The Power of Knowing and the Blessedness of Understanding
There is power in knowing who God is, and there is blessedness in understanding His Word. Hindi sapat na may alam tayo tungkol sa Diyos. Kailangan nating maunawaan, tanggapin, at ipamuhay ang katotohanan na ipinahayag Niya sa Kaniyang Salita.
Introduction
Sa panahon ngayon, makikita po natin kung gaano kalaki ang kaibahan ng taong may alam lamang at ng taong tunay na nakauunawa. Maraming tao ang may karunungan, lakas, kayamanan, at pinag-aralan. Pero sabi ng Panginoon sa Jeremiah 9:23, huwag magmapuri ang marunong sa kaniyang karunungan, huwag magmapuri ang malakas sa kaniyang kalakasan, at huwag magmapuri ang mayaman sa kaniyang kayamanan.
Wala tayong dapat ipagmayabang dahil lamang tayo ay matalino, malakas, o mayaman. Kung meron tayong dapat ipagmapuri, ito ay ang bagay na sinabi ng Panginoon sa Jeremiah 9:24: na nauunawaan natin at nakikilala natin Siya. We understand and know that He is the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
That is the blessing. That is the power. Kilala natin kung sino ang tunay na Diyos.
Sa 1 John 5:20, sinabi ng Salita ng Diyos:
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true…”
May pagpapala sa pagkakilala. May pagpapala sa pagkaunawa. Thank God we know who the true God is. Kilala natin kung sino ang tunay na Diyos at buhay na walang hanggan.
Kaya sinabi rin ni John:
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Mga anak, ingatan ninyo ang inyong sarili mula sa mga idolo at mga diyos-diyosan. Dahil kung tunay mong nakikilala ang Panginoon, hindi ka madaling madadala ng maling pagkakilala, maling aral, o tradisyon na hindi nakabatay sa Salita ng Diyos.
There is power in knowing, and there is blessedness in understanding.
Knowledge And Understanding
Ang kaalaman ay impormasyon, facts, skills, at mga bagay na natututuhan sa pamamagitan ng pag-aaral o karanasan. It can be theoretical knowledge. It can be book knowledge. Maaari mong matutuhan sa pagbabasa, sa paaralan, sa karanasan, o sa mga bagay na pinagdaanan mo.
Alam mo na ang apoy ay nakakapaso dahil naranasan mo o natutuhan mo. Alam mo na bawal tumawid sa no jaywalking dahil may batas at may consequence. Knowledge answers the question:What do you know?
Pero iba ang understanding.
Understanding is the ability to interpret, explain, and apply that knowledge correctly. Ito ang kakayahan na maunawaan ang kahulugan ng iyong nalalaman, maipaliwanag ito, at magamit ito sa tamang paraan.
Knowledge is knowing facts. Understanding is grasping the meaning of those facts.
Halimbawa, knowing that water boils at 100 degrees is knowledge. Explaining why that happens is understanding.
Knowing the definition of a metaphor is knowledge. Identifying one in a poem and explaining how it works is understanding.
Knowing that the earth revolves around the sun is knowledge. Explaining why there are seasons is understanding.
Ganoon din sa espirituwal na buhay. Hindi sapat na may alam tayo tungkol sa Diyos. Hindi sapat na uma-attend tayo ng fellowship, nakikinig ng preaching, o lumaki tayo sa relihiyon. Kailangan nating maunawaan ang sinasabi ng Salita ng Diyos.
Faith comes by hearing. Ang pananampalataya ay nanggagaling sa pakikinig ng Salita ng Diyos. Hindi ito basta tradisyon, hindi ito basta nakasanayan, at hindi ito basta maganda sa pakiramdam. It must come from the Word of God.
Kaya ang tanong sa atin: Kaya ka ba nandito dahil gusto mong mas makilala si Jesus Christ? Gusto mo bang higit pang maunawaan ang kalooban ng Panginoon sa buhay mo? Gusto mo bang hindi lamang makatanggap ng pagpapala, kundi maunawaan kung bakit ang buhay ay ganito at kung ano ang layunin ng Diyos?
God Reveals Himself
There are ways God reveals Himself to man. Isa sa mga ito ay sa pamamagitan ng creation.
Romans 1:20 tells us that the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Ang creation mismo ay nagpapatotoo na may Diyos. The world around us proclaims that there is a God. May kapangyarihan, may kaayusan, may layunin, at may Manlilikha. Kaya walang tao ang makapagsasabi, “Hindi ko alam.” Creation itself declares that there is a God.
Isa pa ay sa pamamagitan ng written Word of God.
The Bible is composed of 66 books: 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Salamat sa Panginoon dahil mayroon tayong Salita ng Diyos na maaari nating pag-aralan.
Ngunit kailangan nating maunawaan na hindi lahat ng nag-aaral ng Bible ay nag-aaral upang sumunod sa Diyos. May mga taong magaling sa Bible, pero ginagamit ang pag-aaral para maghanap ng butas, kontradiksyon, o dahilan para wasakin ang pananampalataya ng iba.
