On Sunday The Things That Matter Most aired the second segment of our radio interview with Faith and Culture contributor Dallas Willard on his new book Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge. Both programs with Dallas are available at our website or on iTunes podcasts–an enjoyable way to sample the best book I’ve read in a long while on the issue of belief, certainty and the confidence that spiritual knowledge affords. The interview ended with the following exchange on why it seems that God often hides knowledge of himself from us.

Lael: If having knowledge of God is so vital for human flourishing, why do you think God didn’t give us more knowledge—more archeological evidence for the ark or the exodus, earlier manuscripts of the Bible, individual visions or dreams …some silver bullets of evidence that would give us the undeniable knowledge we need to trust him? As you said earlier, communication is as much about what you make known as what you withhold. Why do you think God withholds so much if knowledge is so important as the basis of faith?

(Dallas) Knowledge is also dangerous. And you have to grow into it in a way that makes it safe for you. You can illustrate that by technological knowledge. We have a problem with terrorism today precisely because of the advances in technology. People have been blowing themselves up to kill others for a long time, but we did not have a problem with international terrorism.

Our problem with knowledge today is that we already know more than we know what to do with. And with reference to God, he has adjusted the reality of himself to beings that he wants to choose and seek him…as a part of development that allows them to receive him and live as he would like them to live in their increasing knowledge of God…

The issue is not just, “May I have more knowledge?” or “Should we have more knowledge?”, but “What did I do with the knowledge I had?” If we use that knowledge, we will be safely led into all of the knowledge of God that we need. And I think that you have to understand that in order to understand why the Bible is in the situation it is in, why the church is like it is, why history has been the way it is. That is often a dreadful thing, but I believe that it is a part of God’s technique to adjusting himself to what we are capable of as human beings.

Lael: Because we all know people who are “educated far beyond their intelligence” as we like to say, far beyond their character to be able to handle their knowledge…

Dallas: This is tied to what Paul says about how “knowledge puffs up…Love builds up.” And “if anyone thinks they know anything, yet,” Paul said, “they do not know it as they ought to know.” Knowledge has effects on our character that are only safe as we grow in love.

That means that it [knowledge] will not run over us.

And we want to remember that knowledge is like that in all of its dimensions. It’s not just knowledge of God. Knowledge does not run over you. And we have a school system now that basically presents knowledge as something [where] you come, and sit in this room, and it will run over you. And it doesn’t. And that’s why we have such massive failures, because we are not approaching it from the attitude of, Knowledge is for people who seek it and want it.

Lael: And for people who can “handle the truth” as Jack Nicholson would say, in humility. In a way that doesn’t puff us up and destroy us like maybe it did for some of the Harvard students that we mentioned in the Grant study starting out, but in a way that leads to peace and joy.

Dallas: You can be absolutely sure that that is a major part of what was going on there. And it’s a pity that the study is not able to deal with that.

Here you’ll find reviews, pictures and updates as we take A Faith and Culture Devotional on the road. Also commentary on news, events and, in sequence, most of the devos.

From Lael, commentary on Philosophy, Week 1.

Not all scholars agree that truth describes a relationship of correspondence between words and reality. Some doubt the usefulness and even the existence of truth because they question our ability to reliably wrap words and sentences around objective reality. Others believe that absolute truth is unknowable because we are limited by our own finite and fallible point of view. But even those who reject a correspondence view of truth admit there is a certain common sense correspondence between words and reality when you are giving directions to your house. Turn east instead of west off the highway and you may wind up in the ditch.

Jesus said, “I am the truth.” So as we consider the connection between truth and correspondence, the source of truth seems a good place to begin. Jesus is also the Living Word. While human words may be inadequate to express the reality of God, Jesus, in his person and his life, clearly reveals to us the reality of the Father. His thoughts, words and actions correspond to the Father’s.

Further, Jesus’ every thought and intention corresponds to his own perfect character. His every word and action corresponds to his thoughts and intentions. He lives in perfect integrity—a wholeness of truth to the core.

Jesus’ wholeness challenges me to ask, “Am I living with integrity?” Do my thoughts, words and actions correspond to each other? To his? Do I want to give my presence as a gift to others the way he so readily gives his presence to me? Do my actions correspond to my intentions? What gets in the way?

Jesus’ words correspond not only to the reality of his Father and his own character but also to the reality of his creation. While he does not give us exhaustive truth, and while we struggle to comprehend his depth and complexity, his words are “true truth”—never spoken merely to exercise power, but to show his love. Jesus is limited by his own character. He can never lie. When he says, “I will be with you always,” and “I will come again for you,” his promises correspond to a future reality that will surely come. He can never betray our trust in his promises.

In these fragile times we can be ever more grateful for the solid rock of Truth. As he told a despondent father whose daughter had just died, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mk 5:36).