A Study on Knowing God

A summary of writings from Jan22, 2009
The Dunghill which is written to expose obstructions in our spiritual life which block us
from a greater and a more clear revelation of Christ and His voice to us...
Recently, in reviewing emails I had sent out, I realized I had opened up this subject as to
the pathetic, powerless condition of the Church in North America. Of course, this is the
only place in the world I have have authority (if you call it that) to speak concerning. The
only reason I can speak is because I have first-hand knowledge of the Church in North
America. I watch it carefully, through many reports and perspectives of many different
authors. I am always looking for signs of places where there is life and passion with signs,
wonders, and miracles evidencing the hand of the Lord Himself in the goings on. You see,
this is the part the Lord takes in these "awakenings"... the Bible declares He confirms
(shows approval of) His word with signs, wonders, and miracles. However, lest we get
caught up in the hype and delusion of the flesh, we must remember one thing... He shows
approval of the truth of HIS word, but this same approval is not necessarily for the one
speaking His word. Don't ever sink into the pits of that trap... you may never climb back
out again!
Anyway... the relationship between knowledge and power... and there certainly is a
relationship; and a very close one. Here's why...
1) first of all, we must become familiar with the various words which have been
translated from the original texts as "knowledge, knowing, to know...", and become
familiar with the differences in the definitions of these words. This is the only way we
can study clearly as to the original intent of the writer/speaker of the verses. Sorry to
hammer at an old argument, but that's why I continue to this day to study almost
exclusively from the KJV and use the aids I have become familiar with, namely, Strongs
and Vines. I do enjoy reading from the NIV and also from the New Living Bible, but I
study almost exclusively from the KJV.
The 3 most common Greek words translated to our subject of knowledge are a) ginosko,
b)oida, and
c) epiginosis. There are several more different words used in the original texts, but most
verses use one of these 3. Ginosko refers to a progressive relationship existing between
the one knowing and the object of the knowledge, whether that be a person or a thing.
Oida refers to a perception of a person or a thing or , simply being aware of. Epiginosis
gets to the heart of it all, and refers to the participation/sharing/full knowledge/intimate
understanding between the one knowing the "what" or "who" or "it" is known completely.
Don't you think these are significant differences?...
2) So, let's look at some of the beautiful messages of the Word of God with these
distinctions in mind...
a) 2Peter1:3... the word used in verse 3 is epiginosis... in verse 5 and 6, the word is
ginosko, and in verse 8, the word is epiginosis... which speaks thusly...
We have been endowed with the miracle-working power (dunamis) of God with
everything we require to live in this world with God's approval, through the
compete/intimate knowledge of the One who called us, who is Christ, our Savior.
Through Christ we have been given powerful promises through which we become
partakers of His divine nature/ His glory! So, let's be diligent to pursue greater and
greater degrees of His characteristics by adding to our faith, excellence; to our
excellence, increasing knowledge; to our increasing knowledge of Him, self-control; to
our self-control, patience(which comes from tribulation); to our patience/constancy,
seeking God's approval; to godliness, brotherly love for others; to our brotherly
love(Philadelphia), agape. IF these things are present and ever increasing in us, we
will NEVER be dried up, lifeless, or unfruitful in the epiginosis/ the intimate
knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. BUT, if these things are not present in our life,
we will be spiritually blind, with no vision or confidence in the future, and will even
forget the experience of our New Birth had actually taken place at all. (Then, a most
powerful conclusion to this discussion is verse 11...) For so a pathway will be opened
up for us, with all the riches and glamour of royalty, into the Kingdom of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
There are more than 3 specific Greek words used in most Greek texts of the NT, but,
certainly these 3 are the most common. Before I share more with you concerning these
other verses, refresh your memory of a parable our Lord used to teach the disciples a
Kingdom principle... Matt 13:11-23... the parable of the sower. In v.11, Jesus said,
It is given to you to know (ginosko) the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to
them it is not given.
This knowledge is first of all a gift... a gift which requires receiving by faith, as with all
things the Lord has given to us. In this parable, Jesus refers to the receptacles of
knowledge as ears which hear, and eyes which see. Certainly, He is speaking of 2 of the
spiritual senses which have been made alive by the power of His own life in these
disciples, and in us. How pathetic to have ears which seem normal, but cannot hear a
thing without the aid of some amplifier of sorts. We refer to this kind of person as
handicapped, and try to help them in some way. In verse 14 and 15, we see He was
recounting a prophecy of Isaiah, in which Isaiah was lamenting the lifeless and
deplorable spiritual condition of the people of his day. If you will look at the descriptive
terms he uses in verse 15, you will probably see the similarities with the lukewarm
condition of the Laodicean Assembly spoken of in Rev 3:14-21. Of course, most Biblical
students of our day of enlightenment agree this Church Age spoken of here typifies our
current Church Age we live in today... interesting??! But look at what the Lord speaks
back here in Matt 13:14 concerning this prophecy...
