Chasing Knowledge Shall Cease
1Co 13:8 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.
In the spirit, riches often symbolize knowledge and specifically the knowledge of the Scriptures. Having such knowledge is a good and wonderful thing as it brings an understanding of God’s ways and purposes and opens up the Word for further learning and growth.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
But knowing the Scriptures and studying them, is not the same as knowing Christ and having Him abiding within us. We as Pharisees first, will not understand this until we are given to look behind our walk and see the vanity and idols we built trusting in our spiritual riches and knowing not we were still in need of a Saviour.
Joh 5:39 You search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
We can’t come to Christ until the Lord gives us the free gift of His faith and then draws us near [Joh 6:44] by the journey of salvation. The Scriptures reveal that salvation is a process that takes three spiritual days. Our gaining knowledge and spiritual riches is only the beginning of a walk with God. His work is not completed in us until the third of the three days during which the Lord builds His temple within us.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
It is on this third spiritual day which is also known as the day of the Lord. The coming of the Lord is with fire and vengeance for His temple. Peter spoke of this same day that is what remakes the temple and creates a new heaven and a new earth within, wherein righteousness [Christ] dwells.
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
The story of the rich young ruler is the story and experience of all mankind, who will in their appointed time begin to follow Christ yet lack the most basic requirement for salvation which is faith.
Mar 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Mar 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Mar 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Mar 10:20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
Mar 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Our outward obedience and striving to be good by our strength is our time of being drawn to Christ but still in bondage to the law. Continuing to trust in ourselves we are enslaved to the law and carnal reasonings that have us buying and selling in the Spirit to justify ourselves. Christ must come and give us His faith.
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Spiritually rich and immature (young) rulers lack the faith of Christ. Without this gift, we can never fully let go of trusting in our Spiritual possessions and the knowledge we have learned as the Called and Chosen of God. Few are given the ability to come and be made faithful in this outward age.
Mar 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Mar 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mar 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Our faith has grown and is being increased by the Lord as we abide in truth and take captive the carnal thoughts that only lead to spiritual death [Rom 8:6]. True riches are found as we are becoming poor in Spirit.
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Being in weak and rebellious flesh, we are made willing by the Lord to pay the high cost of discipleship in following Him. We all first walk away unwilling to let go of our wealth and great possessions in the Spirit. But thankfully the Lord has ordained a day when He will return and come for us where we are transformed, made poor in the Spirit, and able to put all we have into the Lord’s treasury.
Mar 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
A rich man in spirit is a man who is like a rich man in the physical. Neither needs anything from anyone, being self-sufficient and by carnal reasoning have already made it [arrived] and is in need of nothing. The Lord wastes nothing in His marvelous work and our time spent in bible studies and digging for the mysteries and the spiritual types and shadows in the Scriptures benefit all and are used to bring us to the day of Christ. The fire is yet to come where we will buy the true riches in our day of judgment when the grace of God is poured upon us in full measure.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
These spiritual riches of bible knowledge only get us so far on the road to salvation and thus we find ourselves as a “rich” young ruler. Amazingly the Lord’s strong delusion will deceive us before judgment comes and the third day perfects us. Trusting in our spiritual riches and outward good works (possessions) we claim to see but remain blind to greater truths and the true wisdom of God. Without the faith of Christ, our sin remains as we have not the righteousness that comes only by faith.
Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
It is the day of the Lord for every man that will usher in faith and bring His righteousness to us. It is here in day three that the Lord will Himself teach His people chosen to be made faithful in this age.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
The old carnal covenant of the law is now gone, having vanished as we henceforth are walking only by faith. Our sanctification now comes as we die daily with Christ, suffering for a righteousness outside the camp of Israel following our Lord.
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
It is truly a blessing to be stripped of trusting in our knowledge of the Scriptures and to be shown the vanity of the pursuit of riches to justify ourselves. Our form of outward godliness denies the power of God to save us as we are ever learning but unable to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Rejoice in the Lord’s work. He is come and will come for His people and finish the good work He started within us.
Pete