

 The lack of applying truth is a result of:

  1. Lack of belief that one has personal value. - Why lose weight or quit smoking to extend one's life if it has no value?

  2. Lack of discipline - "Just do it!" This is a result of short-term thinking. Anyone who needed to get to a bus that was leaving soon or the gate of an airplane that was leaving would walk or run as fast as they could. The critical goal is right before them, and the physical discomfort is secondary. Exercising one's body results in physical tasks being easier. Most of the time, elderly people struggle with balance because of weak stabilizer muscles. They can choose between disciplining themselves to do exercises to strengthen them or perhaps not being able to walk without assistance. Because of a lack of exercise, some find that strenuous exercise is required just to get in and out of a vehicle or to go up a flight of stairs. For most, there is no way out. Either one disciplines themselves, or life disciplines them later on.

Bluntly, the lack of discipline is laziness. 

Proverbs reveals the outcome. 

    "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."

    Prov 12:11

    "Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor."  Prov 12:25

    Lack of discipline often results in people becoming slaves in their bodies. They bow to the commands of their bodies rather than commanding their bodies to perform.

  1. Lack of self-control - "Just say no!" Anyone who has attempted to lose weight understands the importance of saying "no" to specific foods and larger portions. Not saying "no,"  like a lack of discipline, has a consequence. The choice to overeat results in losing the choice to move around easily as one ages. Few would trade a daily cookie and pop for the future inability to get around or, worse yet, having diabetes.

  2. Lack of desire - We all have desires that conflict with the truth. 

  3. Ignoring the truth.

a.   If a person has believed a particular way for most of their life,

 it can be painful to admit they have been wrong all those years.

b. Most people with unhealthy habits or who do not practice healthy ones seldom think about the truth of their actions or inaction. If the thought comes up, it is quickly replaced with a more pleasant one. It is emotionally painful to meditate on the negative expected outcome of one's behavior.

  1. Ignoring the significance of the truth. The future impact of the present actions is ignored. Some may protest that they are well aware of the result of their actions and accept that outcome. However, they can not fully comprehend how they will feel when the consequences of their action or inaction are felt. The person who gets cancer from smoking will seldom say that smoking was worth the pain, suffering, and early death they are now facing.

  2. Ignoring that the consequences of the truth will apply to them: Before alarms sounded, many people did not wear seatbelts, believing that they would not be in a bad accident, and if so, their head would not hit the windshield. Doctors warn some patients that a particular behavior will probably result in a serious condition. Many people are in denial that they are at risk. 

 

FOCUS TWO: Drinking enough water. 

Only a tiny portion of Americans drink the suggested daily volume of water. Using water as an example, examining the reasoning behind not drinking water may help explain these seven reasons people do not apply truth.

  1. Who cares? I do not care to live longer.

  2. I do not take the time to drink enough throughout the day.

  3. I would rather drink other things that taste better.

  4. I do not care about healthy living.

  5. During the day, I do not even think about water's importance to my health.

  6. It can not be that big of a deal.

  7. I do not believe drinking more water makes that big of a difference in my health.

We will not look at the consequences of not drinking enough water here, as a long list is available with a simple internet search. When one looks at that list, even at one consequence, possible kidney disease, and considers the list of excuses above, they seem ridiculous. And yet in our own stubborn world, we dig in to one or more excuses when we do not apply truth. The lack of long-term thinking is a common denominator in the last three excuses. In other words, if at 20 years old, one could for a few seconds each day experience the emotional or physical pain of their 70 year old self dying of kidney disease and know that the primary cause was not drinking a couple more glasses of water a day, that 20 year old would most probably make a change. 

So, what does all this have to do with our walk with God? The Bible prominently emphasizes the concept of applying truth, particularly truth that results in pain on this earth for eternal results. 

 

FOCUS THREE: Applying Spiritual Truths

  1. Lack of belief that one has personal value. -

  Many people equate their value to their performance.

 

It may be physical, mental, occupational, or relational. This is Satan's lie to us. We all fall short, significantly at times, of the standards we set or others set for us.  The excuse for not applying truth is that we are losers anyway, so why bother?  The truth is that

  God has called us His children. Our value comes from God.

He has called us to act according to our calling, to act like His children.

  1. Lack of discipline: Christians have the Holy Spirit in us. That empowers us beyond normal human ability. God gave us a spirit of self-discipline.

    "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 

    2 Tim 1:7

    Note how Paul uses these earthly examples to drive the point home about the necessity of discipline. He does all that he does with the prize in mind.

