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A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three."

What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed?

Phil LaSpino

We should seek that which endures.

1 Corinthians 13:8. Charity (Love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

1 Corinthians 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (Love).

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Sun Jul 24, 2011 - 10:33:19
A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three."

What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed?

Phil LaSpino

how does one love Jesus and have overwhelming faith in Him AND NOT give their life to Him? 

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Sun Jul 24, 2011 - 10:33:19
A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three."

What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed?

Phil LaSpino

Hi Phil,

Interesting question I pray this answer rests on them gently.

If you believe in what the Prophet wrote concerning the Father "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Mal 3:6 

We exist because God is constant, He is not a learning God as He has all knowledge and His love cannot be measured.

However, His love and ours is not all that He requires...

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

Gods Requirements of His Children:

1. Fear
2. Walk in His ways - these must be via knowledge!
3. Love - after learning of God and tasting Him (Psa 34:8) then you will learn to love Him deeply
4. Serve - only in love can you serve the Father and Son for without love our service in empty and shallow.

The order has been given for very good reason. Rather than me expounding those reasons I will allow you all to consider their depth in awe and wonder.

You know the Master's message was exactly the same

Shane

If I were to put knowledge first, would I be wrong? Think about it.

Phil LaSpino

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Sun Jul 24, 2011 - 10:33:19
A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three." What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed? Phil LaSpino

many say they love Jesus,yet not willing to follow him. which would mean giving they life...to his Father. in turns...doing his Father's will, IF...we want Jesus to see us as his spiritual siblings,(Matt.12:50-For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother). this means "absolutely nothing! "

but IF!... one has NOT much knowledge,yet they followed Jesus. it would mean ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!...their life! and faith alone,means nothing,because the one having faith, must also do the works.  God wants his servants,Jesus told his followers to do. so just having faith,means nothing!..(James 2:14-What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him)? 
verses 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works). peace

Quote from: p.rehbein on Mon Jul 25, 2011 - 03:33:38

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Sun Jul 24, 2011 - 10:33:19
A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three."

What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed?

Phil LaSpino

how does one love Jesus and have overwhelming faith in Him AND NOT give their life to Him? 

Yeah...that!   

Quote from: JMT on Mon Jul 25, 2011 - 12:05:40

Quote from: p.rehbein on Mon Jul 25, 2011 - 03:33:38

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Sun Jul 24, 2011 - 10:33:19
A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three."

What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed?

Phil LaSpino

how does one love Jesus and have overwhelming faith in Him AND NOT give their life to Him? 

Yeah...that!   

Because being a human being, our idea of love is limited and finite! In other words we have to learn how to love ....not only Jesus, but our own spouses, our own children our own neighbors not not to mention our OWN SELVES!

God knows this, that is why He poured out His Love in Our Heart by His Spirit

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us Romans 5:5

Because of the finished work of Christ Jesus

God gave us His Love and His Spirit

His Love and His Spirit are The only True Hope any of us have

Thank God

He already knows we are just beginning to grasp the depth of His Love

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. Romans 8:38

If that is not convincing enough ...Paul goes on to say

No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 8:39

Thats enough for me ...I'm convinced!

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Sun Jul 24, 2011 - 10:33:19
A friend of mine wrote to me and stated,

"If you had all the knowledge, and gave your life for Jesus, it would mean absolutely nothing! But! If you loved Jesus, and not give your life for him, and not have all the knowledge, it would mean everything!!! Especially, if besides love, you had overwhelming faith. Knowledge is number three."

What are your thoughts on these comments? Is she right? or is she confussed?

Phil LaSpino

What does she mean?

We must give over control of our lives to Holy Spirit.

I believe she is misinterpreting scripture that tells us that if we have all knowledge but lack love, our lives are ineffective for God.

1 Corinthians 13:2
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.

Gospel and Lively have it right.  Love is the most important, but why would one in love with Him not give Him his life?  This I do not understand.  I want to be with the one I love all the time I can.  Maybe that's just me. 
Candy

Without knowledge how, and why would anyone claim to love what/who they know nothing about?

2 Tim.1:13, We are to, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."

So without Biblical knowledge, it would be impossible to make any positive, or beneficial progress in this area of Biblical understanding, How can we love Christ if we know nothing about Him? How can anyone discover the exhaustless variety of important truths, as in love, truth, faith, understanding, all these are contained in the Scriptures.

Prov.2:6, "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out  of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.  Ver.10-11, "When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee; To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward (perverse) things."

Without knowledge, Jesus Christ can be respected, tolerated, but not loved.

Phil LaSpino

Quote from: LaSpino3 on Mon Jul 25, 2011 - 22:11:05
Without knowledge how, and why would anyone claim to love what/who they know nothing about?

2 Tim.1:13, We are to, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."

So without Biblical knowledge, it would be impossible to make any positive, or beneficial progress in this area of Biblical understanding, How can we love Christ if we know nothing about Him? How can anyone discover the exhaustless variety of important truths, as in love, truth, faith, understanding, all these are contained in the Scriptures.

Prov.2:6, "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out  of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.  Ver.10-11, "When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee; To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward (perverse) things."

Without knowledge, Jesus Christ can be respected, tolerated, but not loved.

Phil LaSpino

Phil

The Father draws us to His Son.  Without His attracting us in the beginning, we would not even know of His Son's existence.  When the Holy Spirit gets inside us we can't help but live for Him and want to please Him.  However, that said our God is a gentleman.  He'll wait until the proper time.  He wants us to want Him and He won't impose on most of us.  I say this because of Saul's incredible change to Paul.  Usually it doesn't happen that way, but God wanted to use Paul for His extraordinary purposes.  Yes, we need knowledge to know of Him, then we are urged on to learn even more.  Then we can't help, but want more and more of Him, and less and less of ourselves in the process.  When we sin, after the Holy Spirit is indwelling inside us, we can't help but, apologize, confess, and repent.  He convicts us to do that and we need to.  It's a deep inner need to be walking with Him and not away from Him.  Just my thoughts.
Candy