Anatomically, it’s only about a foot from your head to your heart;
not a very far distance. However, when it comes to Biblical truth,
oftentimes it takes it a long time to get from your head to your heart. “In
my experience, head knowledge and heart knowledge are to very different
things.”
”Now when
they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned
and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they
had been with Jesus.” – Acts 4: 13
I think it is safe to say that some knowledge/truth is only
experienced in the conceptual. For example, take a young married man
who has no children; can you say that he has not experienced fatherhood? Not
completely, because he may have, but only in the conceptual. Perhaps he has
read many books on fatherhood, and memorized many articles and “how-to”
guides. He may have observed his dad, and friends of his, who
are dads. He may have observed the responsibility it brings, the
time commitment, the sacrifice. He may have had discussions with
them, asked questions, shared thoughts. Perhaps he heard them
testify to the love, joy, and satisfaction their child brings into their
lives. They have shared knowledge with him, and elaborated on the
basic truths of fatherhood; however the difference still remains. He
only knows fatherhood in head knowledge; they know it in heart knowledge.
Despite popular opinion; we still cannot learn/reason our way out
of our sin. No doubt the Pharisees and Sadducees understood the
teaching of Jesus. They were scholars of the law; they could quote
the old prophets right along with our Savior. They would ask Jesus
questions about the law. They had plenty of head knowledge, but zero
heart knowledge. Now, contrast this with Peter and John who
were……………….fishermen. They were blue collar, “unlearned” and
“ignorant”; according to the Jewish leaders. However, they
had been with Jesus. The truth and knowledge that they knew and
understood reached deeper than that which was learned, and found its root into
that which is experienced; experienced in their heart. They heard
the Savior say to “love them that hate you and bless them that curse
you.” Then they watched as he answered not a word to his
accusers. Observed, as he lifted his head to the Father whilst dying
on a cross and said these words recorded: “Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do.” Moreover, the same power that allowed Jesus to do
what he did came down on the day of Pentecost to empower the Apostles. This
Holy Ghost came into their hearts giving them a truth that reaches deeper than
head knowledge. This Holy Ghost cements the disposition of Christ
into a man’s heart; forever teaching him and guiding him, giving him knowledge
of the Father that is both “known” and “experienced” in your daily life. God
designed holiness to be so much more than conceptual; he designed it to be
actual; real, to be experienced here and now.
The only way to truly find heart knowledge of the experience of
holiness is the way Peter and John found it. You must be with Jesus;
and this can happen before physical death. It can be a reality here
and now. 1st by the forsaking of your sin; 2nd by
the receiving of the Holy Ghost; on these Biblical terms a man or women can
gain access to a holiness that is experienced in both the heart, and the
head. A holiness that reaches beyond what the mouth says, and gets
down to what the hand does. My prayer is that we all enter into and
continue in this kind of holiness; holiness of the
heart.
“In my experience, head knowledge and heart
knowledge are to very different things.” –comment and subjective thought
borrowed from Thomas Collier; a faithful witness of Christ.
Any thoughts? Please reply to pgcollins65@gmail.com
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