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear and
shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. (oida= even come
to an awareness of the existence of anything to be seen)
Then Jesus goes on with this parable and its explanation. Notice the various conditions
under which the same living seed was received... 1) by the road, 2) on the rock bed, 3)
among the thorns and bushes, and 4) good soil with varying fertility levels. In the first 3
cases mentioned, the effect on the seed was unproductivity. The seed by the road was
stolen by an enemy of the sower, because it was laying around in full view with no care
and attention having been given it. The seed which was laying out on rocks was out in
full view, and everyone could see it, and how beautifully shaped it was, and exactly the
right color, but it just laid there on the rock bed exposed to all the elements of life. Jesus
said that these are the ones who hear the word and receive it immediately with joy. They
have a party, and set up a whole new denomination called the Church of the Beautiful
Seed, form a Board, and build a new building. They continuously celebrate this new
perfect seed. Sooner or later, as the crowds build, some kind of "people" trouble sets in
(where there's people, there will be trouble!), and the importance of the Beautiful Seed is
soon set aside, so they can focus their attention on more "pressing issues". Then, you see
the seed lying out in the thorn bushes... even in some beautiful rose bushes... even some
of the seed has been caught up in the open rose buds, and never make it to the ground.
Even if it did eventually make its way down into the ground, when it would sprout, the
bush would simply siphon off all the moisture for itself, leaving the seed to dry up and
wither away. Jesus said this is the effect our worthwhile pursuits of career and business
and family economics, and of course, the almighty retirement fund (nest egg) has on His
word even when it is sown properly in our heart.
Recently, Ruth and I were invited to some peoples' house to play music and sing with
them. When we arrived, they had everything ready, instruments out, and another couple
were there to help out as well. Now, these people are very near or are in their 70s in terms
of age, and I just assumed they had some kind of spiritual life and vitality... boy, was I
surprised! Here they are, having grown up in Christian homes and having attended
churches all their life, but from all appearances, pathetically lifeless and not even an
opportunity was opened even a crack to share of the good news of the Gospel. But then,
they asked Ruth and I to sing some of "our songs". Well, the only songs we know are
ones which glorify the Lord and speak of His love and care and the hope of eternal life.
Even with all that, and they said they loved it, there was no further word spoken of the
love of the Lord and what He means to them. This is what I call a combination of all 3 of
these types of conditions.
Oh, but the blessedness of the new sprouts of life when the seed has been placed on the
good ground. Ground which has been properly prepared, tilled, fertilized, and full of
moisture... it produces! This is what the Sower of the seed, our Father who is in Heaven,
hopes to see... fruitfulness. Fruit which identifies accurately the seed which was sown...
His own divine nature... His characteristics... His likeness... His glory! Get it??
So, you see, it's not the presence of the seed, or the knowledge to properly recognize it as
seed that produces the fruit the Sower is hoping for... it is having our heart (the soil)
properly prepared by the work of the Holy Spirit, to receive the seed, and to possess its
new life within our heart for miraculous change. In v.23, Jesus says this in closing this
parable of the Kingdom life...
He that received the seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and
understandeth it...
There's the critical key... spiritual understanding. One of the most amazing verses I think
of concerning this action of understanding is found in Luke 24:45...
Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures...
So, you see, this is also the work of the Lord Himself... let's be found as those whom He
has blessed by opening our spiritual understanding to understand the Scriptures and
thereby apply it properly into the knowledge (the intimate, complete, epiginosis) of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When we have the living seed of Christ planted deep
within the fertile soil of our heart, the power, which is lacking in the Church of our time,
will become fully evident... the lame will walk, demons bound or chased away, bountiful
spiritual life and vitality will exist to meet all the people needs...
The cry of my heart is without a doubt best described as Paul stated in Phil 3:10...
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead.
Here this word "know" is ginosko... getting to know Him more and more. The word
"power" is dunamis... the miraculous, transforming, creative power of the Almighty (see
Rom 8:11). The word "sufferings" not only refers to the pain of bodily or spiritual hurt,
but it also refers to emotions, desires, or influence(see 1Peter 4:13). Certainly, it would be
inconsistent for Paul to be referring to self-inflicted bodily injuries, whippings, or
cuttings, as some religious sects throughout the world practice (see Phil 3:2,3). The word
"conformable" refers to the miracle of metamorphosis and being transformed WITH
Christ, as He was and is; that we take upon us the likeness of Christ. Do you hear these
cries coming from the depth of your spirit??... God also hears these cries, and answers
them with releasing into our spiritual understanding greater and greater degrees of
revelation of Himself. What a wonderful God we serve!
David wrote in Psalm 42:7...
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows
are gone over me.
Paul, referring to Isaiah's prophetic words found in 64:4, declared in I Cor 2:9,10...
... eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the
things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them
unto us (through) His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God.
Let us commit ourselves to a life lived according to the wonderful words of Paul from
Phil chapter 2...
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... to the end of verse 16, and
especially verse 13... For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His
good pleasure.