#329 Kingdom: Knowing By An Inward Life
Outward faith and an outward knowledge will only take us into the superficial knowledge of God that is common to most believers. “Unshakeable Faith” comes from an inner knowing. An inner understanding of our eternal call only comes to us by revelation. The knowledge and understanding of the power of God must ultimately be out of an inner knowing rather than from an outward doctrine.
EPH 1:15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, [16] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Praying that the saints in Ephesus would now turn from the outward Christianity to a higher form of inner Christianity is the subject of these verses. Maybe “Turning” is not the right word because we don’t forsake our “outward Christianity” and exclusively turn inward. Still, our “outward Christianity” must have a unshakable source within. We are identifying that source as our inward life. In other words our “outward Christianity” must have a “spiritual source” that is inward.
Col 3: 16] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
Just a superficial understanding or an intellectual comprehension of these 4 prayers of Paul will not help us very much to understand the reason and depth of what he intended. Without the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation bringing us spiritual comprehension from another dimension, some of these statements will be lost to our actual experience.
My supposition is that it is the inner life or the inner man that must be strengthened with power through HIS SPIRIT that is the source of the “outward Christianity.” Otherwise this “intellectual Christianity” will continue to be the normal gauge for “outward Christianity.” A strong ability to think and reason and assemble doctrine then is the source of “outward Christianity.”
My theory is this; This “Outward Christianity” is normal in the natural light of the Outer Court but cannot lead us into the next restoration of the Holy Place Life And Ministry. This is what we are referring to as the “priesthood ministry” after the order of Melchizedek.
Our purpose in this paper is to try to identify the different dimensions of revelation contained in Paul’s writings that go beyond the realms of natural understanding. In other words these truths are not flat but have height, depth, width and breadth and a superficial reading will not unveil these dimensions. I could make an application to the Showbread in the Holy Place that is two stacks of six loaves that have height, depth, width and breadth.
In Ephesians 1 Paul is asking for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of God [epignosis] and that the eyes of the inner man be enlightened (caused to receive spiritual insight) to know what is the hope of our eternal call, what is His Inheritance is in the saints AND what is the exceeding greatness of His Power toward us who believe.
Our “Eternal Calling” is from before the foundation of the world. This “calling” is the basis of our predestination. Our “calling” in this life is in total agreement with our eternal calling but is more temporary and transitional. “Our earthly calling” is preparing us for our “eternal calling” which is “Divine sonship.”
Rom 8:29] For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; [30] and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified
1 Cor 2: 7] but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory
Eph 1:5] He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself
Eph 1: 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose
We have obtained an inheritance in Christ. This is a fact for all those who are in Christ.
Now Paul is praying that by revelation and an inner knowing they might know “what HIS inheritance is in the saints.” This is future and requires for us to qualify.
EPH 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
1 Thes 1: 5] This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
2 Thes 1:11] To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling
“His Inheritance in the Saints” is future. The Exceeding greatness of “His Power toward us who believe” is how all this is accomplished. Our conclusion is this; It is the mature and Manifested Sons of God who are His Inheritance. Even though these things are easily seen in scripture, it requires a measure of revelation to “see” it. Just to discern the magnitude of the power that God has ascribed to this task of preparing “His Inheritance” requires revelation.
In the natural order of things, when the father dies he leaves his assets to his sons. In the Spiritual Order of things, when the Son dies He receives the assets of the Father who lives on. There are whole areas in the spiritual realms that can only be known by revelation. One is this “knowledge [epignosis] of God.” The hidden mysteries is another. The power of the age yet to come is another. None of these things can be known by us unless they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. This “knowledge” then goes beyond any natural understanding.
We may read and understand the scriptures in their flat dimension by the natural understanding but to comprehend the height, the depth, the width and the breadth requires a direct revelation by the Holy Spirit. This means that there are whole dimensions of Jesus Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God, that can only be known by a direct revelation by the Holy Spirit. It is The Holy Spirit that takes the things of Jesus and reveals them to us.
The application of this “dimension of revelation” is what we are assigning to the Showbread that is illuminated by the Seven Spirits of God in the Holy Place. This application of the “Word of God” is seen within the ingesting of the Showbread by the priests. The “Word of God” then becomes “LIFE” within them. My theory is that it is AFTER this experience that we may be able to minister words that are “Spirit and Life.” In other words “the Showbread ingested” under the illumination of the Seven Spirits of God is the source of “out of your belly flows.”
To place the “Hope of our Eternal Calling” AND “His Inheritance in the Saints” into the context of the “power of God” to seat us with Christ on the Throne of God and established us with Him in His body, may be too much at this time.
Therefore, we can back up a little and begin to see faith and life in the lower dimension that we are all acquainted with now.
From the very beginning, since we were born again, we acknowledge that we have come to “know the Lord.’ We know that we are “born again.” In these things we are “unshakable” in our faith because we know that we know. However, each of us can remember when someone has challenged our faith by suggesting that the Bible is just a bunch of made up stories that has been handed down by word of mouth and could not possibly be the “word of God.” Certain “Experts” are quoted who profess to be Christians who point out many conflicts and errors in the scriptures.
