Knowing God
(week 09/02)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw how to ‘see’ Him that is invisible. It is vital in this end-time that we know our God in reality. The scripture says:
Daniel 11:32 (KJV) And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
There are 3 levels of knowing God:
Knowing God in your spirit
Knowing God in your mind
Knowing God in your flesh
Knowing God in your spirit
This is the first level of knowing God. It is the level at which we know we have been born-again as spiritual babies: we know God has saved us by the witness of the Holy Spirit in our spirits. This witness is an impression in our hearts the Holy Spirit gives and we just know even though we may not understand how or even the details of what we know. We have this intuition or inner knowing in our hearts of the impression or witness the Holy Spirit has put there.
Romans 8:15 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Romans 8:16 (KJV) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
I John 5:10 (KJV) He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
Primarily we know at this level in the baby to little child level (1 John 2:13) of our spiritual growth.
Knowing God in your mind
The next level at which we know God is knowing God in our minds by revelation. The witness of God in our spirits is now confirmed by revelation through the written Word in our minds. This was the level that Paul was praying for the Ephesians to know God at:
Ephesians 1:17-18 (KJV) 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: 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,
It is obvious that the Ephesians were already born-again and so knew God by the inward witness; however Paul prayed that they would now know God at a higher level by revelation through the written Word.
At this level we have understanding in our minds of the witness we had in our spirits. Our knowledge of God is based on revelation of the written Word and not only on an impression or witness in the heart. So we cannot be easily deceived by the devil through spurious impressions in our hearts. Even when we have a strong witness or impression in our hearts, we do not act on it until we have confirmation by revelation through the written Word.
Primarily we know God at this level in the little child to young man stage of our spiritual growth.
Knowing God in your flesh
The third level at which we know God is in our physical bodies in which we now experience the resurrection power of God in our mortal flesh. At this level we experience the life of God in our mortal flesh giving us total dominion over the lusts of flesh. Our physical bodies are trained by the resurrection power in them to be able to discern between good and evil.
Philippians 3:10 (KJV) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Philippians 3:10 (AMP) [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 (KJV) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Hebrews 5:14 (KJV) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
It is this resurrection power in our physical bodies that gives us the ability to partake of Christ’s sufferings and thus be able to reign with Him as kings even now in this life.
2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV) If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Isaiah 32:1 (KJV) Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Romans 5:17 (AMP) For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
We know God at this level: in our flesh, primarily at young man to father stage of our spiritual growth.
This is a day in which God desires His children to grow as quickly as possible so that they can know Him as Christ knew Him when He was a man on the earth. This in fact is the purpose of the eternal life God gave to us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4:14-15 (KJV) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
John 10:15 (KJV) As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 17:3 (KJV) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
How to increase in the knowledge of God
So let us press on to know the Lord by being sensitive to the inner witness, receiving revelation through prayer and the reading, study and meditation of the Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister the resurrection life and power of God into our physical bodies through prayer in the spirit: praying in tongues for at least one hour (Matt. 26:41, Acts 3:1) as a daily habit.
Romans 8:13 (KJV) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Romans 8:11 (NIV) And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:26 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
1 Corinthians 14:2 (KJV) For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
Ephesians 6:18 (KJV) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
