You were made to make a difference. Do you desire to do so?
Start with your head. Scripture places a premium on what you know. “We have come to know and believe the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16 NLV).
Jesus did not say, “You shall feel the truth,” “You shall experience the truth,” or “You shall emotionally bond with the truth.” Rather he promised, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32 NCV, emphasis mine).
Use your head, but don’t stop there. What starts in the head continues in the heart.
Facts evolve into faith. Isn’t this what happened to Timothy? Paul commended him: “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14 NASB).
See the knowing-believing sequence again? “. . . in the things you have learned and become convinced of . . .”
What begins in the head must descend into the heart. Doesn’t it always? Can’t we simply assume that the right knowledge will lead to the right life? It didn’t for Felix. During the life of the apostle Paul, Felix served as governor. When Paul was imprisoned, Felix had the authority to release him. But Paul fascinated Felix. What’s more, Felix was tutored by Paul. “[Felix] used to send for him quite often and converse with him” (Acts 24:26 NASB).
Can you imagine studying Scripture with Paul? This is Pelé showing you how to kick a soccer ball. Monet giving you art lessons. Ernest Hemingway reading your theme paper. Felix benefited. He gained a “more exact knowledge about the Way” (Acts 24:22 NASB). He knew the facts. He heard the truth. He filled his mind with knowledge.
But Felix refused to let the facts touch his heart. “Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you’” (Acts 24:25 NASB).
The governor enjoyed the intellectual chitchat, academic stimulus, philosophical sparring. Facts for the head? Okay. But a change of the heart? No way. Felix erected a barricade at his Adam’s apple. Paul may have been thinking of him when he spoke of people who are “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).
Some years ago a Christian scholar and an Israeli guide cohosted a Bible lands tour. The guide knew details about the life of Jesus the way Beethoven knew piano keys. He grew up in the shadow of the Mount of Olives and made a living reciting facts about Jesus. But the guide didn’t believe in him. Toward the end of the trip, the scholar gave him this counsel: “You know more about Jesus than anyone I know. You just need to let the facts sink one foot lower.”
May I show you how this works? Suppose you acquire new knowledge about God’s grace. You quarry a jewel from 1 John: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1:7 NLT). Christ does for your sins what windshield wipers do for raindrops—he continually removes them.
Wow. What a phenomenal fact to know. But what will you do with it? Jot it down in the margin of your Bible? Mention it in conversations? Underline the scripture? Good starts. But so far all you’ve done is work with your head.
Press the elevator button, and let the truth descend into your heart. Go from academic to personal. “Oh, Lord, thank you. Every sin perpetually cleansed. Today’s greed, yesterday’s gripes—all clean. By your mercy I am as pure as the angels of heaven. What a gift.”
That’s called receiving. Refuse to be a Felix, full of facts. And choose to be a disciple, flowing with faith.
As you receive, wonders occur. Smiles replace frowns. Joy eclipses anxiety. Rest replaces panic. And, in time, facts in your head will become faith in your heart and create the fruit of your hands.
Yes, “doing” matters to God. But “doing” follows receiving. Paul carefully presents the proper order:
“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you (Phil. 4:9 NKJV, emphasis mine).
Learn.
Receive.
Do.
Facts enter your head, descend into your heart as faith, and exit your hands as energy. Deeds of kindness. Acts of generosity. Calling on the sick. Volunteering for the committee. Baking pies for Max. (Just kidding.) The work of the hands follows the filling of the head and heart.
You were made to make a difference. Let Christ make a difference in you, and you will do the same in the world.