Good things in You!

Philemon 1:6

that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

In Christ, good things are in you. You won’t find a single bad thing in you because you are in Christ. The day you received Jesus as your Lord was the greatest day of your life. That moment, you became a container of good things, like a basket filled with good things. Hallelujah.

When Christ came in me, He filled me with every good thing. There are good things in me in Christ. Nothing bad is in me. I am carrying good stuff in me.

Let me name a few of those good things you have received in Christ. Thank God for the Word. Without the Word, we would never know what those good things are.

• You are the righteousness of God in Christ.
• You are a new creation in Christ.
• You have eternal life in you.
• You have the name of Jesus.
• You have received a rich inheritance.
• You are chosen in Him
• You are accepted in the Beloved.
• You are redeemed and all your sins have been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus.
• You have authority over Satan and all his forces.
• You are a heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.

These are just a few of those good things. Praise God for every single good thing that the Father has given us in Christ.

But notice what the verse says, the faith life we live in, will become more effective through the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us in Christ.

Acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us in Christ.

The word ‘acknowledgment‘ in the above verse comes from Greek word ‘Epignosis’.

Epignosis is a rich word and it stands for knowledge. Let me share with you what it means:

• Precise and correct knowledge.
• Complete comprehension.
• Larger and more thorough knowledge.
• A greater participation by the knower in the object known thus more powerfully influencing him.
• This kind of knowledge brings the knower into a relationship with that which is known thereby causing a change in the knower.
• The things becomes so known that it causes a profound change in the one who knows it.

Epignosis : Experiential knowledge.

To experience means to personally encounter, observe or undergo something through a process to have knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered or undergone and implies being affected by what one meets.

The Bible says, we are to grow in the Epignosis of Jesus Christ.

II Peter 3:18

but grow in the grace and knowledge (epignosis) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

In II Peter 3.18, the noun epignosis means an “experiential knowledge” of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sense of personally encountering Him as He is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture and prayer and being affected by this encounter with the Lord resulting in the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ.

The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, teaches us in Philemon 1.6, we are to have an epignosis of every good thing we have in Christ.

Think about this, Epignosis of every single good thing that is in you in Christ. One by one, we are to know, understand, have an experience and a personal encounter with our rights, privileges and blessings in Christ.

For example, you take one good thing, let’s say righteousness. The Holy Spirit wants you to have an Epignosis of righteousness.

Epignosis : the personal knowledge through intimate fellowship.

Through searching and studying the scriptures on righteousness and through prayer, the Holy Spirit will take you to a great depth in righteousness. It’s as if you are in relationship with this good thing, your participation in the reality of righteousness becomes greater, your hold in righteousness becomes stronger and it causes a profound change in you – it affects and influences your thinking, your speech and your behavior because spiritual and practical wisdom is released to you and the character of Christ begins to develop in you.

And this is just for one good thing – righteousness. The Holy Spirit wants you to have an Epignosis – a deeper and greater understanding – of every good thing in you in Christ. Let me say it again, an Epignosis of every good thing in you in Christ.

Your faith will become active, effective and productive as you walk in the experiential knowledge of every good thing in you in Christ.