Knowledge Does Not Equal Practice
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Knowledge does not equal Practice
I can remember one time in fourth grade the teacher confronted the entire class because someone had written on the wall in the back of the classroom. She was quite angry and while I wasn’t the one who wrote on the wall, it impressed on me that I shouldn’t write on the wall should I ever find the desire. However, it didn’t seem to phase the person who was actually writing on the wall. The kid writing on the wall had knowledge of right and wrong, but was not willing to practice. Things haven’t changed much as I grow up either. When there are signs such as “No Parking” or “Wrong Way” it seems that the same people that wrote on the wall in fourth grade feel like those signs don’t apply to them either. Knowledge does not equal practice.
There is always a group of people who don’t apply the rules and laws to themselves. The Ironic fact is that many times it is the ones who should know the laws the best. How many times have lawmakers been in the news for breaking the very laws they were responsible for making? How many times have police officers broken the very laws that they are hired to enforce? Knowledge of the laws does not always mean that one follows the laws. Knowledge does not equal practice.
The Pharisees were some of the most knowledgeable people in New Testament times. They spent much of their time in reading, studying, and memorizing God’s laws. They went so far as to make their own set of rules that went beyond God’s laws just to make sure that no one broke God’s laws. They were very quick to point out any time someone even got close to breaking one of their rules. However the Pharisees were condemned by Christ because while they knew the letter of the law, they missed the importance of the law. Matthew 23:23 says, “Woe to you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law. Justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” As religious people, how could they have missed justice, mercy, and faithfulness? What is religion without those things? The Pharisees had knowledge without practice
Christians today are the most religious people in the world. Christians study and know God’s word, quote God’s word, and place great importance on His word. Christians pride themselves in the knowledge that they have of the Bible. However, we must stop and ask ourselves the question, “are we like the Pharisees?” Are we a people who know, study, and quote God’s word yet fail when it comes to living His word? When we fail to love as Christ loved then we know without practice. When we fail to serve others as Christ served others then we have knowledge without practice. When we fail to help those who are truly in need then we have knowledge without practice. When we know someone is wrong but quietly stand by and let them continue their way to destruction then we have knowledge without practice.
The word “Christian” actually means “Christ Like”. Knowledge is important and necessary, but unless we apply, use, and practice the knowledge we have, then we are not living like Christ. We must apply the law to ourselves. We must change to match His law. We must put Christianity in practice in our personal lives, our homes and our work.
Knowledge does not equal Practice
