KNOWING ABOUT “KNOWING”!!!
Now this kind of title is bound to raise a few eyebrows much like the title “Prophesying about Prophecies” would do. Can we really prophesy about say Tribulation related prophecies contained in Rev 6-19 of the Bible? Yes, by simply prophesying with conviction that they would all come true! Similarly can we come to “know” more about the word “Know” as used in the Scripture? The answer is a resounding yes!!!
Boom! This subject assumes paramount significance especially in the wake of grim words Jesus has reserved to employ for some misguided Charismatic “servants” of God at the time of reckoning which would cause tumultuous shock to them…‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matt 7:23).
What??? An omniscient God (Pro 15:11/Heb 4:13) “not” knowing about some of His own professing Servants? Does it not go against all Canons’ of Spiritual logic based on the truthful Canon (Psa 119:142/160)? For an answer, let us aim to understand the meaning of the word “Know” in original Greek text. Incidentally for the English word “Know” there are three Greek words each describing the higher level of intimacy and knowledge of the Subject concerned. Two of which, I would like to focus upon immediately, with the best (exposition of the third word) of course being reserved for the last!!!
Firstly the Greek Word “Oidate” used for instance in John 7:28 (You know where I was born…) as also in Matt 20:22/24:42 conveys merely “superficial knowledge” akin to the English equivalent of "I see what you are saying." By contrast another Greek word “Ginosko” which is what is attributed to our Lord in the key scripture portion-Matt 7:23- means “knowing through personal experience”. This is also used in other Scripture portions like Luke 1:34, John 8:32, 10:14…
Now we are closer to nailing the truth as it were behind the truth in Matt 7:23.What the good Lord is actually saying is this…between that genre of His professing Servants and Him, there was never any “oneness of mind”. In other words, their priorities whilst purportedly doing Ministry in His Name influenced probably by self-seeking lust for fame, wealth or pleasures were never His. In short, they NEVER KNEW Him well enough to align their priorities with His despite His many efforts to correct them, so much so, He had to abandon them to their errant ways. Dear Friends, the biggest punishment on this of Eternity ironically is not a chastisement bringing in its wake indescribable agony (a La Jonah in Sheol experience -Jonah 2) but the one when the Lord gives up a misguided soul to its own self-gratification ways…sad to say…even when “those ways” mean service ostensibly done selflessly in His Name (Rom 1:28). In case, if you are now you going through a painful disciplining process, Praise God for it for it means He is not willing to give up on you (Heb 12:5-11).
While on the subject, how about applying this paramount “knowing about knowing” concept to each of the three cardinal Christian Doctrines beginning with…
JUSTIFICATION...
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”- John 17:3
Well, the Christian life begins as it were by experientially knowing God and Jesus Christ (here too for “know” the Greek word “Ginosko” is used in the original text) which means being quickened from spiritual death by the receipt of life-giving God's Spirit (Rom 8:2). Until that Spirit is known and received as an earnest of the soul's inheritance, there can be no saving knowledge of God and Christ (Romans 8:9). Doesn’t the ever truthful Scripture attest this truth in another place…"Hereby we know that we abide in Him and He in us because He hath given us his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).
This new birth experience is bound to generate oodles of respect and love in the Saved for the Saviour (Luke 7:47). If Success in the Book of Thomas Edison is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration, then let it be said that major component of the “all odds surmounting love” (I Cor 13:7) in the forgiven one is respect for the Forgiver. Respect in essence is the core belief that my Divine Deliverer from sin is good all the time. Period (Thanks Don Moen)!!!
For instance, did the Jews in the Wilderness who missed out on the Promised Land really “know” Him? Obviously “NO” since one can easily discern from their frequent rebellious outbursts (Exo 16:3/17:3/Numbers 11:4-6/14:3) that from far from loving Him, they did not even respect Him in the first place!!! True knowledge of the Saviour would lead to respect in one’s heart culminating in love-laced obedience at all times to ONE who gave His all at the Cross to “buy” our pardon (2 Cor 5:21).
