Bumby Bible Questions 12

Introduction

Well, it’s 9 AM on the fourth Sunday of the month, and as our regular attendees and members know, this is our QA time. Uh we’re going to start by saying how much we appreciate, first of all, your presence here this morning, but then your participation uh in this question and answer session. It would just be an answer session uh if you didn’t submit your questions. And we’ve gotten a lot of questions. Uh these are pre-submitted questions. Uh we’ve gotten a lot of those from you. And even from some of uh viewers and listeners, I think one of our questions this morning is from Qatar uh of all places. And so thankful to the men uh in the booth and Mike Manir, who does such a wonderful job in recording these uh audio and video uh that we have the blessing of being able to share the Word of God uh not just in Orlando uh but throughout the U.S.

and across the world. And so we appreciate those questions. I don’t know that we appreciate Chris’s uh confidence expressed. He said we were gonna attempt to answer these questions. Uh but uh we do attempt to answer these questions and attempt to answer them just from the word of God. Uh it’s not our goal to answer these based upon our opinion, based upon what we’ve always been taught, what the official bumby Church of Christ position is. It’s just what does the word of God say? Uh and that’s whether it’s been our attempt uh to to to answer these questions, and we’ll try to do that this morning. Greg’s gonna I’m gonna test Greg this morning. Uh Greg’s gonna tell you how you can submit your questions, including the email address that you can use.

So we still do need more questions because worse than just giving answers, we’d come up with our own questions. And nobody probably wants that except the two of us. So you can submit them in a few ways. One of them is to come up and tell us. Now one of us, you can guess which one might not remember that. So you should write it down and submit it to us so we can reference it later and make sure we actually answer the question you’re intending and not the question we wish you had asked using a lot of those words. The second way is we actually have a uh bucket in the lobby that if you just want to write it down and submit it, it says suggestions on that box.

If you want to submit that, uh, we’ll check those as well. And then, of course, we have that email address. It’s Bumby BibleQuestions at gmail.com. That’s Bumbi BibleQuestions at gmail.com. And just one other word we haven’t shared in a few months, and we ask that you do continue sending in the questions. Uh, if you attach your name to them, we’re not going to say that it’s your question. But sometimes there is some curiosity as to where exactly the question is pointed or what type of answer you’re looking for. And if you do have your name on it, we can follow up with you behind the scenes to figure out what your question is. So we’re not going to embarrass you or even tell it publicly. Uh but it can help us understand your question better if you tell us who the question’s from and we can approach you and get some clarity there.

1. The Difference in Wisdom and Knowledge

So that email address one more time, just to prove that we do know what that email uh box is, Bumbi BibleQuestions at gmail.com. I didn’t remember the email address, but Greg did. But uh I’m curious to what this bucket in our four year looks like, but I’m going to be looking for that a little bit later. All right, so question number uh one then. So, what is the difference in wisdom and knowledge? And which one should we pray for? What is the difference in wisdom and knowledge? And which one should we pray for? So, as we think about this, of course, we we should define our terms a little bit. Knowledge would be information necessary for wise decision making. I can tell you that we worked really hard on these definitions.

And as you think about what they mean, though, that’s where the real crux of the matter is. So let’s look to the Word of God to explain how we would differentiate between the two before we talk about what we should be praying for. In Proverbs chapter 2, and certainly anything, any question about wisdom or even knowledge, would find ourselves in the Proverbs. In Proverbs chapter 2, in verse 6, we learn a couple of important things. One of those, when it says in verse 6, the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright, and he is a shield to those who walk in integrity. So we recognize right off the bat, whatever they are and whatever they mean, wisdom and knowledge both come from what source?

