Friday, December 6, 2013

BELIEVING In God & KNOWING God - Part 1

Dearly Beloved,
It may interest you to know that Believing in God and Knowing God are two unique overlapping dimensions of Faith experiences.
We start the faith walk by BELIEVING IN GOD (i.e. believing by faith in what we know not) but should JOURNEY (1Tim. 2:4) to a fruitful place where we would KNOW WHAT WE ONLY INITIALLY BELIEVED IN, i.e. eternal life (Jn. 17:3)
2 Tim 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I KNOW (end of faith) whom I have BELIEVED (beginning of faith), and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Jn. 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
We can therefore see that the first believing brought about the salvation of our human spirit which was dead in sins and trespasses according to Eph. 2:1. Most things we hear and can readily relate with in the first years if not decade(s) of Christian professing are based on the elementary syllabus of believing in God, and God starts with us all from there.
But a time comes when God would seek to wean us from such believing meals (like mothers do to a suckling baby) so we can be schooled in deeper aspect of spiritual meals that is meant to bring about salvation of our souls (1Pet. 1:9) and the ministrations that would cater for this are called the meat or strong meat of the word (Pls read 1Cor. 3:1-2/Heb. 5:12)
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach Knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand teachings (i.e. revelations)? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
1 Cor. 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were
not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
So, Apostle Paul was clearly confirming in Eph. 1:17-18 that the divine personality that mid-wife’s the Process of being Weaned from the Milky Aspect of Faith where we start Believing In God is the Spirit of wisdom & revelation (Eph. 1:17-18). He is the Spirit of Truth whom Jesus confirmed in Jn. 16:13 would open up chapters knowledge of God to a believer.
We may therefore see that our heart Only Believed in an unseen salvation (life) that we had no knowledge of when we came to Christ (new birth). We started by BELIEVING BY FAITH, what we are meant to later KNOW BY GRACE and therefore be saved (Eph. 2:8), because it takes the opening/enlightening of the eyes our understanding to access divine knowledge (Eph. 1:18) and that takes place after we have qualitatively fulfilled the first two spiritual protocols of a preliminary FAITH and beginner LOVE stated in Eph. 1:15
Some Scriptural References:
Eph. 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith (milky form of faith) in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints
Eph. 1:17 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: 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
Phil. 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ (meaty form of faith), the righteousness which is of God by faith:
1Tim. 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved (i.e. believing born again), and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (i.e. journey to know the Lord that they initially could only believe in).
(i.e. Apostle Peter started out by believing in God but later journeyed to a place where he acquired knowledge of what the being he previously only believed)
The question God is asking most believers and ministers like Paul was asking the Corinthian Church that had tarried for long with the milky aspect of faith is when would they be available for the weaning process (Isa. 28:9/1Cor. 3:1-2 ) needed for them to come into the aspect of spiritually revealed knowledge where he can only be unveiled?
Bless You

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