SANCTIFICATION....
After receiving a new life from the Saviour, while we do our bit earnestly of praying, Bible-reading, Church fellowshipping and Witnessing in order to be transformed into Christ’s image (2 Cor 3:18)-which is the basic purpose behind our being “justified”- the good Lord does His bit too (a very important one at that) in moulding us into His image. We need to co-operate with Him in this matter. Over to Apostle Paul on this subject…
“…That I may know…the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings….”-Phillippians 3:10 KJV
Ginosko has been employed again for the word Know in the above-captioned Scripture portion. Compared to this (in his sanctification process) Apostle Paul reasons every other thing like his rich spiritual Jewish heritage for instance is “dung” (strong words quoted verbatim-Philippians 3:8-KJV). Now how’s that for hitting the nail on its head, as it were!!!
What is a Christian’s “sufferings” if it is not consistent Cross-bearing for God’s Glory (Luke 9:23) much like what the Saviour (Heb 9:14) did. This Cross-bearing produces Christ-like virtues (Rom 5:3-4) in a Christian. Let’s now try to “know” what exactly is Cross-bearing? Remember for a Cross (synonymous with pain) to be carried, it necessarily has to be in touch with your being. There lies the answer. The surrounding “unavoidable” irksome circumstances, which one cannot get away from…be it in a country where we live in (can we leave the Country and flee if communal persecutions break out?) or in the place of education/employment/business or in a relationship like marriage, parenthood or the perpetual pain in even one’s own body due to some health disorder or the “pain” in resisting an urge to gratify a sexual desire in the unmarried lot or “pain” in resisting the temptation to get even with an enemy… all these constitute a cross. Enduring it without complaint is what earnest Christian cross-bearing is all about.
Now coming to the Resurrection power in a Child of God…what is it if it is not the presence of the same Life-giving Holy Spirit which quickened his dead spirit at the point of re-generation (Rom 8:2/11) and who now manifests Himself in him by way of continual joy (Acts 9:31/Rom 5:5).
It is in this rare “atmospheric” condition of pain outside and joy inside that a Christian’s character gets built. Dwelling more on the subject of the Ethereal Joy which is ever present in a Christian’s heart, let it be said that this immeasurable joy (Psa 16:11) not only increases one’s spiritual “feel-good” factor exponentially but also it is by this super-natural joy that one gets to experience fully the joy in other permissive joys like the one in enjoying a sumptuous meal or in the one of physical intimacy within the ambit of marriage ( to play it safe in the contemporary context, shall I qualify the word marriage with the word “heterosexual”-1 Tim 4:1-4 TLB? ) or be it in enjoying to the hilt a creatively –compiled Sports article… at once contributing to abundant life (John 10:10).Simply put, minus the Divine joy, joy would go out of other legitimate “joyous” activities!!!
Focusing on the work of the Spirit in tandem with the Cross in making a Christian grow, it has been said…
Cross without the Spirit, you dry-up (Psa 106:15- TLB),
Spirit without the Cross, you puff-up (2 Cor 12:7- TLB)
With the Cross and the Spirit, you grow-up
While Christians are growing up, some out of the Lord’s mercy (2 Cor 4:1) would further be consecrated by Him to be used in the Five-fold Ministry of the Church as Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists-2 Tim 2:21/Eph 4:8-15. It has to be noted here that while for experiencing Salvation the qualification is realization of one’s sinfulness, for consecration into a God-ordained Ministry the qualification is consistent Cross-bearing with the power of His indwelling Spirit.
Also it is only by conjoining the Cross and the Spirit, that the ever-present (yes, it has to be there at all times) Love equation in the Deity-Devotee relationship in the Christian realm can be established on this side of the Eternity. Without Cross-bearing 24*7 submissively can we ever underscore our claim that we love the Lord at all times, by the same token without the placement of the life-giving waters (read Perpetual joy-John 7:37/1 Peter 1:8) in our spirit can our Heavenly Father validate His claims that He loves us all times? Oh really Cross and the Spirit are made for each other in this Sanctification process!!!