From the Lord. And those who walk in the ways of specifically wisdom in verse 7 allow them to not only walk uprightly, but to in integrity have God as a shield for those who practice wisdom and knowledge, as He gives. And so He is the giver of whatever this knowledge is, whatever wisdom is. And so when you think about knowledge practically, knowledge doesn’t necessarily make decisions for you, but it’s information that goes into the decision-making process. And of course, that leaves room for what wisdom might mean. Wisdom, sometimes we differ differentiate between knowledge, which as Greg said is kind of just the accumulation or the knowledge of the facts, and then wisdom being maybe the application or the skill to apply knowledge. In Proverbs chapter 1, we read about wisdom that says the fear of the Lord, Proverbs 1, verse 7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Sometimes the Bible seems to use the terms almost interchangeably, knowledge and wisdom. And you can see based upon the definitions of the two words why that sometimes is. But if we’re to make a distinction, again, it would be knowledge is the idea of the accumulation of the facts, and wisdom is the skillful application. How to use those facts, how to use that knowledge in our everyday life. Someone’s illustrated it this way that knowledge is like knowing that tomato, that a tomato is not a vegetable, that it’s a fruit. But wisdom is not putting a tomato in your fruit salad. And so there’s the difference kind of of you know something, but now you know how to apply that in our lives. And so there’s, if we’re to make a distinction, that’s kind of the distinction between knowledge and wisdom.

But then the root of the question really was, which should we pray for to God? If you think about what leads to wisdom most often, if we said what one trait often leads to the most wisdom, we would say experience. What does experience do? It’s given you a bunch of knowledge and firsthand application of what’s going to happen when you react to situations in a different way, or when somebody else reacts to situations in a different way. And wisdom is learning from that knowledge and those applications, and so as we look at that, we need to see that really both are needed in prayer. And there is scriptural precedent for praying for both of those. Let’s look at both of these passages. We’ll start in the New Testament, in James chapter 1.

In James chapter 1, again, going back to that Proverbs chapter 2, wisdom as you turn to James chapter 1, if wisdom and knowledge is from the Lord, and it’s necessary to please him, then he is the source that we should be asking for wisdom and knowledge from. In James chapter 1 and verse 5, James says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. So here’s the good news from the message of God is that all we have to do is ask. Now, verse 6 quantifies that you have to ask in a particular way, you have to ask by faith, without doubting. You have to trust that God does give wisdom, that he does give the proper knowledge even for a circumstance.

And so we say, well, is there an application? Is there a situation in the Bible where someone prayed for one or both of these? And we can highlight one exactly like that. Look back in 1 Kings chapter 3. 1 Kings chapter 3. If you think of someone who is wise and who had great knowledge, if you’re not thinking of Jesus himself while he was on this earth, you’d probably be thinking of King Solomon. And it’s in 1 Kings chapter 3 that he has this opportunity to ask for anything that he desires. God has reached out to him and said, Solomon, you just ask for it. And here in 1 Kings chapter 3, notice with me in verse 9. He says, Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil.

For who is able to govern this your great people? It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this, and God said to him, Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked yourself for understanding to discern what is right. Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you, and none like you shall arise after you. The English Standard Version, using those words wise and discerning mind, really helps us apply the skill of knowledge and wisdom as we ask for it. What are we asking for? Well, the understanding of a situation so that we can properly discern its outcome.

I won’t ask for a show of hands, but has anyone ever prejudged a situation, acted on bad or lacking information, and wished you had more? I think we’ve all been there. So we need the knowledge to apply the wisdom. And all the knowledge in the world would be worthless if we don’t have the wisdom to properly apply it. Solomon asked for both. God gave him both in extraordinary measure. And so as we look at the differences, we see something both that both come from God, and that we all need desperately in our lives. And maybe a better question or a challenging question this morning would be when’s the last time you prayed for that? When’s the last time that you included in your prayers that God would help you to come to a knowledge of the truth?

2. Is It Possible to Be Sinless? Yes, but No

And as James talked about, that you prayed for wisdom, the wisdom to live that truth out in your everyday lives. And so maybe that’s something we challenge ourselves this week to include in our prayers, is to pray for a better understanding of the Word of God and better wisdom to apply that understanding. Alright, our second question is, is it possible for a man to be sinless? So that question is really, do we have to sin? Is that something we don’t have any choice in? And is it possible for man to live a life free from sin? So let’s peel back maybe the layers to this question and see, is it possible for us to be sinless? First of all, I guess if we talk in theory, we’ll start with theory and then we’ll end up in the kind of the practical world where we all live.

