KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD OR EVIL?: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 16TH SEPTEMBER 2018

MEMORISE:

 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

READ: Genesis 3:1-5


1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

MESSAGE

Many people don’t know that it is dangerous, if not a curse to possess the knowledge of evil. To have the knowledge of evil is to know how to do evil. In Genesis 3:5, when the devil told our first parents that their eyes would be open and they would be like God, knowing good and evil, he was literarily saying “you will know how to do evil”, even though he did not tell them that he was teaching them how to do evil.

This is why it is important for every child of God to understand the source and nature of any knowledge they are acquiring. In James 3:17, the Holy Spirit recommends the type of applied knowledge we should seek after, saying:

“ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

Do you know that some people acquire knowledge that destroys their entire life? When a young boy learns how to smoke marijuana or other narcotic substances, he becomes emboldened and begins to feel he has “become a man”.

What folly this is! When a young girl is introduced to premarital sex, she may be deceived that such carnal knowledge will make her “a real woman”. Although she may be excited about it, the truth is that she has only learned how to do evil, and it will destroy her destiny.

This is why parents must endeavor to fill their children with godly knowledge before it is too late. God’s wisdom in Proverb 22:6 says:

 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

There are ways the devil introduces his “curriculum” on the knowledge of evil to mankind. In today’s Bible reading, he used the deductive method to achieve his goal. He asked: “Did God say you should not eat of every tree of the garden?” He was pretending not to know which of the fruits of the garden was forbidden.

Would God have arranged for His children to starve by commanding them not to eat of every tree of the garden? Even today, the devil still uses this style. For example, he may come to you saying, “Did God say you should not drink any wine?” The answer is definitely “No, what God said is that I should not drink alcoholic wine.”

He may also say to you, “Yes, I know God would not want you to have sex because it is bad!” the answer is “No, what God said is that I can only have sex with my spouse.” The devil is a liar; please don’t believe his lies.

ACTION POINT:


Watch the kind of knowledge you acquire over the internet, and review the kind of blogs you read.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 23-25, Mark 8:31-9:13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7:  WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE.

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

o Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.