READ I PETER CHAPTER 3 THROUGH VERSE 17.
Oh, hungry heart and dear child of God, I commend you in your hunger for truth that you would give time of your young life to study, preparation, and great desire. I'm hoping and praying that you'll find a place of service in God's great work. The Word of God says that newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby. In Ephesians 6, our loins (strength) in battle comes from the protection and power of God's truth. Jesus, being forty days tempted in the wilderness, shows us a perfect example of how the light of God's Word prevails above the darkness of Satan's deception. Solomon too charges to give an ear to wisdom and a heart to understanding. All this concludes that the person who fails to learn will fail to prevail in the life and service to our great God and King. But I would like to write to you today about somewhat of a hidden danger that can lie in the midst of a sincere heart, and the knowledge that the hungry heart pursues.
We're faced with two things today. These are days of spiritual coldness. Even the finest people and the best churches struggle now. And these are also days of knowledge. The resources we have today to learn by are limitless. But knowledge holds a danger in one's life who's haughty fire is greatly kindled by the coldness of the times in which we live. The Scripture says in I Corinthians 8 that knowledge puffeth up. What we must realize is that it isn't "knowledge, plus an evil heart or way" or "knowledge plus a lack of character." The danger lies simply in knowledge, and can be fueled by the carnality that comes with coldness. In the best girls it produces the same results. Some of the most commendable and dedicated learners are young preachers. Their love and zeal for the Word of God and Jesus, and the pressure of the calling of God on their lives, pushes them to countless hours of study and learning the Scriptures. But in their zeal, though never meaning to, most will testify to battling with this issue of getting puffed up.
I believe, personally, that there are three phases of learning. In phase one, there are days of innocence and ignorance which drives one to learn. Phase two are days of knowledge void of wisdom. This is when one begins to think she has learned something. And she has, somewhat. I Corinthians 8 says that "if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet, as he ought to know." This describes the person stuck in the horrible rut of phase two. Now the danger of the person who thinks that they're learned is that they fail to continue to learn. Then complacence claims hold on them, and they never obtain phase three. Enlightenment of this only comes through God's presence and Power, and the meekness and humility given only through His Holy Spirit. ( Galatians 5:23 ) In phase three, knowledge turns to wisdom.
This is why the coldness of our day so greatly kindles that fire, and blows such a contrary wind of idleness and pride upon the vessel that otherwise could be so greatly
driven by winds of God's amazing grace. Every born again believer can be affected and hindered by this. As young women of the faith, this danger is also a reality in your life. In some ways I think it can be more affective and greatly destructive in you, even more so than in others. We saw how this affects our spiritual growth. Let us look at the desire of God for our lives, contrast the puffed up state, and how it can cause us to fail to fulfill the very purpose and plan of God for our lives. We can see God's great desire for our spirit in I Peter 3:4, which deals with the hidden man of the heart. It speaks of how holiness, trust, and subjection ( vrs. 5 ) are the products of a meek and quiet spirit. In the sight of God, this is of great price. Webster agrees with this and adds that meekness is opposed to pride and arrogance. Meekness always deals with the lowly state of the heart. "Puffed up" means to inflate, to swell. Can not we see how the one is contrary to the other? A quiet spirit means "peaceable".
Second, we see the lady's role in society and in the house of God. There has been such a role reversal in our day. It seems strange that a woman would want to be a keeper at home, teach her children the ways of God, and to live a life of submission. Society has so pressured to break this so called 'yoke of bondage', to be bigger than this, to be free, be your own person, and live a little. Miserable and deceived, society will not face the reality that homes are in the worse shape they have ever been. Every split home leaves a hurting child to face adolescence without the right relationships in the home. They grow to be rebels, void of character, leaving America to become a nation of God denying heathen. Will America wake up to see that God's way is always best? It is so sad to say that even in Bible believing churches, society's philosophy and pressure is destroying our churches and wrecking our homes. May we never forget Matthew 11:30. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. May we never sip from society's water pot of pleasure and forget God's well of satisfaction. Let us be as the virtuous woman, and see our future children rise up and call us blessed. Yes, arise up, trained, not ready to run to society's wealth, but rather to the unsearchable riches of Christ. May we never fail to see what really matters!
The greatest area in life, and the one most affected by the highminded, puffed up state, is the marriage relationship. There is a possibility that marriage can be overspiritualized. A young lady's knowledge can even hinder it more than it can help it if her knowledge carries her beyond focusing on the simple truths of what God wants her to be in that relationship. Now, let me explain what I mean by "overspiritualizing" the relationship. Marriage and the home was instituted by God for one reason: to meet the earthly need of man. In Genesis we find Adam, a man created perfect before God. His spiritual condition was perfect. His relationship with God was perfect. Yet there lacked in Adam, not a heavenly or spiritual need, but an earthly need. There was not found an help meet for him. So, the woman was created. The need of Adam can be seen as nothing short of glorious. As we study the similarity of Adam and Christ, we see why.