But in theory, if we think that if every sin can be avoided, then theoretically all sin could be avoided. And the New Testament teaches us that we can avoid sin. Let’s look at a couple passages of scripture there in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. A familiar passage of scripture that deals with the subject of sin and temptation. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13, you may know this verse that says, No temptation has overtaken you except such as common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you’re able. But with the temptation will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. And so here’s the theory that here is a sin, here’s a temptation to sin, and the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul says, God will with that sin make a way of escape.

There is a way for me to avoid that temptation and that sin. Now, if we carry that theory out, if that’s true for each individual sin, wouldn’t that be true for every sin? That there is a way of escape, not just for some sin, for some temptations, but for all. Let’s also look at 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2, verse 1 says, My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The main point of that passage is Jesus Christ and the advocacy we have when we do sin. But he starts by saying, I’m writing these instructions that you may not sin. And so I guess the first way we would answer this question, is it possible to be sinless would be, well, in theory, yes.

It would be possible if each sin can be avoided, then every sin theoretically can be avoided. But that’s not the only way we need to answer that question. The problem, of course, is reflected in the reality. If you look at the end of verse 1, it doesn’t just say, I’m writing these things to you so that you may not sin. The second part of verse 1 is, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And so the reality is that not one of us has lived sinlessly aside from Jesus Himself, or will be able to live sinfully in an entire lifespan. Romans chapter 3 and verse 23, Paul makes the point that Jew and Gentile alike all have sinned and foster the glory of God.

If you notice in 1 John chapter 1, and we we segment things in chapters, but chapter 1 of 1 John verses 8 through 10 are the immediate three verses before the verse we just read. So it goes 1 John 1, 8, 9, and 10, and then chapter 2, verse 1. So let’s go back three verses to 1 John chapter 1, verse 8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now if we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. I wonder if you caught in verse 9 the parallel here and in 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

In both cases, speaking about sin and temptation, the answer to sin and temptation is not just that you’ll permanently be able to avoid it, but that God is faithful. Do you see that in verse 9? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Back in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13, it was that God is faithful and will make a way of escape. Now sometimes people sit back and they’ll say, Well, you know, the hand I’ve been dealt or the situation I was in, there was no way I couldn’t sin. And even if that were true from a theoretical level, we’d like to add is the way of escape might have been to never reach that circumstance to begin with.

Don’t walk into the room. Don’t initiate the conversation, don’t find yourself with the people that would lead you to that seemingly unbearable temptation. But the word of God does say we can overcome, that our goal is to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, that is complete. But at the same time, what has God done to his great grace and mercy and through his love? Made a way in which we can be forgiven. And so if there is a way to forgiveness, and God is constantly explaining that to us, his people, that tells me that we will sin. But verse 9 says, I have to do something about that sin. I have to be willing to confess it and make it right in the sight of God.

Not sit back and say, well, I’ve just signed up for this impossible in reality chore. I just can’t do it. I know the theory is there, but I’m just going to fail. God says, no, with me you can be forgiven. So 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1 again, overcome temptation. Overcome sin. Don’t sin. But when you do know that you have an advocate with the Father. You have an advocate with Jesus Christ the righteous. So are you ready for our definitive dogmatic answer to this question? Is it possible to be sinless? The answer is yes, but no. Yes, in theory. I think we all should maybe come to the conclusion that if, again, if this sin can be avoided, and that sin can be avoided, then could they not all in theory be avoided?

But in reality, we know the answer is no. Because that has not been the experience of everyone. And that’s really where we live our lives, isn’t it? Is it not in the theory, but in the reality. And so we must deal, as Greg was talking about, we must deal with the reality of the sin problem that’s in our lives. But maybe it does help for us to examine sin and examine the avoidability of that sin in our own lives. The problem with dealing in theory instead of reality is that you reach kind of non-biblical conclusions. Generally, with a question like this, can a man live sinlessly? Because of the implications of theory, people take one of two widely differing positions. One of them is, well, the Bible says don’t sin, and so we just can’t sin.

