in your moral excellence, knowledge Part 2

γνοσις as related to salvation

    What knowledge must one possess to be saved? This is a complex question, and the answer is both simple and complex at the same time. First of all let me state that one is not saved by the acquisition of facts. One is also not saved by faith in facts; facts can be wrong. Salvation comes to us through belief in Christ.

Romans 10:14 may help us understand the roll that knowledge plays. "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?" The very core of this verse is that you cannot believe unless you have heard about it, you cannot hear about it unless someone tells you.

God's general revelation can only take you so far. It can let you know that he is there, but it cannot tell you anything specific about the person of God. The specificity about God comes from the bible. You may be able to say to one person that the bible is the word of God, and that person will believe you. Another person may say "how do I know that it is the word of God?" And at this point you would have to provide them with more information to bring them to a "beyond a reasonable doubt" conclusion. This is true for anything relating to God and salvation.

What I am trying to say is that depending upon the person who is doing the hearing is the amount of knowledge that will be required. You may be able to say to one person "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." And they will, but another person may have to be shown that first there is a God, then that there is a Christ, and so on, before they will believe; if they ever do believe.

One person's hearing begins with another person's telling. Even before Christ began his ministry John the Baptist came to prepare His way. This was spelled out in Luke 1:77 where it states: "To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins." That was John the Baptists' ministry. Just as he told of the coming messiah we are to tell of the messiah who came.