Day 41: The cross: the key to all wisdom

In the time of Jesus He rebuked the teachers of the law because they were not meeting the needs of God's people. In Luke 11:52, He says:

“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered and you have hindered those who were entering.” (NIV)

I'm afraid it's true of many who profess to interpret the truth of the gospel today. They have taken away the key of knowledge - they haven't entered in themselves, they're not living in the fullness of God's provision, and they actually hinder those who would try to enter in with their fine sounding arguments and reasoning, all of which is not in line with the simple truth of the gospel of Jesus. They've taken away the key.

What is the key? The cross. That's the only key that we can use to enter into the fullness of God's provision in Christ. Anyone who takes away from the truths concerning the death of Jesus on the cross is taking away the key of knowledge and keeping God's people from their inheritance.How then can we enter into this knowledge? The answer is simple and practical. We must give ourselves to the study of God's Word.

The book of Proverbs emphasizes our need for this kind of knowledge. Proverbs chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, is addressed to the child of God, by God Himself - they begin with the words, "My son,..."

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.” (NIV)

The warnings are, "Do not forget, but keep." How important that is. And in the next chapter of Proverbs chapter 4, the same emphasis. Proverbs 4:4 5:

“Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget or swerve from them.” (NIV)

Just note the words that are used. "Lay hold...keep...get …Do not forget...do not swerve from..." In other words, we have to apply our heart, we have to turn our ear, we have to cry out, we have to search as for hidden treasure. God will make it available only to the one whose heart attitude is right, to those who earnestly seek Him. He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. It's this earnest seeking of the truth of God's Word, prizing it above all other forms of knowledge – that is the way into this inheritance of ours in Christ.