That is how the enemy works. May mga taong maraming alam sa Biblia, pero hindi pala naniniwala sa Diyos. May mga taong marunong magbanggit ng verses, pero hindi nauunawaan ang puso at katotohanan ng Salita ng Diyos.
Kaya mahalaga ang understanding. Hindi sapat na may knowledge ka. Kailangan mong maunawaan kung ano ang sinasabi ng Panginoon.
Translations And The Word Of God
The original Word of God was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. What we have today in English, Tagalog, Bisaya, and many other languages are translations.
May King James Version. May New International Version. May New Living Translation. May Tagalog translations. May iba pang salin. Ang mga ito ay isinalin ayon sa pag-aaral at pagkaunawa ng mga translators.
Hindi ibig sabihin nito na mawawalan tayo ng tiwala sa Salita ng Diyos. Sa halip, dapat lalo tayong maging maingat, mapag-aral, at mapanalanginin. We must seek understanding. We must search the Scriptures.
John 5:39 tells us to search the Scriptures. Kung hindi mo alam ang gagawin, doon ka bumalik. Kung nalilito ka, doon ka bumalik. Kung maraming tanong, doon ka bumalik.
Ang dami nating alam na tradisyon dahil sa mga namana natin mula sa matatanda. Ngunit kapag pinag-aralan natin ang Biblia, makikita natin kung ano talaga ang nakasulat at kung ano ang nadagdag lamang ng tradisyon.
Halimbawa, maraming nagsasabi tungkol sa “tatlong hari.” Pero sa Bible, wise men from the east ang binanggit. May mga bagay na naging bahagi ng nakasanayan, pero hindi naman ganoon mismo ang sinasabi ng Kasulatan.
The truth will set you free. And what is truth? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
If you love the truth, you must love Jesus Christ. Kung mahal mo ang katotohanan, kailangan mong mahalin si Jesus Christ at tanggapin kung ano ang sinasabi ng Kaniyang Salita.
Knowing Who Jesus Christ Is
Maraming tao ngayon ang religious. Maraming nagpapakilalang may pananampalataya. May iba’t ibang grupo, damit, pamamaraan, at paniniwala. Pero ang tanong ay ito: Nauunawaan ba talaga nila kung sino ang Diyos?
Sa Matthew 16, tinanong ni Jesus ang Kaniyang mga alagad: Sino raw Siya ayon sa mga tao?
May nagsabi na Siya raw si John the Baptist. May nagsabi na Siya raw si Elijah. May nagsabi na Siya raw ay isa sa mga propeta. Ganoon pa rin ngayon. Kapag tinanong mo ang iba’t ibang tao kung sino si Jesus Christ, iba-iba ang sagot.
May magsasabing Siya ay mabuting tao lamang. May magsasabing Siya ay maliit na diyos. May magsasabing Siya ang second person of the Trinity. Ngunit kailangan nating itanong: Ano ang sinasabi ng Bible?
1 John 5:20 declares that Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life. Colossians tells us that in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Walang relihiyong nakalagay sa Bible na magliligtas sa atin. Walang pangalan ng relihiyon na ibinigay bilang kaligtasan. But Jesus Christ has a church. He said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.”
Ano ang rock? Ang katotohanan kung sino talaga si Jesus Christ. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the one true God manifested in the flesh.
God is a Spirit. Ngunit dahil kailangan ng dugo para sa kapatawaran ng kasalanan, God manifested Himself in the flesh. Hebrews tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.
Sa Old Testament, ang dugo ng hayop ay pantakip lamang ng kasalanan. The blood of bulls and goats could not wash away the sins of man. But Jesus Christ came with flesh and blood so that sin could be remitted. Hindi lamang covered. Hindi lamang forgiven in a temporary sense. Remitted, parang burado, parang walang nangyari sa harap ng Diyos.
Ayaw ng Diyos na manatili ang kasalanan sa atin. Kaya kailangan nating makilala kung sino si Jesus Christ.
The Word Was God
John 1:1 says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
All things were made by Him. Without Him was not anything made that was made. Kung wala ang Salita, walang nalikha. And the Word was God.
The Word became flesh. Ang Diyos na Espiritu ay nahayag sa laman upang magkaroon ng dugo na pambayad sa kasalanan ng tao.
Kaya kapag pinag-uusapan natin si Jesus Christ, hindi ito maliit na usapin. This is about salvation. This is about eternal life. This is about entering the kingdom of God.
May mga gumagamit ng salitang “person” upang ipaliwanag ang Diyos. Pero kailangang maging maingat tayo. Kapag binasa mo ang kahulugan ng person, unang ibig sabihin nito ay tao. God the Father is a Spirit. Ang Holy Spirit ay Spirit. The Bible teaches that there is one God.
Kapag dumating tayo sa langit, makikita ba natin ang tatlong magkakahiwalay na person? Sa Revelation, nakita ni John ang isang throne sa langit, and One sat on the throne.
Ang right hand of God ay hindi literal na kanan na parang katawan ng tao. It speaks of the majesty of God, the power of God, and the authority of God. Jesus Christ is seated in the power and majesty of God.
Let us have understanding. We are blessed with the understanding that there is only one God, and that one God manifested Himself in the flesh for our salvation.
Born Again Is Not A Religion
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3:
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus asked how a man could be born when he is old. He was thinking of physical birth. But Jesus answered in John 3:5:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Born again is not a religion. It is an experience. Ang tunay na born again ay karanasan ng taong ipinanganak sa tubig at sa Espiritu.
So the question is: Ano ang kapanganakan sa tubig? Ano ang kapanganakan sa Espiritu?
Kung ang pinto ay naka-lock, kailangan mo ng susi. Kung gusto mong pumasok sa kingdom of God, kailangan mong sundin ang sinabi ng Panginoon: born of water and of the Spirit.
The Day Of Pentecost
Sa Acts 2, bumalik ang mga alagad sa Jerusalem. Nasa upper room sila. Sila ay naghintay, nanalangin, at sumamba. Hindi aksidente na doon bumuhos ang Espiritu Santo.
Then suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
There were 120 disciples, including Mary the mother of Jesus and the brethren of Jesus. Lahat sila ay tumanggap ng Holy Ghost. This was what the prophet Joel had spoken: in the last days, God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.
Nang makita at marinig ito ng mga tao, sila ay na-convict. They were pricked in their hearts. Tinanong nila:
“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Ito ang tanong ng taong gustong mapatawad, gustong maligtas, at gustong sumunod sa Diyos.
Then Peter answered in Acts 2:38:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
This is the born again experience.
Repentance. Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Ang baptism in water ay being born of water. Ang baptism of the Holy Spirit ay being born of the Spirit. Ito ang sinabi ni Jesus: except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Kaya kung meron pang hindi nabautismuhan sa pangalan ng Panginoong Jesus, ano pa ang inaantay mo? The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off.
We must have the understanding of these truths. This is for our salvation.
When People Do Not Retain God In Their Knowledge
Romans 1 shows what happens when people know about God but do not glorify Him as God.
They became vain in their imaginations. Their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like corruptible man, birds, beasts, and creeping things.
They changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.
This is what happens when people reject the true knowledge of God. Kapag ayaw nilang panatilihin ang Diyos sa kanilang kaalaman, napupunta sila sa maling pag-iisip, maling pagsamba, at maling pamumuhay.
Romans 1 speaks about uncleanness, lusts, dishonoring their own bodies, and exchanging what is natural for what is against nature. The sermon warns that this is part of the deception of the enemy. Ang tao ay nilikha ng Diyos, lalaki at babae, at hindi nagkakamali ang Diyos sa Kaniyang ginawa.
This message is not spoken to destroy people. It is spoken because God loves people. Mahal ka ng Panginoon. Mahal ka ng Diyos. It is not an accident that you hear the Word. God is calling people back to truth, back to holiness, and back to salvation.
We are talking about truth and understanding. Kaya magpasalamat tayo kung naririnig natin ang tinig ng Salita ng Diyos.
Upon This Rock
Jesus asked, “Whom do men say that I am?”
But the greater question is personal: Sino si Jesus Christ sa iyo? Sino si Jesus Christ sa church na ito? Sino si Jesus Christ sa atin?
Peter answered:
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That is the truth. Peter understood who Jesus is. He is the Messiah, God manifested in the flesh.
Sometimes the Bible uses anthropomorphic expressions: physical or human descriptions to help us understand spiritual realities. Limitado ang ating isip, kaya gumagamit ang Diyos ng mga bagay na nakikita natin upang ipaliwanag ang mga bagay na espirituwal.
Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” Hindi literal na bato ang tinutukoy. Hindi rin literal na building ang church. The church is the called-out people of God.
Upon this truth, the truth of who Jesus Christ is, He builds His church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Who is Jesus?
He is our Father. He is the ancient of days. He is the author of our salvation. In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Let us worship Him.
Get Wisdom, Get Understanding
Proverbs 4:5 says:
“Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.”
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, tells us to get wisdom and understanding. Forsake wisdom not, and she shall preserve thee. Love her, and she shall keep thee.
Wisdom is the application of the knowledge that you have learned. Karunungan ang tamang paggawa ng natutuhan mo.
Knowledge asks, “What do you know?”
Understanding asks, “Do you truly get it?”
Wisdom asks, “Are you living according to what you now understand?”
Kaya hindi sapat na alam natin ang verses. Hindi sapat na alam natin ang doctrines. Hindi sapat na narinig natin ang mensahe. Kailangan nating maunawaan, tanggapin, at ipamuhay ang katotohanan.
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Forget it not.
Closing
The Lord does not change. Ang Panginoon ay hindi nagbabago. What He is, He will never change.
There is power in knowing who God is. There is blessedness in understanding His Word. At kung tunay nating nauunawaan ang katotohanan, lalapit tayo kay Jesus Christ, susunod tayo sa Kaniyang Salita, at tatanggapin natin ang kaligtasan na Kaniyang ibinigay.
Let us thank God for the truth. Let us love the truth. Let us love Jesus Christ.
Praise the Lord.