The story is told of a tour guide in the Holy Lands. Everyday for one week he shared with his bus load of tourists his incredible knowledge of Israel.

He was personable, possessed a warm winning smile, and a clever sense of humor. He readily won over the hearts of the tourists. He knew all the facts and details of the Bible characters and the places they frequented. From Abraham to the account of Jesus’ resurrection, this guide knew it all.

When the week was over, one of he tourists approached him and asked, “Are you a Christian? Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” Sadly, the guide replied, “No, I only know the facts about Him.”

This man knew the Bible and its details – probably better than most Christians. He daily walked in the same places as the Lord and other Biblical characters. He knew information, facts, and details. But he did not know the Messiah as His Savior and Lord. He had a great deal of Bible knowledge in his head, but it had not moved from his mind to his heart!

I remember one of my teachers in preaching school, Lynn Campbell, who always reminded us that we can fill our head with facts, concepts, and knowledge of God, Jesus, Spirit, and Christianity. But it does not mean a thing if it doesn’t penetrate into your heart and change your behavior.

What good is knowing about Jesus if you don’t allow that knowledge to move you to be saved in Him? What good is knowing about the joy, peace, hope, and love found in the Christian experience, if we don’t exhibit those qualities in our daily life? What good is knowing to put off the sinful habits and replace them with the habits of a Spirit-filled lifestyle if we don’t change our behavior? What good is any of this “Christian-disciple stuff” if we don’t let it change us into the image of the Christ who we claim we believe and follow?

Whatever you know to this point in your understanding of Jesus and how He calls us to pattern our life after His, put it into practice! Move that knowledge from your head into your heart, and then into action.

If you only obtain one thing from all I teach, let it be this: Move your head knowledge to your heart and then to your behavior. Take what you know of the Christian faith and put it into practice so it transforms your life, and you can experience the fullness of the Christian life. — Tom