Secrets Of The Kingdom by Neville Johnson

Reality or Just Knowledge

One of the problems that plague the church is that of enquiring knowledge without experiencing it. Many Christians feel that by acquiring knowledge of the bible has somehow made them more spiritually mature. This deception is so wide spread in the Body of Christ and is one of Satan’s prime deceptions that lull believers into deadly self-righteousness.

We cannot limit our experience in God to just what we understand

We have to first believe in order to truly see. Faith proceeds true understanding, we may not understand how God created the universe but we first have to believe that He did.

Hebrews 11:3    Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
So often Bible schools have just imparted knowledge to students, this leaves them with a lot of biblical knowledge which somehow is supposed to qualify them for ministry. So called revelation that does not lead us to reality or an encounter with the Lord only makes us more religious. These doctrinal standards without the internal reality lead to baroness. When we limit everything to our natural mind to keep us from deception we are already in deception. We cannot rely on our logic as a bastion against deception. The natural mind is an enemy of God. The Pharisees did not recognize the reality of Jesus as the messiah because they relied on their natural mind to interpret the scriptures.  The Apostle Paul prayed that we would our understanding enlightened.

Ephesians 1:18    The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19    And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
The New Testament written in the Greek language uses two major words for the English word knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:1    Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Here the Greek word for Knowledge is  Gnosis Which has the meaning of Natural Knowledge.  Another word for Knowledge in the Greek New Testament is found in I Timothy chapter two and verse four.

1 Timothy 2:4    Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
The word knowledge in this verse is the Greek word epignosis which comes from the Greek word epiginosko,  This word has the meaning of knowledge acquired by acquaintance or by encounter. It is not just a mental acquiring of knowledge,  it is knowledge acquired by encountering it.  One denotes intellectual knowledge gained through study, the other means Knowledge gained through revelation, a divine encounter. This encountering happens through an operation of the Holy Spirit called revelation.

Romans 10:2    For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  (Not according to epi-gnosis knowledge derived though a divine encounter.
Ephesians 1:17    That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: epi-gnosis.
Colossians 3:10    And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (epi-gnosis)
You can only become like Jesus through divine encounters with Him. The new creation man can only be put on through revelation of who He Jesus is and what He is like.

Revelation in essence is light, it is a power and this encounter with light and power changes us. Intellectual knowledge does not have the power to change you into the likeness of Jesus. We need an encounter with light in the person of Jesus.

All things of spiritual worth comes to us this way

2 Peter 1:3    According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge (epi-gnosis) of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Many are like those described by the Apostle Paul to Timothy.  2 Timothy 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge (epignosis) of the truth.  We can continue to acquire knowledge, but never experiencing that knowledge never having an encounter with the truth. It is only in the encounter that truth becomes part of us, part of who we are.

We need to develop a hunger for reality

We can be inspired to have a walk with God like those in the bible and those who we may have and come to know as those who walk with God. You may not understand how these people can walk with God as they do. We may not understand even the theology or how from a biblical point of view they can walk with God and experience Him the way they do. But we need to remember that believing comes before knowing, Hebrews 11:3

If you believe you can have the same experience as those who have gone before us both as recorded in scriptures and through the testimonies of many throughout history, if you believe you can, you will come to understand by revelation which imparts faith to begin to enter in.  To know God opens the door for you to become like Him and express or reveal Him to this world.

2 Corinthians 4:6     For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When we encounter the Lord and come to know what He is like that same image same qualities can become yours.

Ephesians 1:17    That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (epignosis)of him:
Blessings
Neville Johnson   April 7, 2010