Posted: 06/19/2015 at 6:32pm | IP Logged

Are We Known by Him?

By Duane Stewart

Kingdom truth as understood by revelation is available unto all those who seek to know the truth concerning the fullness of God. Revelation from God is enlightening and gives understanding to a people concerning the mysteries that God purposed for this time and season. The former secrets of God’s kingdom, which have remained hidden, are now becoming the order of the day, which is the kingdom day of God on earth. In knowing these former mysteries, a people, a remnant first-fruit company is now ascending into another order or dimension of God. A dimension that releases this remnant into a fuller measure of that which is in Christ. This Christ has ascended back into the Father and has put all things beneath His feet. Truth now opens the door for this remnant people to enter into these heavenly places as they follow Him. Why do we need to follow Him? Because we know that, He and He alone is the Way to the fullness of salvation. This is salvation on a higher level, which speaks of much more than forgiveness of passed sins. It speaks of a change from that which is carnal and fleshly into that, which is spiritual, a coming into the fullness that fulfills God’s plan and purpose for creation. When speaking of salvation, are we speaking of a church going man who lives after the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life or do we speak of the man, who through the cross, becomes obedient to Christ and Christ alone?

There is in the world today an organizational structure, proclaiming to be the structure of God in which He chooses to reveal Himself. However, in this self-proclaimed structure there lies the root of deception that deceives the people. This system moves in a form that denies the very power of God. It portrays itself to be God’s purpose in the earth while being a stranger to God and His ways. In being strangers to God, Jesus has declared that He does not even know them. Matt. 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!” Here Jesus warns against self-deception and a mere verbal profession of lordship without obedience to the will of God. This word “knew” in the above scripture has the meaning of “to know (by experience, or effort); to acquire knowledge, become acquainted with; hence, to come or get to know, learn, perceive”. Therefore, by people calling us Christians alone, it is not the desire of God for our lives. It is possible for a self-deluded person to exercise a ministry while using the authority of the scriptures and the name of Jesus without walking in genuine, obedient discipleship. Getting to “know” Him requires a people to exercise a walk of discipline through obedience to God’s will and purpose.

What is a disciple? The scripture reveals the requirements of those who would desire to be Christ disciples. Luke 14:26-27 declares a need to leave all to follow Him. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple”. A disciple must subordinate all earthly relationships to loyalty to Christ. Jesus’ remark above is an example of Hebrew hyperbole to emphasize the subject discussed. To hate one’s family is therefore not a command or statement of fact but a way of expressing the importance of allegiance to God. A disciple must die to self-centeredness and be willing to endure suffering and even martyrdom if necessary. To deny self is not to assume some false, external asceticism, but to put the interests of the kingdom first in one’s life. Such sacrifice results in eternal life and the fullest experience of kingdom life now. Mark 10:29-30, “So Jesus answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life”.

Thus, discipleship becomes the prerequisite of coming into the place of truly knowing Him. As we respond to God in obedience, we become familiar with His nature as obedience brings change to our natures. The changing of our nature begins the manifestation of His will, His mind, His emotions and His desires through us. Obeying the Father was supremely important to Jesus. Obedience is the response of faith to any instruction from God. Jesus taught that true faith always manifest itself in obedience to the revealed will of God. Christian living results from seeking and knowing His will and then doing it in faith. Jesus motivated His disciples to live righteously by emphasizing that such living comes from the heart through faith with love and in trust, more than through observance of an external code of ethics. Righteous actions proceed from the heart of a new life reborn in Christ.

As we walk in God’s desired obedience, the Father, through the Holy Spirit comes into that intimate relationship with us that will establish us in the place of Him knowing us. This knowledge is the result of desiring what he desires, having a will that agrees with His will, having the mind of Christ as it rest in the Fathers will and purpose and responding emotionally to every situation and circumstances even as He would respond. This is not just an intellectual knowing of Him and Him knowing us, but a life-style of manifesting that which He is to the entire world. Herein, we begin to see the kingdom of God establishing itself in the world as all men begin to see Him in His appearing. With this we agree, come quickly Lord Jesus that we might see your kingdom in all its glory.

God in His times and seasons, reveals Himself to His people according to that which He has purposed for that season. Remember, that He is a God that continually increases and likewise desires continual increase in His people. We are never to remain encamped in one area of understanding, but move on in Him as each season reveals itself for God’s immediate purpose. Is not this the season for the manifestation of His kingdom on the earth? His kingdom will be a manifestation and will reveal the stature of the fullness of the Christ in His people, a beginning with the first-fruits remnant and a continual harvesting until the completion of the whole harvest. Ask yourself this question, do I know Him or just about Him? Does He know who I am because of faithfulness? It is surely the season when He shall know us and us Him in the manifestation of His appearing.

Rev. 22:1-5, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits [divine governmental nature manifesting in and through His people], the tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face and His name [nature] shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever”. Thus, a reigning people spiritually matured to leave behind the influence of the natural realm. These fulfilled people are now living in the spiritual, the light of God in and through them. These are establishing God’s kingdom upon the earth because he knows them and are one with Him.

Duane Stewart
www.avoiceforthegatheringsaints.org