Do You Really Know Him - Part 2

 In our journey to know "Truth", that is, to intimately and personally to know Jesus, we have discussed that it will never be accomplished through intellectual knowledge, the natural realm. Although God has revealed Himself throughout creation, our ability to truly know Him can only come by-way-of the spiritual realm. Jesus tells us, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Jesus is expressing and defining the parameters by which one must experience, that is, being born from above, or he is not fit for, nor a partake of God's Kingdom, either in this world or in that which is to come. The kingdom which Jesus was about to set up was so pure and holy that if one was not born again, he could not partake of its blessings. Again, to be born again is something that takes place in the spiritual realm, but its manifestation is in the natural or physical realm, that is, in the life of a human being. This cannot be understood through intellectual means, but through a spiritual awaking, an encounter with God.

Although there is a place for intellectual knowledge and I consider myself to be and intelligent person who enjoys learning, I know that there is knowledge to be gained that far surpasses the natural realm. Thankfully, we do not have to be slaves to intellectual knowledge. God has made available something that enables us to move beyond the natural realm and tap into His supernatural realm through revelation knowledge. It is called faith. (Romans 12:3) If God had intended for humanity to remain only in the natural realm, He never would have provided a way through His Son Jesus for man to be restored to a relationship with Him and give him access to everything He is and has. By exercising our faith in God, through which we enter into the spiritual realm, we receive revelation of and from Him through the Holy Spirit. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (John 16:13)  

By applying our faith to the revelation knowledge of the truth the Holy Spirit guides us in and responding to it, we not only come to know God, but He also activates His supernatural power on our behalf, or on behalf of others through us. It is in the supernatural realm of God where miracles occur.  We can move beyond the natural realm into the supernatural realm by exercising our faith in God, and responding to the revelation knowledge that we receive. James challenges us to come to a place where we exercise the revelation of God's Word revealed through the Holy Spirit, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (James 1:22-24) He goes on to tells us, " What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?...Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:14, 17-18)

Intellectual knowledge or common sense cannot produce miracles, which are manifestations of God's supernatural power in the natural realm. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-12) The human mind is not able to know everything that is in man, let alone everything about God. Only God knows all things and as mentioned previously, the only one who can reveal Him to humanity is the Spirit of God. (John 16:13-16)

It is mind boggling that so many Christians turn to philosophy, psychology, and psychiatry, that is, the natural realm, to try to resolve their problems. Although these academic disciplines genuinely try to help people, their failure rate far exceeds their success because they do not utilize the power of God to change and transform humanity. Even most "Christian" counselors try to apply biblical terms while pursuing man-made methods,  but their efforts are ultimately ineffective also. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:20) These three areas, philosophy, psychology, and psychiatry are the result of following the intellectual knowledge of man, while rejecting revelation knowledge from God.

If man continues to reject the concept of divine revelation,we will never fully understand the truth and we will continue to live in confusion and deception, the very place that Satan wants people, especially believers to live. He knows that if believers receive divine revelation, apply faith, that is, act upon the revelation received, the supernatural power of God will heal and deliver myriads of people which in turn will turn them to Christ.  Doesn't that sound like a strategy that the enemy of humanity would devise? Actually, it has been since the fall of man. It began in the Garden of Eden and has not changed. The very thing that Adam had that could have banished Satan from the earth forever, the ability to function in the spiritual realm, is the very thing that he forfeited to Satan in exchange for intellectual knowledge. Not a very good exchange for man at all. It has kept man from a relationship with God, "And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh..." (Genesis 6:3)     

Being led by intellectual knowledge and living outside the supernatural realm is not limited to only those who deny God. The fact is, many believers and Christian leaders who have received Christ as Lord and Savior, still lack revelation beyond a basic knowledge of the gospel. As a result, they have no idea what God is saying or trying to do in their personal lives. Let us consider the following as we seek to receive revelation from God. God gives revelation according to His own timing. He will not reveal something to an individual believer or to a 1ocal church if the person or congregation is not ready for it.  We see this revealed in the Parable of the Talents, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability..." (Matthew 25:14-15) This is also revealed toward the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. He told His disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." (John 16:12) The main reasons why God may not give us revelation is, we are not yet spiritually mature enough to receive it and or God knows we would not obey it, which is actually evidence of not being spiritually mature. Only God knows the right time to unveil a specific revelation to us. Our part is to make sure we are willing to obey it by acting upon it.

Habakkuk tells us, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14) I believe that we are living in the days where this prophetic word is coming to pass, that is, the days in which the manifestation of God's glory will be evident all over the earth. God will fulfill His purposes by giving us incredible revelation of His Kingdom, Power and Glory, but are you ready to receive it? Jesus said, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24). So, let us exercise our faith in the one and only unfailing, faithful One, Jesus Christ, who is the Word who became flesh (John 1:14) Let us believe, receive and walk in the revelation knowledge that He desires to give to us. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit...