Fixed
Inner Consciousness
By
Arthur J Licursi – 3/15/06– built upon thoughts expressed by Norman
Grubb’s writings
(NOTE:
As we read, you will note that there is more than one Greek word for our one
English word “know”.)
Norman
Grubb uses the term “fixed inner consciousness”, in his writings,
as the culmination of what I call “mature faith”. This is a “full
conscious knowing” (Greek, epiginosko) of ones true
relationship to the Lord as their Father; who unconditionally loves him or
her, and is overseeing all the happenings of their lives – for their
eternal good.
Romans
8:28 And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.
Such
a fixed knowing is the core of unshakable faith or mature faith. Such faith
is the expression a new, ever-present, latent, consciousness. Is this to be
gained or experienced on the soul-life (psuche) level of mind or, is
it a spirit-life (Zoë) function?
The “fixed inner consciousness” is a level of knowing that
springs initially from the human spirit (Zech 12:1, Prov 20:27) of all who
have been regenerated and thereby joined to the Spirit of Life
in Christ Jesus.
John
3:6 That which is born of the
flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit (God’s)
is spirit (human).
To
have a “consciousness” is to “know something”. Yet,
such a “fixed inner consciousness” is not initially of soul’s mind.
Rather it is outgrowth of the “initial innate, intuitive,
sense-knowing” (Greek eido) gained at regeneration. It grows to
become a new and ever-present “consciousness”, which Grubb calls
the “fixed inner knowing”.
“Knowing”
(ginosko, experiential knowing) in Bible terms means “being
mixed with the thing we know.” – meaning, it has become part
of us. This is why the word “know” is used when speaking of sexual
intercourse as in Genesis 4:1 “Adam knew Eve”. Eve became part of
Adam; thus, they had an “intimate personal knowing”. It is not to
know about something by wrote learning, but rather to know
something or someone intimately.
By example, such “knowing’ may be seen on a human temporal or
secular level. A competent professional man “knows” his
profession and can operate at ease in it; as a carpenter, plumber or
teacher, etc. He has come to a “fixed inner consciousness” of his
profession. I recall my mother could knit while watching television – her
knitting had become fixed, spontaneously automatic.
The most valuable sort of knowing (fixed inner consciousness) is a
knowing that comes by the work of God’s Spirit within the spirit and lives
of all the regenerated children of God.
First,
we, the redeemed of Christ, enter into this faith-knowing in seed-form when Romans
8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that
we are the children of God: Thus, we see that it
is God’s work to bear witness in us to bring us to the fixed inner
consciousness. Though this is fact for every child of God, only those
who press onto see God in all the happenings of their life come to gain the “fixed
inner consciousness” of which Grubb speaks.
Philip.
2:13 For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
When
we gain that initial innate “sense- knowing” (eido, knowing gained at
regeneration) by the “Spirit bearing witness with our spirit” and
then come to realize “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit”
with Christ (1Cor 6:17), we have gained a knowing that has been
confirmed by experiential knowing (ginosko, coming to know by ongoing
experience). We then have come to a more mature form of “fixed inner
consciousness” – mature faith.
Actually,
we only really believe that which we see have come to with the eyes of our
spirit. Ephes. 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. Upon coming to see by means of
our spirit, we then cannot help but believe or trust that which we have
seen. It is for this reason one cannot easily commit to somebody else’s
vision of anything – we must come to see for our selves.
In
time we learn to discern between that which is of our soul and that which is
of our spirit (Heb 4:12). We no longer will confuse emotional disturbances
or rational questionings of the independent soul of man for the stillness of
a “fixed spirit-knowing”. For “we know” that “we know”
that “we know”— which was John’s final emphasis in his great first
epistle (1 Jn. 5:18-20).
1
John 5:20 And we know (eido,
a sense knowing by the spirit) that the Son of God is come, and hath
given us an understanding (dianoia, thoughtful knowing of mind), that
we may know (ginosko, an experiential knowing) him that is true, and
we are in him that is true, even (that is) in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God, and eternal life.
Having such fixed knowing, we then
live by the inner knowing in all the outer confrontations of life. As we see
through our outer circumstances to His hand in all things, we enter into
those knowings of faith that He is actually doing this or that,
regardless of all outer appearances, for our eternal good. This is the
mature form of faith Grubb calls the “fixed inner consciousness”.
Such “knowing” and living, which is by the inner fixed fact of
our spirit-being, is called by Jesus, “eternal life” or the limitless
divine life (see John 17:3). This is on another dimension than rational
thinking; and yet is the realized fact for everyone born of the Spirit of
Christ, whether in seed form or full-growth mature form.
How
do we start?
We
need to hear. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word (rhema) of God. Usually
we come to faith in the Lord by having heard the word of the Lord. The
word “word” in this verse is not merely words as text on paper. In Greek
it is “rhema”, meaning the spoken spontaneous or living word.
1 Cor. 1:21 the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching (proclamation) to
save them that will believe. Rationality of thought and
considering any empirical evidence never brings us to Christ. It’s only faith
that comes by hearing the living word that has such an effect.
You
may say you don’t have such faith. Paul tells us every man has been dealt
a measure of faith.
Romans
12:3 For I say, through the
grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Thus
we all have faith – none is without faith. The problem is our “faith
is in ourselves” (not the Savior) and so “we think more highly
of ourselves than we ought” (Rom 12:13 above). If we but cast our
measure of faith upon Jesus Christ and reach out to receive Him,
we will immediately gain His indwelling life. His life comes to us with the
innermost sense-knowing that starts us on the journey toward a “fixed
inner consciousness” as the fullness of faith, which is unshakable.
Therein is the basis of the rest and peace to our souls, as Jesus promised.
John
16:33 These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
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