“do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,” Ephesians 1:16-17
The Apostle Paul is praying for the Ephesian believers and asking the Father to give these precious believers the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Father. Once you are born again, knowing your Father God is your most important work.
The word knowledge is the Greek word Epignosis. Epignosis refers to precise, correct and full knowledge. The Apostle Paul is praying so that the Father can give His children a precise, correct and full knowledge of Himself. This knowledge comes by a personal experience with the object known – when you have a personal encounter with Jesus Himself through His word.
Let me share with you two examples to help you understand this point.
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”” John 4:39-42
“And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!”
II Chronicles 9:3-7
In both cases, hearing from someone and personally knowing it yourself are two different things. Having a personal encounter with Jesus will lead you to having a precise, correct and full knowledge of Jesus.
“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;” Ephesians 4:13
Jesus your Lord wants you and every single member of His body to grow in the knowledge of Himself. The Word knowledge used in the above verse is the Greek word Epignosis which refers to “A greater participation by the knower in the object known thus more powerfully influencing him”
“He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:13
Growing in the Epignosis of Jesus is growing in the Epignosis of the Word because His name is called the Word of God. Increase your participation in the word of God. Hearing about Jesus and the Word from other people are good but it must inspire you to increase your personal participation in the written word of God with an objective of growing in the knowledge of Jesus. As you labour in the word of God, the Holy Spirit will guide into the Epignosis of Jesus.
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13
“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:14
The Holy Spirit is ready to take any believer who desires and is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach the advanced level of revelation knowledge called Epignosis – the Epignosis of the Son of God. You will have a personal, precise, correct and full knowledge of the Son of God and His influence will be seen in your life – your thoughts, your words and your actions will never be the same. Jesus said He who has seen me has seen the Father. You will say, He who has seen me has seen Jesus. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
Benefits of Epignosis
I. You will escape the corruption and the pollution of the world.
“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.” II Peter 2:20
The Epignosis of Jesus Christ will result in your escape from the pollutions of the world. It refers to the moral pollutions of the world. The world has no honour for the moral standards of God. Therefore the world is polluted – there is moral pollution everywhere you go. Wickedness is prevalent in the streets. The sexual immorality rate is at an all time high. Moral decadence can be seen in an increasing measure in movies, magazines and other media sources. God’s moral standards has been thrown to the streets and trampled upon.
“by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” II Peter 1:4
The moral pollution and corruption in the world is caused by lust. In simple words, lust is a desire for something that is forbidden by God. Adam and Eve had no desire to eat the fruit of the tree that was forbidden by God. The desire to do so was planted by Satan.
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:14-15
Once Eve began to nurture and cultivate that desire, it gave birth to sin and eventually through Adam the entire humanity was polluted and corrupted. This reveals to us the power of a desire. We have to be careful what we see, hear and meditate on consistently.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” I John 2:15-17
These verses reveal to us what the world has and where the world is headed to. The world has nothing but – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and the world is passing away. The more you dwell on the things of the world, the more ungodly and wicked desires will be cultivated in you which will lead you to moral pollution and corruption.
But you can escape the trap of the enemy by pursuing the Epignosis of Jesus through His written word. As you labour diligently on the written word of God with an objective to have a precise, exact, full and personal knowledge of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will destroy those ungodly and wicked desires in you and cultivate in you godly and holy desires.
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT
As you do your part of labouring richly on God’s word, the Holy Spirit will not only create in you godly desires but He will also give you the power to do those desires. The Epignosis of Jesus through His written word will change your desires completely. You will have no part in the things of the world. You will hate the wickedness of the world. You will detest the pleasures of sin. You will abhor the evil desires of the world with an intense passion. The moral pollutions of the world won’t be able to trap you ever again because through the Epignosis of Jesus YOU have escaped it for good. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
2. Grace and Peace will be multiplied in your life.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,” II Peter 1:2 NKJV
The word knowledge in the above verse is the Greek word Epignosis. As you grow in the personal knowledge of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will multiply the grace and the peace of God in your life. This is indeed one of the greatest benefits of Epignosis.
Immersing yourself in the written word of God with an objective of knowing Jesus is an essential part if you desire to have an Epignosis of Jesus Christ. The Epignosis of Jesus will revolutionise your life! You will never be the same! There will be noticeable changes in you for the better. You will shine with the glory of God and will manifest the excellent virtues of Jesus Christ.
The Epignosis of Jesus will result in the multiplication of grace and peace in your life. I want to help you understand what grace and peace means in the context of this verse.
Grace – charis (Greek word) – It is the divine influence of God upon the human spirit resulting in supernatural success and extraordinary results.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV
“Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.” Acts 11:22-23 NKJV
“(for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” Galatians 2:8-9 NKJV
They saw and perceived the grace of God – the divine influence of God. Can you see the grace of God? How do you perceive the grace of God? Well you can see what the grace of God produces. You can perceive the results that comes because of the grace of God. Grace will make your life glorious, excellent and majestic. It will produce for you what human effort can never produce. It will bring results that will be supernatural. It will be so staggering that only the divine influence of God will be held responsible for it.