The other side says, Well, we’re going to sin, and so there’s really not much you can do about it, so just deal with it and know that it’s good. No matter what you do, God’s going to forgive you. Well, we can proverbially walk and chew gum at the same time here. If God expects us to live sinlessly to overcome temptation, if God makes the way of escape possible, in reality, what does that tell me? I can overcome sin. But likewise, in reality, if God makes a way of forgiveness for when his children do sin, what does that tell me as well? That I will sin, and that when I do, there’s something I need to do about it. And more importantly, there’s something God can and will do about it for those who confess their sins to that faithful and just God.

3. Implications: Sin Is My Fault

So, what are some implications of this? The idea of the dilemma between theory and reality. Well, the first implication is that if we look at the theory side of it, then this makes sin my fault. If there is a way of escape, if it is possible for me to overcome sin, but in reality I did not, and you did not, and everyone did not, then the implication of that is that it’s my fault. In James chapter one, he says, let no man say that when he is tempted, he’s tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt us with that evil. But each man, we talked about this last Sunday morning in the 9 a.m. hour, that each one is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.

And so if I just simply say, Well, I don’t have any control over it. I’m going to sin. It’s just an inevitability. Then maybe I’m using that as a cop-out to realize that, oh, it wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t help myself. But yes, it is my fault. That sin that I just committed could have been avoided. God did give me a way out of that. And so I must accept the responsibility, the blame, and the guilt for the entirety of the sin that is in my life. And if it is my fault, then I need to know for next time. My aim must be to overcome each temptation. If you notice verse 12, the verse preceding what Ken spoke of in verse 13 of James chapter 1, blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.

For when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Rather than being afraid or using it as a crutch or a cop-out to sin, what God tells us is to overcome temptation is something that he will reward. That’s amazing. That God watches out for his people who sin. And by the way, who is sin against God and his perfect law, his perfect holiness. We are corrupting God’s creation when we sin. And yet God says in verse 12, blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life. It has to be my goal to overcome temptation. Has to be my focus, my aim, my application of wisdom and knowledge, to say there is a way of escape here.

Let me find it, let me use it, and then let me thank God for it. Because if God’s on our side, can’t we make this happen? Yes. And so we have to take that personal responsibility not only to confess sin, but to in the future make sure I don’t continue in that sin. And then I take it just as seriously as God does. What do we do with the reality of sin? The reality that I have sinned, and the reality that that sin is my fault. And that that sin, which is my fault, has separated me from God. And that is that our hope, in reality and theory, our hope is in the love of God and the blood of Jesus Christ that provides that forgiveness.

Go back to 1 John chapter 2. And notice how John puts this, I think, in perspective for us in answering our question. 1 John 2, again, begins in verse 1, my little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. There’s the goal. The goal is to overcome that temptation and to not sin. And we didn’t, we’re not smart enough to intentionally do this, but it kind of ties into the first question knowledge and wisdom. To have the knowledge and to apply that knowledge through wisdom to the Word of God, that we might not sin. But he goes on to say, and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only ours, but for the whole world.

4. Are Aliens and UFOs Real?

And so there’s theory and the practicality as well. Don’t sin. Use the knowledge, the wisdom, the power of God to overcome that temptation. But when you do sin, you have an advocate with the Father. The love of God, the blood of Christ is there to forgive us of the reality of the sin that is in our life, which is there because we gave in to it. So I hope that helps us to understand kind of again both the theory and the reality of the idea of sin that’s in our life, why it’s there and what to do about it. And so continuing on that same track of thought, our next question is are aliens and or UFOs real? What does the Bible say about aliens and UFOs?