GLORIFICATION....
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son…”-Matt 11:27
Folks, we are treading now on an absolutely Holy ground. We are now casting spotlight on the Father-Son relationship vis-à-vis the subject “know”. The Greek Word used here for “know” is “Epiginosko” which is the deepest level of experiential knowledge about the person concerned surpassing even that of Ginosko. Any wonder then that this knowledge in the Son led to immeasurably greater respect for the Father and a love which was able to take any sacrifice in its stride.
Also, the Son knew the Father’s glory (the sum total of all His unique traits of goodness constitute His Glory-Exo 33:18-19) to such an extent that the all-consuming desire to uphold it led the normally serene Lamb of God to even rare acts of aggression… a la roaring lion (John 2:13-22/Matt 21:12-13). Jesus was also all “fire and brimstone” in condemning the hypocrisy of some “Servants’ of God” of His times…notably the Clergy of the Jewish temple (Matt 23), who not surprisingly had lopsided spiritual priorities (Matt 23:23). Didn’t I mention in the earlier part of my message also that “not knowing” God properly would lead to skewed spiritual priorities in service ostensibly done in His Name? By contrast, how true is this trustworthy saying…more we know God clearly, more we would love Him dearly and more we love Him dearly, more we would follow Him nearly.
The Son’s understanding of the magnitude of Father’s glory can also be discerned clearly from the prayer, He taught His disciples (Luke 11:1-4). Doesn’t the Phrase “Hallowed be Thy Name” come right at the very top (before anything else) where it rightfully belongs!!!
One proof of a Christian’s growth is that he would bear anything to uphold His Lord’s Name. Sad isn’t it, when we consider that some genuine heroes’ of faith in times of terrible provocation or temptation allowed the Almighty’s Name to be tarnished paying heavy cost in the bargain…Moses and David (Numbers 20:1-12/2 Sam 12:13-14-TLB). In stark contrast, picturize the scene at the Calvary cross when the Satan (yes, it was him) through his human agents hurled everything at God’s Son in order to provoke Him into at least one God-dishonoring act (1 Peter 2:21-24/Heb 12:3-TLB) but wouldn’t succeed. Why? For the Son who had a clear-cut agenda in the matter of protecting His Father’s Glory steeled Himself come what may, to bear the most excruciating torture in human history even while being aware that the eventual rewards would by far outweigh the pain endured (Heb 12:2/Philippians 2:5-11).
Even after seeing such tangible proofs’ of the Son’s “knowledge” of the Father and even after making a wonderful declaration such as the one recorded in Philippians 3:10, it was indeed both humbling and aspirational of Apostle Paul to note thus of Heavenly relationships in other side of Eternity….the realm the Son-Father relationship was in this Earth itself…
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”-I Cor 13:12
No prizes for guessing that the Greek word used by the Apostle Paul in the captioned Scripture portion is Epiginosko which in English has been translated into know fully.
Yes, for every Child of God this hope of knowing the Father just like His Son Jesus indeed holds good, for one day we shall indeed be like Jesus (1 John 3:2) and thereby know the Father’s “goodness” just like Christ. Quite surely at that time our “sacrifices” of our Earthly sojourn would be dwarfed by the size of the Father’s rewards (I Cor 2:9).
Hey, do not you know that the Word (another name for Jesus) always keeps His Word!!! So, if He has said in His Word that, that one day we would become like Him, should we not take the Word at His Word? So regarding the glorious future, Boy I know (sic) something fabulous is coming my way, do you…
Hallelujah and Amen.
(Suresh Manoharan)
ps...This message replete with pics is also available for access at the following URL...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_july1_15.asp
