Chapter 2. . . And To Be Known EPISTEMOLOGY FOR A DEEPER WALKAs believers, our main knowledge of God comes through His Word and through our daily walk with God. Epistemology (the branch of philosophy that studies the ways to know anything) provides six guidelines [1] to knowing God that will deepen our walk with Christ. In every guideline, one's faith in the reliability of the method determines the particular emphasis one will take in getting to know God. 1) Authoritarianism, which is a reliance on authority, is a difficult issue for many who have been influenced not to trust authorities. Undermining authority is a demonic strategy that hinders believers from trusting God. God is the ultimate authority. The buck stops there. It also starts there. It is God who establishes authorities on the earth. When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus if He knew that he had the power to release Him, He replied, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above" (John 19:lla). Jesus reaffirmed this truth. Paul exhorts the church in this same truth: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God" (Rom. 13:1-2a). So, how one relates to civil authorities will influence how one perceives God. This is also reflected in the church and with church traditions. Inability to respond to church leaders properly is a consequence of mistrust of authority. There is wise counsel and guidance to be gleaned from the men of God, who have already been proven by the Lord, that will help in knowing God. The enemy wants to discourage all trust in them to prevent that benefit from being passed on. Also, many saints throughout history have left a legacy of tried and true information on walking with God. As one gets to know the Lord, these traditions provide milestones by which to measure one's walk. The most fundamental authority figure that the devil wants to see corrupted is in the home: the father figure. When parents, and specifically the father, raise children apart from godly guidance, this becomes an erroneous image of the fatherhood of God. Even when parents do all that they can to instill godly influences, the children will still have to see past their imperfections and forgive them. However, there are pitfalls in earthly authority that merit caution from blind obedience. Corruption exists in the civil governments; sin and human folly affect church leadership; some church traditions are built upon the reasonings of men apart from the inspiration of God; and parents make many mistakes. The Bible advises us in Hebrews to "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:7-8). The admonition is to consider the end, or results, of their lives. If authorities are right, then they will be like King Jesus, who doesn't change, and is our cane, or yardstick, of comparison. It is foolish to reject all authorities wholesale. That is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. God has preserved His truth for all to find. Maturity, that comes from years of obedience, will provide the experience in judgment that discerns wise leadership from foolish leadership. In regard to church authorities, Watchman Nee points out that God speaks to his body, not just to individuals [2]. Therefore, even when one has personal communication from the Lord, that same Word will have been spoken in a similar way to others in the church, and usually to the leadership. Church leadership provides confirmation of His Word to the believer. Although the Bible is listed in a separate category, the depth of one's faith in the Scriptures as an authority will also affect how much one knows God. If one believes that only parts of the Bible are inspired then one will not rely on the Word as a final authority, but will lean more on other sources. There are many who acknowledge the Bible as the last word, but in their hearts they put more faith in secular authorities. Genuine heartfelt faith in the Word of God will put church authorities and secular authorities in the right perspective. As the expression goes, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it!" 2) Empiricism, which is the use of experience of the senses, is the most intimate way to know God. This requires faith in the trustworthiness of one's senses. There are many that are unsure of themselves, therefore have difficulty believing the voice of the Lord when it comes to them. Indeed, subjective experience without reference points (i.e, the Bible and the body of Christ) can easily lead believers astray. "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11). "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Many times has the devil posed as the voice of God to lead believers off the track. Even so, personal experience is necessary for personal maturity. The writer of Hebrews describes the means to know God by experience. "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. 5:14). We all learn of God through trial and error. One must step out in faith obeying what one believes to be God. If correct, that experience becomes a milestone in personal memory. If wrong, then that becomes another warning sign of the enemy. Fortunately, God is gracious with our errors. So much so that Paul boasted, "We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:3-5). It is better to try and fail, than not to try at all. 3. Rationalism is the use of reason in understanding and knowing God. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace..." (1 Cor. 14:33). "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40). "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7). All creation demonstrates reason and orderliness. The use of logic and reason in understanding God provides significant insight [3]. However, every logical argument is only as good as the premise upon which it is based. While God has provided much to know Him by, there is also much that is unknown. A person whose faith rests in his logical abilities can be dogmatic in Biblical doctrine. In certain situations this is praiseworthy, particularly in evangelism. It was said of Paul that he "mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ" (Acts 18:28). And Jesus, who appealed to reason when He defended Himself from the accusation of a bastard birth, said, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46). But the Scriptures warn that "knowledge puffeth up [creates pride], but charity edifieth" (1 Cor. 8:1) and it is the natural course of reason to drift into natural thinking, which is the thinking of the world, and away from spiritual thinking which requires faith in the supernatural. Balance needs to be maintained, of course; excessive faith in the supernatural can also lose sight of common sense. A knowledge of God based upon reason alone will fail in many ways. Reason is to be a contribution to the whole, not the whole in itself. As it has been said, "The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master." 4. Intuition, which is subjective inward knowing, is a principle means for the leading of the Holy Spirit. "But ye have an unction [the Holy Spirit] from the Holy One, and ye know all things" (1 John 2:20). "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit" (Rom. 8:16). God speaks to us through many means: circumstances, prophetic words, significant coincidences, rhema's [4] from scripture, dreams, visions, and even, sometimes, an audible voice. But the most frequent means is through intuition, or the inward witness. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). According to Watchman Nee, intuition is the voice of the spirit [5]. Similar to intuition, everyone has a conscience, which guides us in right or wrong decisions. While the unregenerate "conscience is seared" (1 Tim. 4:2) our "conscience can bear witness in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 9:1). Like empiricism, however, this requires faith in one's perception of subtle experiences and because "There are... so many kinds of voices in the world..." (1 Cor. 14:10), intuition is not to be trusted alone. If God has spoken to you through your intuition, then it will be confirmed in His Word, the Bible. 5) Pragmatism, which considers the utility of a thing, is another way to know God, but is probably the least effective means in knowing Him. God is practical. So there are times when this is the way to follow Him. However, there is an inherent selfishness to this approach that runs contrary to the way of the Cross. The will of God often leads us into impractical situations for the sake of developing our character and faith in God - or to accomplish some purpose we don't understand. Extreme practicality can lead to naturalistic thinking that robs the believer of faith. But, like reasoning, common sense provides balance to presumptive faith since God is a God of order. 6) The Bible, which is the specific revelation of God to all believers, is the most reliable means for knowing God. As discussed in chapter 1, it is the inerrant, inspired testimony of God Himself. It is the Bible that is our ultimate authority. It is the Bible that confirms our empirical and intuitive experiences. It is the Bible from which logical premises are solidly begun. It is the Bible that most practically guides us in our daily lives. This Book of Books given to us by the King of Kings so moved Martin Luther that he exclaimed, Sola Scriptura, only the Scriptures! From God's own book we are guided in the fullness of the knowledge of God. It is fitting that Part 1 of this volume should finish where it began: with the Bible. |
is a Greek word
(popular in charismatic circles) that refers to a
word from God when reading the Bible by a
subjective experience of a passage being
"highlighted" in the reading.