IN SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE IN WRONG PLACES 1
April 12, 2025
TEXT: Ephesians 5:6-11
KEY VERSE:
Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.(Ephesians 5:6)
During my time at university, there was a brother in our campus fellowship whose faith was as unwavering as a rock, and he served as a beacon of hope for many of us. But during the prolonged COVID-19 lockdown, the devil, disguised as an angel of light, came knocking on his door with a seductive message. As the lockdown eased and we returned to campus, we noticed changes in our brother; he no longer closed his eyes in prayer, he began to deny the personality of the Holy Spirit, and his beliefs began to stray from the path of truth.
When we saw the changes in our brother’s life, we confronted him and asked for an explanation. He told us that while preaching the gospel during the COVID-19 lockdown, some people had asked him questions he couldn’t answer, leading him to seek resources to address their doubts. But those resources turned out to be full of falsehoods, leading him astray.
Like a ship without a compass, he had drifted far from the truth, his belief in God and the Holy Spirit shaken by the deceptive teachings he had consumed. His heart was heavy with confusion and despair, as he struggled to find his way back to the truth. He had once been a pillar of faith, but now he was lost in the fog of deception.
We did our best to steer him back to the light, sharing with him the truth of God’s Word and the power of God’s love. But the devil’s lies had taken root in his heart, and it would take a miracle to untangle them.
In our quest for knowledge, we must be wary of false teachings that masquerade as truth. Just like our brother, we can be deceived by seemingly harmless inquiries and become lost in the fog of deception. The devil knows that our greatest weakness is our pride in our own understanding. He uses this pride to lure us away from the truth and into the darkness of heresy.
My dear friends, the search for knowledge is a noble pursuit, but it must be pursued with wisdom and discernment. When we seek knowledge without first grounding ourselves in the wisdom of God’s Word, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the lies of the enemy. It is only by starting with the fear of the Lord that we can truly discern truth from falsehood.
As we close this part of the message, let us remember the words of Jesus, *“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”* It is only in seeking knowledge in the truth of God’s Word that we can be freed from the shackles of deception. Let us guard our hearts and minds against the seductive lure of false teachings, and let us pursue knowledge in humility and prayer, for it is the Lord who is the source of all wisdom and understanding.
SEARCH LIGHT:
Remember that your strength and hope lie in God, not in your own understanding or intellect.
PRAYER:
Lord, give me the wisdom to discern if I’m seeking knowledge in the wrong place.
*BIBLE READING:* 2 Kings 24-25, 1 Chronicles 1, 2 Corinth 2.
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
