Dear Fellow Believers in Christ, (Genuine Knowledge comes from the Father and from Christ in us as us)
How can we tell the difference between sense knowledge and genuine knowledge? What is the genuine power and wisdom of God? How does genuine knowlege flow out of His genuine power and wisdom? How does genuine understanding and genuine spiritual discernment flow out of genuine knowledge? What is the source and availability of full genuine knowledge? Holy Spirit may you give us a genuine and full revelation of the Christ and the genuine knowledge that comes through Christ -- the Person living in us as us.GENUINE KNOWLEDGE
"That their hearts may once then be encouraged, once then being knit together in love, and into all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, into the full knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in Whom ever are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:2-3, author's translation).
First, All the Treasures of Genuine Knowledge Are in the Father & the Son
Paul clearly declares that all the treasures of genuine wisdom and genuine knowledge are found in the Father and in the Son (Col. 2:2-3). It is astounding how many are seeking other sources of man to find genuine knowledge. Often I hear the cliché, "If you can get enough knowledge and put it together right, you will have wisdom." T hat is old sense knowledge thinking right out of the old tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. That is the knowledge that Satan tempted Adam to use as a substitute for God's knowledge. God's ways are higher than man's ways. Wisdom is mentioned first before knowledge, because in the eternal plan of God, that is the order that it comes. We better start with the genuine wisdom of the Father and the Son, if we want genuine knowledge.
Second, Christ & the Message of the Cross is the Power & Wisdom of God
Paul declares that Christ is the power and wisdom of God (I Cor. 1:24). The message of the cross is the power of God (I Cor. 1:18). If you want the power of God, it is found in Christ and the message of the cross. That is why Paul "determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (I Cor. 2:2). Paul declares that this was so, that we would not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. If you stay with the genuine Christ in you as you and the genuine message of the cross; then, you will be staying in the genuine power and genuine wisdom of God. Out of that genuine wisdom, the Holy Spirit can and will provide genuine revelation in the knowledge of the Father and the Son.
Third, Paul's Prayer is that The Father May Reveal Full Genuine Knowledge
In Paul's prayer to the Ephesians he prays, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may at intervals give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him" (Eph. 1:17, author's translation). Out of Christ and the message of the cross – genuine wisdom, come the Father's Spirit of wisdom. That Spirit of wisdom, coupled with Holy Spirit revelation of that wisdom given to us at various intervals in the Father's timing, is what moves us into the area of genuine knowledge. As the Holy Spirit reveals and renews the mind, that mind of Christ within us is being filled with genuine knowledge. In fact, the only access we have to genuine knowledge is in the renewed mind. The old unrenewed mind can hold temporal knowledge from the knowledge of Good and Evil, but not genuine knowledge. As our the mind is renewed with genuine knowledge and coupled with experience in use of that genuine knowledge, we enter in a point of full genuine knowledge of the Lord.
Fourth, Consider Knowing the Father & the Son in Full Genuine Knowledge
What an awesome consideration, to fully know the Father and the Son! As we look into the original Greek text of the New Testament Epistles, there are two (2) main root words for the word "know" in the Greek text. One word for "know" is "eido," which is simple reflective knowing that discusses the temporal mind and brain functions of remembering or memory. The other word for "know" is "ginosko," which speaks of the Spiritual intimate fellowship knowing of something or someone. When you move into the knowledge arena, the "eido" root doesn't normally apply and is seldom used. The "ginosko" root for knowledge is "gnosis" and is used most frequently. Another word is "epignosis," increasingly used for full knowledge. "Epi" is a prefix, which means "upon." So "epignosis" is Spiritual knowledge built upon Spiritual knowledge, that is at intervals revealed by the Holy Spirit from the Father's Spirit of wisdom. That is what Paul was praying for the Ephesians and we should also pray for ourselves.
Fifth, Full Genuine Knowledge is the Source of Spiritual Discernment
Paul let us know that "the eyes of your heart then having been completely enlightened that you should then ever know what continually is the hope of His calling" (Eph. 1:18a). When you are walking with a fully renewed mind in the Father's full genuine knowledge, you will have genuine understanding. The Spirit of God will provide genuine spiritual discernment through your knowledge (gnosis) fellowship with the Son, so that you will know (ginosko) these things (I Cor. 2:14). When you reflect back on these things you will truly know (oida) these things came by the Spirit of God revealing these things to us (I Cor. 2:10-12). We will ever know (oida) by simply remembering those things in the renewed mind full of His genuine knowledge.
Sixth, Every Body Member has Christ in Fullness of Genuine Knowledge
Look at the life and ministry of the Jesus of Nazareth. Do you find even one circumstance or situation that Jesus faced where He first said, "Let me pray about it," in order to get or obtain an answer from God? No, Jesus always had an answer. Why? Jesus continued in close "ginosko" fellowship with His Father. Jesus knew His Father was working in Him and through Him in His genuine knowledge to meet every circumstance and situation. Jesus lived by the genuine knowledge from the life of another living in and through Him. Jesus declares to His disciples, that "greater works than these he will do" (John 14:12). Why and how is this possible? Jesus is going to the Father. The Father will send the Holy Spirit to baptize saints into the Body of Christ and Spiritually rebirth them with the Person and Spirit of Christ in every member of His new Body. Every member of the Body of Christ has the Person of Christ in fullness, with all of His genuine knowledge, living in and to express Himself through them.
Seventh, Supreme Knowledge is Full Genuine Gnosis Knowledge of Christ
Paul declared, "that he counted all things loss for the preeminence of the knowledge (Greek - gnosis) of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8). Paul cried out that he might know (gnosis) Christ even more "and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10). Paul really wants full genuine gnosis knowledge of Christ in every aspect.