The life of Christ was so divine in its purpose. God would be made in the likeness of sinful man, suffer, and live as we do. He was perfectly made as man to understand our sufferings, infirmities, emotions, desires, temptations, and battles that we face in obedience. He can succor and provide our need as it arrives in our lives. I'm thankful for a God Who understands where we are and what we need. But in the garden Adam was not yet sinful, and Christ had not yet come. So, in Adam's perfection, God would relate to him in a different way than after the fall. At this time Adam knew not good or evil. That means this need was produced in Adam's heart. This stems from Genesis 1:26 when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Adam was made so much in the likeness of God, that this need in the heart of Adam would be a picture of the heart of Christ and His relationship with the church. In fact, every work done in Adam's perfection, before the fall, is an exact picture of all the perfect works of Christ. Romans 5:14
Can't you see the two hearts, and understand how personal need of Adam would be to the Lord Jesus? Why He would parallel the relationships all through the Scriptures? The Lord Jesus so loved and desired His bride that He would don the robe of earthly flesh, suffer in life, and be shamed in death. He would become what He detested most, and be made sin. He would be beaten, stripped, and hung on a tree, while men mocked their sovereign Creator. Only love could have such power. Yes, the same love found in the heart of Adam as he looks at his bride. She had fallen by deception, been beguiled by the serpent, and bound to death. Adam was free from deception. He understood perfectly the cost and the separation. He knew that she could never come back to where he was. If they two were ever to be one again, he would have to be the one to go to her. I can't even imagine the heart of the Lord Jesus. How it must have yearned as He looked upon Adam so driven by that same love.
As we learn of our Savior's great love and desire for His bride, and see how great a price that He would pay, it should draw our hearts to rest and submission. Our lives should be given to Him, consecrated to Him, due to the humbling reality of one's unworthiness of such love. How amazing is the opportunity of this calling and gift, that we could be His own, and that the glorious God of Heaven would desire our affection! As sinful women, what should we do, but humbly bow in adoration, and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to His holy name?
Sadly, in our lives, and in this day of the Laodicean church, prosperity and knowledge causes hearts to be puffed up. We forget our need of Him, and are blinded to our own wretchedness. It comes to the point that the one He so greatly loves becomes a bad taste in His mouth. Lady's, watch your spirit. Continually humble your heart. Don't be in your home what Laodicea is to Jesus. Please gain sight of this reality. Just as we see how the heart of Jesus moved as He looked on Adam in the garden, the Lord will be looking on your home. He should find a daughter joyfully preparing to be a bride and then beautifully fulfilling her bridegroom's need. This is His very desire for the church. See how He would grace His presence in your home! His hand would hedge it about. Greatest of all, it would bring a smile deep within the heart of God.
So, Lady's, let us never get above or forget the Scriptural truth that your relationship and work for the Lord is the relationship and work for your husband. I Corinthians 11:7-9 I know some young ladies who honestly believe it is them and God against man. They have missed it. If God were angry and had His hand against man, the desire of God for that man's wife and family would not change. He so desires a woman's submission to her father now and her husband in the future that He will not even claim direct headship over her. He always leaves preeminence to the man. I Corinthians 11:3
We mentioned earlier that a quiet spirit means 'peaceable. A wife's spirit is her husband's rest. ( It is much the same in the daughter's relationship in the home. ) In the Song of Solomon, the cry of her Love would be, "Return, return, oh, Shulamite. Return, return, that we may look upon thee." This is the plea of what he wants to see. Then follows a description of what he does see. He says, ". . . What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were a company of two armies?" In studying, you will find that 'Shulamite' is used as a pet name. The name means 'peaceful'. "Two armies" deals with contention, a battle, or a fight. Of course in application to the Church, there are times of contention, fighting against God. Any time there are two wills, two opinions, or two ways, there will never be peace. Peace can only be obtained when there is surrender of one will to the will of the other. As the church is to abide in Christ, so is the wife to be in complete surrender to her husband. Ephesians 5:24
As we see the heart of God and the need of Adam, we can rest sure of one thing. When a wife is there for her husband, God is there for her. Look at Sarah's life. We find Abraham going to Egypt, lying about his wife, leaving her alone in a foreign country. She stayed faithful in obedience and God looked out for her. The Bible plainly states that the "great plagues" on Pharaoh and his house were "because of Sarah." God will look out for you. Sometimes this is a large step of faith. She wasn't trusting Abraham. She was obeying him. She was trusting God.
In closing, let's look at a few things to help us as we go to protect our hearts from this dangerous snare of becoming puffed up. Our first resource, of course, is the word of God. Many have written tremendous books to help enlighten us about God's way. But you should never spend more time in books than you do in your Bible. A correct balance is essential if you're going to have a good spirit. For example, reading four books then going to three verses of Scripture is asking for trouble. The best book doesn't compare to your Bible. Here's three reasons why: 1. The washing. Eph. 5:26, John 17:17 The Lord said that He would sanctify and cleanse us by the washing of the water, by the Word. Books can enlighten, but only One has the power to cleanse the heart. In this day of filth, we must have cleansing. 2. The instruction. As you read books, writers analyze issues and the shortcomings in Christian life. Sometimes this is helpful, but lot's of times it just makes one critical. The Word of God, however, always looks within. It's instruction is personal. It's teacher (the Holy Spirit) purposes to effectively direct and apply to your life the truths of His Word. 3. The anointing. I John 3:27 God-given anointing will not only enlighten, but It's teachings will abide. They will stay with you and teach you how to stay with the truth.
A young lady must also watch the company she keeps. It's amazing. If you get around someone who has all the answers, and has everything figured out, before long, you too will have all the answers. You have not learned one thing more, but will get into a puffed up mind set that is hard to shake.
Last of all, the Scripture says in I Corinthians 1:8, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." If we learn anything, we must learn to love. We see that charity can be obtained if it is followed after (I Corinthians 14:1), desired (Matthew 5:6), and asked for (Matthew 7:7,11). Prayer should be continually made for charity. In I Peter 4:8, charity covers a multitude of sin. We see a list in I Corinthians 13, most of the which deals with sins of the heart. In verse four we find this matter of being puffed up. Charity is a great need in every child of God, and an effective tool for your home's edification.
We have seen, today, why God created us women, and how we can fulfill our purpose with wisdom. (Proverbs 31:10-31) Let us ever guard our hearts against the danger of becoming puffed up, and obtain our God-given call which is nothing short of glorious!
- Author wishes to remain anonymous -