When the divine influence of God multiplies in your life, divine impact will be seen in you and over all the work of your hands. The impact of divine influence cannot be hidden. There will be recognition. There will be acceleration. There will be progress. There will be unusual success and divine manifestations. In simple words, the Holy Spirit will work wonders in your life. When will He do it? When you pursue the Epignosis of Jesus!
Peace – eirene (Greek word) – It is peace with rest and prosperity.
Another force that will multiply in your life as your grow in the Epignosis of Jesus is peace. The word eirene refers to having it all together. It is peace with rest and prosperity. It is akin to the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom refers to all round prosperity. It refers to the peace that comes from all round prosperity where there is nothing missing and nothing broken. Every area of your life – spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially and in all your relationships – you are experiencing days of heaven on earth.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 NKJV
“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” Acts 9:31 NKJV
The Holy Spirit will multiply the peace of God in your life. He will cause you to excel in every area of your life. Peace without agitation. Peace with rest and prosperity – that is what Jesus has given us and that is exactly what the churches were enjoying. No matter what’s happening in your life today, make a decision to pursue the Lord so you can have a personal, precise, full and exact knowledge of Him. In your pursuit, the Holy Spirit will work on different areas of your life bringing wholeness, completeness and fullness in each area. He will make your life whole again.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,” II Peter 1:2 NKJV
Another word I want to focus on is the word multiplied. Grace and peace won’t be added to you, it will be multiplied to you. ‘Multiplied to you’ can also be referred to as ‘be yours in abundance, be ever increasing in you, cascade over you, given to you more and more, be yours in full measure and to you many times over.’ Multiplied carries the idea of a flood. As you grow in the Epignosis of Jesus through His written word, there will be a flood of grace and peace over your life. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
3. Epignosis of Jesus leads to godliness
“Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,” Titus 1:1 NKJV
The word ‘acknowledgement’ comes from the Greek word ‘Epignosis’. The Epignosis of the truth accords with godliness. Let see the verse in different translations.
“From Paul, God’s willing slave and an apostle of Jesus, the Anointed One, to Titus. I’m writing to you to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and lead them to the full knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,” Titus 1:1 TPT
“This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.” Titus 1:1 NLT
The Epignosis of Jesus will lead you to live a godly life. The word godliness comes from the Greek word eusebeia which means reverence, respect and piety towards God. Let’s look at the main verse again.
“Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,” Titus 1:1 NKJV
The Epignosis of the truth will lead to a godly life. Knowing the truth personally and fully will empower you to live a God-honouring life – a life that pleases God – a life that is for God, by God and through God.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 NKJV
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:17 NKJV
Jesus is the truth. The Word is the truth. The Epignosis – the personal, full, exact and precise knowledge of the truth will lead you to a godly life. A greater participation in the truth with the objective of knowing the truth more fully will transform your life into a God loving life.
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13 NKJV
As you study the written word of God passionately and listen diligently to the anointed teachings of God’s word, the Holy Spirit will lead you to the Epignosis of the truth. As you pursue the Epignosis of the truth, the Holy Spirit will also empower you to live a godly life.
Godliness is a journey, it’s a process. It doesn’t happen in a day, it takes all the way till Jesus comes!
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.” I Timothy 4:7 NKJV
You don’t instantly manifest godliness in your thoughts, words and actions. Godliness in the life of a believer manifests in degrees. As you move ahead in your journey of knowing the Lord through the written word, you will manifest greater degrees of godliness in your life and conduct.
If you don’t know this reality, Satan can take advantage of your ignorance and make you feel guilty and condemned when you make a mistake and thereby weaken your confidence and disturb your passion in your pursuit of the Epignosis of Jesus Christ. Listen, you will make mistakes and miss the mark a lot of times in your journey of knowing the Lord in a greater dimension.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9 NKJV
When you make a mistake, repent quickly. Confess your mistake to the Lord and receive His forgiveness. Keep pursuing the Epignosis of Jesus Christ. Let nothing stop your pursuit. Don’t let your mistakes and your failures stop your pursuit. You won’t see godliness instantly. Don’t let the lack of results as you had expected – stop your passionate pursuit of the Epignosis of Jesus. Be patient and continue to pursue Jesus through His written word. Though it tarry, wait for it. It will surely come for it is the word of God.
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT
Jesus said, ‘Follow me and I will make you…’ In this journey of knowing the Lord, you will fall sometimes, repent and then keep following the Lord. As you refuse to give up pursuing the Word, the Holy Spirit will take you higher in the dimensions of godliness. Godliness will manifest in your life in greater degrees to the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God.
You are victorious in Christ!
Your Victorious Life 