Head Knowledge

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord,

have never forsaken those who seek You.  

Psalm 9: 9-10 (NASB)

 

If I told you that I had read a thousand books on airplane design and how to pilot a plane but have never actually seen or set foot on one, would you board a flight where I was in charge? Probably not! (If you would—I’d honestly question your sanity.)  

 

Knowing about something and knowing something from experience are two very different things. Many people who claim to know about Christ can, unfortunately, have no idea who He is. “Believers” can be separated into two groups: the true believers/disciples of Christ and the deceived. 

 

The Bible says:

“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” James 2: 19 (NASB)
 

We may be able to retain and spout facts about God and theology all day long, but until we meet Him heart to heart, there is no way we can honestly know Him.

 

Head knowledge does not always lead to a heart understanding. There is a disconnect there that only the Holy Spirit can sauder together. To the deceived, who think they are saved simply because they know about God, it just doesn’t make sense how a loving or faithful God could:

-let bad things happen to good people
-send good people to hell “just” for not believing in Him
-condemn certain sins that feel justifiable
-answer some prayers while refusing to answer others
-allow people to suffer harsh consequences for things that others get away with

(The list can go on forever.)

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Even true believers will occasionally have doubts like the ones listed, and we certainly don’t have all the answers, but the difference is that we are all in with a solid trust in a God who does know. He’s not a crutch, and we do not live in a fantasy land; we trust Him because “those who know Your name trust in You,” as it says in Psalm 9. We can do more than recite facts and events—we can vouch for the power behind every fact and event. It is something we KNOW, and our hearts understand.

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Believers can argue, bicker, or turn into an “apologetics-ninja” all day long, but in the end, if the Holy Spirit has not opened the eyes of someone who only has head knowledge of God, all they will hear are facts. When we share the Gospel with others, we must be willing to see deeper past the information (as crucial as it is to know) and pray for their heart to understand. As soon as that switch flips on in someone, we have the Father’s promise that He will “never forsake those who seek Him” (vs.10).

 

It’s comforting that we can genuinely KNOW our Creator and that He knows us as well.