Walking the Word
Faith That Transforms

On one of my first days at Bible College, I sat nervously in class, unsure of what to expect. When the teacher walked in, he said something that made me uncomfortable. He told us that if we had come to Bible College to grow closer to Christ, we were in the wrong place. This, he explained, was a place to learn the Bible—not to draw closer to Jesus. He went on to say that the world needed more people who truly knew Scripture, and if we wanted to get closer to Christ, we should go sit under a tree instead. In hindsight, I wondered if I should have left at that moment.

In my view, this man placed a strong emphasis on knowledge over relationship. He once remarked that what the world needed were preachers who truly knew the Bible. With a tone of mockery, he questioned if we were simply going to rely on "standing under the anointing of God.

Let me emphasize that knowledge is a powerful tool, but it must be wielded with wisdom and guided by the Spirit. Without the Spirit’s guidance, knowledge can be misused—turned into a weapon for judgment, a means for selfish gain, or a platform to elevate ourselves and appear more intelligent.

I have met individuals with extraordinary biblical knowledge—brilliant minds who spoke with an eloquence that often exceeded my understanding. They presented themselves as seasoned theologians, possessing insights far beyond the average person. Yet, while their intellect may have intimidated me, it never truly impressed me. What genuinely moves me is the life of a Christian who is fully surrendered and submitted to God—someone who loves as Christ loved, walks as He walked, forsakes the world, and lives wholeheartedly for God's kingdom.

I see how we've strayed, reducing Christianity to a shallow version of what it was meant to be. We've focused more on packaging the faith—making the "cover" appealing—than on embracing the profound truths within its pages. We convince ourselves that presenting Christianity as intellectually sophisticated will make it more credible, while also validating our own sense of importance. Yet the Bible warns that knowledge puffs up, and we’ve fallen into that trap—elevating ourselves in an effort to make the faith seem more presentable.

But it’s not working. For those who can’t connect with our intellectualized theology, the message feels distant, as though they’re being spoken at rather than spoken to. Instead of drawing people in, we risk alienating them, making the profound simplicity of the gospel harder to grasp.

God chose humble, lowly men to spread His Gospel—men whose hearts burned with a desire to see souls saved, not to showcase their knowledge. Their mission was to help people know Jesus and find salvation, and they did so not only with their words but by living out the Gospel in their daily lives.

Many believe that knowledge alone will draw people to God, but the true power lies not just in what we say but in how we live. Oh, how I long to meet people who live as Christ lived—people whose lives make Christ real to the world. These are the ones I want to follow, for they inspire and encourage me to walk closer with Him. Power beyond words.

Romans 12 calls us to be living sacrifices, wholly dedicated to God. If we haven't fully embraced this truth—if our lives don't reflect it—then our knowledge becomes hollow and without substance. We risk becoming mere intellectuals, brimming with knowledge but lacking to display genuine transformation.

The world doesn’t need more people with intellectual mastery of Scripture; it needs more living sacrifices—individuals who live for God with unwavering devotion, serving as salt and light in a broken world. That’s where the real power lies. It’s this kind of uncompromised life that reveals the reality of God to others, compelling them to confront the truth of His existence. This is why the true power of the gospel is found not in our words, but in the way we embody it with our lives.

Knowledge is truly valuable when it is pursued with the intention of knowing Christ more intimately, deepening our relationship with God in a way that transforms us to become more like Jesus. It is through this kind of knowledge that we can unleash the power of God into this broken and dying world.