Suddenly our faith is shaken and we have to immediately seek outside help to strengthen our confidence. We may come to believe in healing until we get sick. We may believe in “Kingdom Provision” until we experience some lack.
Most of us have observed that many of our “church services” is just trying to get people strong enough to go through one more week. Sometimes the preacher is just encouraging himself with the word of God because his faith is shaken. Some people depend upon the “Sunday Service” just to survive in their Christian life. If their faith recovers for a few minutes on Sunday Morning they consider it to be a spiritual help or a “feeding of the inner man.”
Since our faith is based upon certain concepts and facts that we have learned, if these facts are challenged our faith is shaken. Why is that? Because our faith and life is based upon an intellectual knowledge of God or Christ or of our salvation. We believe in our head but that “belief” must be very careful not to stray outside the four walls of the church lest it be challenged and fail us. Then we must call someone for help to rebuild our faith and encourage our Christian Life.
Some years ago a woman that received the Lord in our house many years ago came to the house. She had been to a meeting and the preacher was telling about this conspiracy to destroy the church by introducing many translations of the Bible. That God only has authorized one translation of the Bible and that one is the King James Version. She came to see if we had a “real” Bible she could have. I told her the King James Bible has been rewritten and updated and put out in new additions about 9 times. Which King James Bible was she interested in. The Last One or the first one. Her faith was totally shaken because she thought she had been reading a counterfeit Bible and her salvation was in jeopardy. Why? Because of an outward faith based upon certain facts that can be challenged and shaken.
This happens when “Creationism” or “Intelligent Design” is challenged or Genesis chapter 1 is challenged by archeological findings or history or some “Scientific Proof.” Carbon dating of old bones “prove” that the earth is billions of years old and man was evolved from some pond scum. The faith of thousands of Christians is shaken every time a new “scientific discovery” is announced that “proves” the Bible account is false.
This is especially true among those who have a superficial faith based upon outward knowledge or upon Bible doctrines. Some people live in fear that this whole Christian philosophy will be proven to be a big deception. When faith is built upon “logic” and our salvation depends upon accurate doctrines, our faith always must be supported by fellowship and good preaching. Even the song service is used to support our feeble faith. Testimony meetings are often used to help give credibility to our Christian faith.
Good doctrines are very important in building a church group into believers. However, our “unshakable faith” must be built upon more than good doctrine or good experience. Outward faith is the shallowest kind of faith. That produces a “knowing” that can always be shaken by various outward circumstances.
When we begin this Christian Life we need outward evidence to build and to protect our Christian faith. Good doctrine is quite helpful and we use it to strengthen faith. This is not wrong. However, if we constantly need to strengthen the faith of those who have been “saved” for several years with the same doctrines and encouragement and outward proof something is sadly wrong. The problem is recognized as no growth in the “inward life.”
The knowledge of God that comes to us as “doctrine” will not support us in times of distress or unbelief. Therefore, we seek for someone to encourage us with outward ministry. Much of a pastor’s ministry is this kind of encouragement and in some assemblies the “believers” never grow beyond this stage of shallow inner life.
The real knowledge [epignosis] of God comes to us by revelation so that our “knowledge of God” is inward and established in our new spirit man. Knowing God inwardly by revelation produces a faith that will stand through trials, suffering and persecution. We might call this inward faith “Kingdom Faith” that is unshakable. This is the “faith” demonstrated by the martyrs of old. No mental assistance was need because the faith had become an inward reality.
Many churches and the Christians associated with these churches live too much by doctrine but without a developed inner life. We are not saying they are not “saved” but that their Christian life is still on very shaky ground. They still need an outward weekly build up and encouragement to maintain their Christian life.
The stage of Faith and Life that exists beyond the Outer Court natural dimension must be of a different kind. This Life and Faith was built upon the revelation of God that has led us to the [epignosis] knowledge of Him. This “faith” goes beyond sound doctrine, or good thoughts, or pleasant circumstances or a good song service or an encouraging message. Even with none of these “helps”, the faith remains strong because it is built upon revelation and an inner knowledge of God.
My theory is that the next restoration will bring about a “knowledge of God” far beyond what we could ask or think. Regardless of what is occurring around us, we will know that we know by an inner life in which there is unshakable faith in the God we know inwardly. This IS the faith that Job came to in Job 42:1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said, [2] “I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted. [3] `Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” [4] `Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask Thee, and do Thou instruct me.’ [5] “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees Thee; [6] Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.”
It is my opinion that such people as these that have developed an inner life to know God inwardly will be the ones that God uses in the next restoration. Why? Because this ministry of the Word is out of Spirit and Life. Christ, The Showbread, has been formed inwardly and has become our Life.
Our coming to “know God” is not based upon solving all the theological problems found in scripture or giving an answer to all the new “scientific discoveries” or giving an explanation to Genesis 1. Our “knowing God” is based upon the revelation of the Father that Christ has revealed to our inner man through the Holy Spirit. Once it is burned into our spirit it remains regardless of outward circumstances. Even if EVERYTHING we learned is proved wrong, we will still believe because of our Revelation of God WE KNOW who lives within. This IS unshakable faith.