Since we're at the end of a chapter, I'm taking a brief break from our spiritual depression series. This short series of posts is from another Dr. John MacArthur letter dated September 17, 2010.
"You've probably heard the pharse 'book smart.' It's a way to describe people who excel academically, but seem unable to put their knowledge to any practical use. Their expertise may appear to be vast and impressive, but it is essentially useless. They are well informed in theory, but they are fools in practice.
"I'm deeply concerned that there are many men and women in the church today who are book smart when it comes to the Bible. They know the truth of God's Word, but it has not taken root or made any transformation in their lives. They might be able to give all the right answers on a quiz about biblical theology, but if that knowledge has not penetrated their hearts and brought about real faith and repentance, it's worthless.
"That's not to say the truth itself is worthless or ineffective. God's Word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). But that doesn't mean the truth always secures a positive, sanctifying result. After all, the truth hardened Pharaoh's heart. The same sun that melts the wax also hardens the clay.
What we are really talking about is the difference between knowing the Lord, and knowing about Him (emphasis in original). No amount of academic knowledge can substitute for real repentance and living faith. Those are the essential marks of a right relationship with God.
"Anyone can know about (emphasis in original) God and his truth. Some of the world's foremost Bible scholars are liberals who see Scripture as nothing more than a historical artifact of a piece of literature. While their knowledge of God's Word is often vast, their hearts remain cold and unmoved by the truth.
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