Puff or Love

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

PUFF OR LOVE

1 Cor 8:1-3

8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by God.

NIV

Although this is the beginning of a complete thought about not causing a brother to stumble by doing something, it has its own stand-alone truth as well. We certainly have more than enough institutions of higher learning among all the various denominations within our country to gain far more knowledge about the scriptures than we may ever have in the past. But to what gain is that? It would appear if a person has not attained certain degrees from those certain institutions, that person is not qualified to be a professional minister. We also have a number of people who believe the more you know the better a Christian you will be. Being able to quote scripture, naming chapter and verse is surely a sign of a mature believer. But here we see that all that does is puff us up. All this knowledge simply makes us feel better than those who do not have the knowledge. Do we look down at them as being inferior or simply not interested enough in God to learn about Him? Does all that knowledge enhance us or does it bring glory to God? Have we placed knowledge on the throne of our lives? Let us remember that knowledge puffs us up. Sure, knowledge is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it is what we allow it to do to us which can be bad. We are far better off, with or without that knowledge to simply love. We need not know anything about the scriptures in order to love. If we understand the love of God, if we have experienced His love toward us, then we possess all we need in order to love God and love others. Does a great amount of knowledge increase God’s love toward us, or ours toward Him? Does knowledge cause us to be known by God? It is for certain that is all we do is love God we will for certain be known by God. And if we love others, we will neither offend them in word, thought or deed. That is the basis of all knowledge. God did not establish institutions, he established love. Should we puff or love?