    "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

    I Cor 9:24-27

  2. Lack of self-control: First, we must know that as Christians, we have the ability not to sin.

    "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 

    I Cor 10:13

    The Bible also gives a word picture challenging to those lacking in self-control.

    "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."

    Prov 25:28

  3. Lack of desire - Some have desires that conflict with the truth. Jesus summarized these as "worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth." Some may discount the part about wealth, noting that they are not wealthy, but the truth is that

    "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

    1 Tim 6:9-10

     Paul shared the more encompassing view.

    "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

    Gal 5:17

  4. Ignoring the truth. Nobody who has experienced Heaven would ever say that any sin was worthwhile.

  5. Ignoring the significance of the truth. This is so common! This roadblock shackles us to a meager existence. Consider a truth that all Christians know!

 

  JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS! There is NOTHING more significant.

And yet, some people seldom think about what that means.

We were destined for an eternal existence far away from any love, any good, an existence of eternal suffering. We do not deserve Heaven. The God of Heaven sent His ONLY Son, Jesus, to suffer on this earth as a man. He took on all of our sins and was separated from His Father! He died so we might live!  All of us, at times, ignore the significance of this truth and many, many more. The purpose of the Foundation study is to bring many truths to mind, with a challenge to apply those truths to our lives.

  1. Ignoring that the consequences of the truth will apply to them. Some people create their own belief system. They base it on their thinking process rather than a study of the Bible.

      Some think, "If I go to church most Sundays, give some money,

    and do not do any of the real bad stuff, then I am doing ok."

    So, when they hear truth that does not agree with their belief system, they believe it may be suitable for the pastor and the ones who want to be big Bible readers, but it is not for them. This is the same lie that unbelievers believe, that they can create God and eternity in their minds. This verse should put an end to that type of thinking.

    "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, "declares the Lord ."

    Isa 55:8

    After 35 Chapters of Job and his friends debating spiritual things, God steps in and puts them in their place."

    "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.  Job 38:2-4

    Job 38:2-4

 

4. THE BATTLE FOR OUR MINDS

If we stop and think about it, most believe that self-care will result in a healthier future. Self-care requires effort and most people make that effort to have a healthier body. Our rewards in Heaven, just being in Heaven, are far beyond any difficulty we may face here. So, what are the problems with applying that truth?

  1. Instant Gratification: Our flesh cries out for satisfaction, for pleasure.

  2. Our minds are clogged with the present, all that our senses take in.

  3.  Satan continually tempts us both with pleasing ourselves ahead of others and trying to shake our faith in the unseen.

 

1. Instant Gratification

Earthly Parallel

One significant roadblock to embracing truth is the concept of instant gratification.

  The false thinking is, "If I do not see immediate results, then it does not work."

Or, "If it does not give me pleasure quickly, I will not spend my time or energy doing something."

A person who is significantly overweight and has a hard time getting around would not say that those two sodas a day for the last three years were worth it. Yes, 300 calories per day is 36 extra pounds each year. That is over 100 pounds! So, there is a little bit of knowledge that many people may not have known. It does not benefit if even this simple truth is presented if it is not put into practice. That piece of knowledge is useless. 

Continuing to practice damaging behavior is typically because of a lack of long-term thinking. We live in a society of instant gratification. 

  Most things that have value do not gratify right away.

Many do not show results for a long time. Others do not seem to show enough results to satisfy most people. Consider that 

*      One 150-calorie cookie or soda pop consumed daily adds 1 1/2 pounds a month. It is almost unnoticeable. But that turns into 18 pounds in a year.

*      Choosing not to spend $50/week on something unnecessary results in $200 monthly. That may not seem like much, but in a year, it is $2,400; in 20 years, it is $50,000, not including interest.  

Exercising, drinking enough water, or reading one's Bible daily may not make a person feel much different in the short run, but practicing these things will result in long-term benefits.

 

The Spiritual 

Eternal thinking is long-term thinking at its best. All the earthly benefits of long-term thinking are meant to teach us about thinking eternally.

God has provided these earthly examples of the benefits of 

  • Self-control, denying ourselves of short-term pleasure

  • disciplining ourselves to do physically beneficial things.

These give us an understanding of spiritual truths.

Instant gratification could be said to be the opposite of patience.

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

James 5:7-8

All farmers need to have long-term thinking. Until the past few hundred years, a significant percentage of our population understood that gratification was far from instant. They had to build their dwellings, grow their food, cut firewood to keep warm during the winter, salt their food, and perform many other tasks that we do not think about. Today, almost everything is instantaneous. Meditating or reading about a life without electricity or running water would help the understanding of this passage to be fruitful.