Well, in 1 Peter it talks about aliens and strangers, but I don’t know that that’s what we’re talking about here. So let’s just see what we can surmise about this, the idea of aliens and UFOs. First of all, we have to admit there’s nothing that we know in or outside the Bible that says one thing or another. And so there’s the easy answer. Doesn’t address that. The Bible addresses life, but it addresses human life on this planet. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. That’s what we know, that’s what we deal with, and probably where we need to spend our time and our attention. Well, thank you for clearing that up with utmost clarity. So, what we have to look at then is one of two things is true.

If they do exist, what would that mean? And if they do exist, the question I put out there is what does it mean? Well, for me and for our faith, everyone who’s here this morning, it changes nothing. Because we just read in 1 John chapter 1 and 2 that man has a particular problem. Man from which part of creation? Earth. We have what particular problem? Sin, which separates us from God, and what’s the only way to be reconciled to God? The blood of Jesus. And so whether or not there is some sort of duplicate planet or some random life out in a spot that we do find or can’t find, does that change that the Word of God is truly from Him? No. Would that change that Jesus came to this earth in the form of man, was crucified and resurrected?

No. In which case the Word of God, as it reveals in Hebrews chapter 9, says Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. And as you study through Hebrews, that new covenant comes with those better promises that we can have the forgiveness of sin. So whether or not aliens exist, nothing changes for our faith here. And of course, then by implication, if they don’t exist, certainly nothing changes in our faith either. This is a very interesting question. There’s a lot of quote-unquote evidence that says there may or may not be life outside of this planet. But whether or not that’s true, God still exists. If there were aliens on another planet, let’s say on Mars, would that mean God stops existing? No. In fact, you could argue it would be a stronger proof for God.

But if we are just here alone, does that mean God doesn’t exist? No. There’s so many great proofs about God. You look at just this earth, the way it’s tuned for life. You look at the decision-making properties that each of us can take, that ability to accumulate knowledge from God, to pray for and receive wisdom from God, to overcome temptation. That is all a remarkable compilation of processes that show not only intelligent design, but a powerful designer. And so as we think about what this question would do for our faith, the answer is nothing. Whether we come and go home today and find out there is proof of life outside of this planet, or that never is attained. Our faith is in God, and God alone brings salvation and the answer to all of our problems, including with and starting with, who do I deserve to give my life to?

Conclusion

More importantly, I’m extremely proud of you getting through this whole question and answer without one single Star Wars reference. Well, knowledge says I should have. Wisdom says everyone knows already how great that is. That’s right. All right. The clock on the wall tells us that we’re out of time. Our next question, I think would take too long for like the two minutes that we have allotted here. But again, we appreciate so much your questions. Please keep them coming. And again, as Greg said, so that he doesn’t forget, put them in writing, and we’ll try our best to attempt to answer those questions. And we look forward to the fourth Sunday, 9 a.m. service next month. So keep those questions coming and keep studying the Word of God.

Greg, will you lead us in a word of prayer? Let’s pray. Our dear God and most gracious, faithful and just God, we thank you for this opportunity to worship you, to study your word, and to find answers to the most complicated and difficult questions that we could come up with. We’re so thankful to you that you’re a God who created us not only in your image, but in such a way that we can find you, that we can diligently and pleasingly serve you if we dedicate ourselves to your word. We’re also thankful for the fact that while we recognize we can overcome sin and temptation, that you are faithful, that you are there, that you make the way of escape possible. We pray that you always and continually watch out for us as we face our temptation and trials.

Give us courage, strength, integrity, and conviction to stand up against the wiles of the devil. That you allow us to see through with wisdom and knowledge what the temptation would really cost us, that is, returning to be with you for all of eternity. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for his sacrificial life. Thank you most of all for his death and resurrection, knowing that through that we might live. We pray that as you bless our lives and we thank you for all the physical things that moreover you bless us with those spiritual necessities. We pray for wisdom. We pray for knowledge that it might guard our steps and lead us closer to you. Thank you for an opportunity to openly and easily look into your word and learn more about your expectations for us.

May we always be dedicated to you, not get caught up chasing what ifs, but recognizing that you are the I am and you deserve our life sacrifice. Thank you for this day. Thank you for your son. It’s in his name we pray. Amen. We’re now dismissed to our Bible class.