There is a phrase Paul uses numerous times in Romans, and John uses at least twice in every chapter of his first letter excepting the first chapter.
And yet it is a phrase that has almost disappeared off the lips of Christians. But secular people use it all the time when talking about things like evolution.
What is that phrase….????
“We know…”
To use such a phrase in our day seems bigoted and narrow minded. How can we say that we really know anything. Especially something which cannot be scientifically tested.
Though it is counter-cultural to say such a thing—I’m going to stand on God’s Word and say there are things we can know. And to deny this truth is actually more arrogant than to affirm it. Here are a few things that “We know…”
- We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Romans 2:2
- We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6
- We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:9
- For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. Romans 8:22
- And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
- we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:1
- yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16
- Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 1 Timothy 1:8
- Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 1 John 2:18
- Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2
- We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6
- By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13
- And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:15
- We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19
- And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20
I’d say there is plenty that we know.
Let’s not surrender such a beautiful phrase to unbelievers for the sake of mock humility. Yes, there are plenty of things that we do not know. And “we know in part and we prophesy in part,” (1 Cor. 13:9). But there is plenty that we do know.
May we be bold enough to say “we know” when God has revealed Himself to us.
One day Charles Spurgeon was walking with a fella down the street when they came upon a drunken man staggering in the alley. Spurgeon’s companion turned to him and said, “Isn’t that one of your converts?” Spurgeon quipped, “It must have been. He sure wasn’t one of the Lord’s.”