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January 15 Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. However not all men have this knowledge. 1 Corinthians 8:6,7a. There is a fleshly knowledge and a spiritual knowledge, grounded in the Lord Jesus. The former is taught by the world. It can lead us in dark passages that produce arrogance and futility of purpose or direction. The latter is the knowledge that recognizes its origins in God, the Father. This proper knowledge knows that we exist only for God and through Jesus. Not all men will recognize this. Paul, inspired by God, shows us in this passage that knowledge and wisdom, rising from reverence for the Lord, is life changing. No one can believe these words and remain unchanged. At the same time we know that everyone will not share our knowledge. Paul explains that we are to reach out in love to those who seem to misunderstand or who are unaware of our beliefs. Only agape love, the kind that God knows, can do this. If we try to impress anyone with our knowledge, or if pressure anyone to accept it, we have missed the mark. We may even be sinning against Christ. Yes, my friends, only love can reach the world, and our true knowledge of the Lord will cause us to venture toward that love. Thank You Father for the knowledge that produces understanding of Your very being. We want only to show You to the world. Along the way we will obtain knowledge of You, but that is only because You first know us. Thank You for the way of grace and love. Amen.
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