Without Faith, Knowledge Is Worthless

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1:20-21

I like to think of myself as a knowledgeable man. I am quite proud—even unjustly proud—of the facts and figures I have stored between my ears. I am even a little bit arrogant when it comes to what I can do with those facts and figures.

As an Accountant, as a Voice and Data Network Engineer, and as an Independent Journalist, Analyst, and Commentator, I have been chewing on facts and figures all of my adult life.

For me, it’s fun. I enjoy it.

Yet there is a question to be asked: what good is all that knowledge? What purpose does any of it serve?

What good do I accomplish with any of the things I do? What value does it hold?

As an Accountant, I help people understand their financial situation. I help them make sense of balance sheets, income statements, and all the reams of documents that lie behind such things.

Certainly that work is valuable to the extent that my employer is willing to pay me for my work.

As a Voice and Data Network Engineer, I built communications systems that made business possible for clients and employers alike. I diagnosed problems and made broken networks whole again.

Certainly that work was valuable to the extent that I was well paid for my work.

As an Independent Journalist, Analyst, and Commentator I communicate some of the facts and figures which describe the world around us. I strive to present that information within a narrative that is both honest and coherent. I tell people that my goal is to inform them—I do not tell people what to think, but I give them plenty about which to think.

Certainly that work is valuable to the extent that I have subscribers who value my work.

Yet in all of this, there have always been times when I have told people things they do not wish to hear, or with which they disagree. I have found that, with some regularity, if I am faithful and honest about my work, I am going to offend at least some people. I will earn scorn, contempt, outrage, and even threats of violence.

My defense is always a simple one: I am giving the facts and figures that I have at hand. I am telling the truth.

Is that defense enough? Would it be sufficient to claim factual honesty while leading people towards conclusions which are perhaps not true? Would it be sufficient to claim factual honesty if my work resulted in people being harmed?

If I am manipulating people and leading them towards false conclusions, am I being honest? No. If I am attempting to persuade people to believe a lie then I am lying by definition.

If I am seeking to put people in harm’s way with my words, I might not be lying, but neither am I showing them the love, compassion, and grace which we are all called to show one another.

That, however, is the rub. How do I know that what I believe is true? What assurance do I have that I am not putting people in harm’s way with my words?

I have no such assurance. Whatever words I speak, whatever actions I take, whatever actions I persuade others to take will carry their own consequences. I do not choose what those consequences might be. My only influence over consequence lies in my choice of words and deeds.

What guarantee have I that my words and deeds will turn out well? I have no guarantee—and all too often my words and deeds do not turn out well. Sometimes that is because I have made a mistake. Sometimes it is just not what people want to hear.

With no assurance and no guarantee, how shall I choose either my words or my deeds?

With no assurance and no guarantee, all that is left is faith. Faith is the assurance and the guarantee we are given.

This the Apostle Paul taught in Hebrews, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is what we have to guide us when we seek to come closer to God. Faith is all that we have for a guide. Knowledge, as my own personal experience has shown repeatedly, is no guide at all.

Knowledge does not decide if my words are true and wise.

Knowledge does not decide if my actions are right and righteous.

My words are true and wise if they illuminate the world as God created it. My words are true and wise if they reveal a path of love, respect, and compassion for people to follow, a path which leads them closer to God.

My actions are right and righteous if they are in accordance with God’s Law. My actions are right and righteous if they are in acceptance of God’s Will.

Knowledge brings precision to word, thought, and deed, but that is all it can do. Knowledge cannot make evil thoughts good. Knowledge cannot turn cruelty into compassion.

To distinguish between good and evil, between sin and righteousness, I must rely on faith. It is by faith that God reveals His Will. It is by faith that we receive God’s Law. It is faith that elevates the Bible from a compendium of Jewish and proto-Christian texts into Scripture.

For all the knowledge in which I take unseemly pride, my choices are ultimately dictated by my faith. As valuable as knowledge is in the execution of all that I do, the choice to actually do this or that is made not through knowledge, but through faith.

My faith is not perfect—far from it. My faith is all too frequently clouded by anger, fear, and doubt. I wish my faith were perfect, for then there would be no anger, no fear, no doubt. If my faith were perfect my choices would be far better than they often are.

Yet for choosing, my faith is all that I have. Imperfect as it is, imperfect as I am, my only guide in navigating right from wrong is faith. My knowledge only comes into play after I have made a choice.

Without my faith, my knowledge is worthless.

Without my faith, I cannot distinguish right from wrong, or good from evil.

Without my faith, I cannot make good and moral choices.

My prayer this day is for faith. My prayer this day is that God will always strengthen and deepen my faith, that I might choose better, speak better, do better. My prayer this day is that through faith God will show me what I must do, that I may bring my knowledge to bear in actually doing it.

My prayer for you this day is for your faith. My prayer for you this day is that God will always strengthen and deepen your faith, that you might choose better, speak better, do better. My prayer for you this day is that through faith God will show you what you must do, that you may bring your knowledge to bear in actually doing it.

No matter how much knowledge we possess, our choices are invariably dictated by faith. As valuable as knowledge is in the execution of all that we do, the choice to actually do this or that is made not through knowledge, but through faith.

Without faith, knowledge is worthless.

Without faith, we cannot distinguish right from wrong, or good from evil.

Without faith, we cannot make good and moral choices.

We need knowledge to bring precision and skill to what we do. We need faith to know what it is that we must do.