2.  Our minds are clogged with the present:  

All of our physical senses take in the present. On the positive side, pleasant sights and sounds entice our eyes and ears. Our mouths find pleasure in good-tasting food. Our skin enjoys physical touch and the warmth of the sun.

  We are pulled toward that which gives us pleasure like a magnet.

The pull is real and goes on each waking moment of our lives.   On the negative side, our senses also experience much of what we do not like and spend our energy pulling away from those things. Our lives are spent moving toward and pulling away from everything around us. It’s all encompassing. It requires energy not to have that be our focus.

 

3. Satan tempts us: Satan is the father of lies.    We must understand our adversary and where his power is. Note how he gets Eve to question what God had said.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? "The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the Garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

Gen 3:1-3

He finishes his temptation with a lie, attempting to discredit God's promises.

"'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman.'"

I Gen 3:1-4

  Today, Satan's lie might sound like, "Do you really believe _____?" 

 

5. MAKING THE FUTURE REAL

 

Eye on the Prize

All three battles can be won by keeping our eyes on the prize. Some people put written goals or a photo on their refrigerators to remind them of their goal, so they will be more willing to sacrifice the present for it. An athlete preparing for competition is focused on the upcoming event, not the discomfort of the workout. We must have God's Word written on our hearts. We must spend time in the Bible, and we must meditate on its truths. If we struggle with the application of truth, we would do well to meditate on the promises of God for our future, so the prize, our eternity with God, is foremost in our minds.

"However, as it is written:

  "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived

 what God has prepared for those who love him"

- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." 

1 Cor 2:9-10

Simply spending time meditating on this one verse can bring unbelievable benefits. We experience excitement when visualizing a God who is beyond comprehension, preparing a place for us that is so awesome that it is beyond our comprehension. This is eternity, our eternity, promised to all who have received forgiveness through Jesus. 

We are directed to have an eternal focus: 

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things"

Col 3:1-2

Jim Elliot, a missionary, understood this when he said,

  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

The battle is that the flesh believes it can keep what is on this earth, and Satan, the deceiver, chimes in, both trying to get us to see the value in what we hold on to and, at a minimum, diminish the value in what God has promised. 

God has given us promises about what life is like after we die. Note how Jesus starts out this promise.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life"

Mark 10:29-30

 

The Three Main Roadblocks Overcome by Focusing on the Prize

Consider the three roadblocks again.

1. Our flesh cries out for immediate satisfaction, for pleasure. -

  Our vision of the prize gives us motivation to overcome the flesh.

2. Our minds are clogged with the present, all that our senses take in. - Our vision of the prize gives us clear rather than clogged minds.

3. Satan continually tempts us. - Our vision of the prize gives us a truth weapon against Satan's lies. 

 

We learn what we are and are not to do from what is written in the scripture. 

  1. The Ten Commandments 

  2. Jesus' command to love God and others sums up the law and the prophets. We are to love others. This word "love" can be defined as, "Do what is best for the other person, no matter how you feel, no matter what the cost." In Philippians, we find a formula for an ongoing mindset that we are to have.

     "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

    Phil 2:4

  3.  Not doing so at every opportunity is a sin

 "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

James 4:17

This passage directly ties the amount of knowledge we have to the amount we fall short if we do not apply it. Most of the time, it has to do with loving others. It is similar to Jesus equating lust to adultery and anger to murder. (Matt 5:21-22, 27-28) The similarity is that it causes us to realize that we all fall short.

 

Most of the time, the command to look to the interest of others is so simple and yet so challenging to put into practice because it requires us to give up our selfishness. The second great commandment from Jesus is to love others. Fulfilling this commandment is required to fulfill the first commandment.

"If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command:

  Whoever loves God must also love his Brother."

1 John 4:20-21

 

Everyone struggles with this command. It is wise to identify why we struggle. Perhaps looking over this list again will help us avoid making these excuses in the future.

  1. Lack of belief that one has personal value.

  2. Lack of discipline - 

  3. Lack of self-control 

  4. Lack of desire 

  5. Ignoring the truth. 

  6. Ignoring the significance of the truth.

  7. Ignoring that the consequences of the truth will apply to them

God's challenge to us may sound something like this:

"Will you not listen to My words and live them out? If you turn away, you are turning from your very calling--the reason you draw breath. You have lost sight of who you are in My eyes: My beloved children, chosen and set apart, do not forget what I have spoken to you."

 

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