All right, Gentle Reader…
Today I’m going to request your patient indulgence. Just go with me here a moment, ok?
Now, here is an interesting idea that followed my discovery of Gentleness last week. Ready?
Content Warning: I’m about to say an outrageously arrogant thing. (At least on first blush.) But bear with me. This may surprise you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“I know everything.”
I mean that. I know ALL. All there is to know and be known.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now, if that were said boastfully, said in a tone of “neener”, said as children sometimes say, “I know something you don’t know…”, then I’d be in a great deal of trouble right now. That would be a prideful arrogant lie, said to exalt myself and put others down. Perhaps that would offend you (which I would not do), and I’d certainly earn some “quiet time” with the Lord. He does not do well with His children in boastful ego games.
Look here a moment, at these verses, and forget that you’ve ever heard or seen them before. Just let the words speak for themselves…
- John 12:50
And I know that his command is eternal life. So whatever I say, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
John 12:49-50 (in Context) John 12 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
- John 17:3
And this is · eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.
John 17:2-4 (in Context) John 17 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
- 1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates · his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:14-16 (in Context) 1 John 3 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
- 1 John 5:13
I am writing these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life—you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
1 John 5:12-14 (in Context) 1 John 5 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
- 1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in · his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.
1 John 5:19-21 (in Context) 1 John 5 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Let me repeat one of those verses, and then we’ll follow up with a couple questions:
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” Jesus said this to the Father as He prayed out loud in front of the Companion Disciples on their behalf and for all those who believed in Him based on their words. (Like us). I have always looked at that verse, John 17:3, in “One Direction”. That is… I have sought to know God, that I acquire eternal life. Like I had to “earn” eternal life by “acquiring” knowledge of God.
See the problem? See how it reflects in all those verses there? See how many of us in ministry suffer from this same malady?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
You know? I’ve just taken a few minutes break from this post. To pause. To be quiet. To listen…
I had planned to go into a big exposition thing. You know, moving through those verses focusing on “eternal life”, and “knowing”, and the Holy Spirit.
But you, Gentle Reader, have no need of any of that. You are an Indwelt Bible Scholar. Interested and literate.
Really, for me to do as I was planning, would rather deny the entire point, so here it is.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here’s the critical questions, and then tell me what YOU think…
Are you, personally, Indwelt? Does the Holy Spirit reside in you? How much of Him… all… or part?
Do you have eternal life? Do you know that for sure? Good.
Then… WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Or rather… WHOM do you know?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Look at Jesus’ words! Both of the Father and of the Spirit in those chapters. You KNOW GOD. He is IN you. And He cannot be “parsed” or “separated” or “dissected”. God… is a rather All or Nothing proposition.
Here is the shocking conclusion the Lord led me to…
I know everything. Yes. Because yes, I have eternal life… truly. And, with that IN me, I know God… fully.
But there’s no brag or boast in that, because all who have eternal life, know just as much as I do. And all who know Christ, who are Indwelt, have such eternal life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So what does this mean? What is this all about? Is this just Little Monk playing with semantics and being cute with words? Trying to shock everyone?
No. By no means. May it never be!
What this is, is my own shocking realization that I’ve spent so many years trying to “acquire the knowledge of God”, like a pearl trying to grow by accretion of layer upon layer of truth. When God clearly said it doesn’t work like that.
The Holy Spirit brings All Truth with Him, along with eternal life and the assurance of that. THAT becomes like “treasure in one’s field”. The task then, is not to LEARN new “stuff”. The task is to settle quietly, and realize (make real), experience, and comprehend… what one already KNOWS!
It’s not to dash hither and yon through one theology after another, one book after another, one school after another, trying to “collect bits and pieces of the knowledge of God”.
The task is to stop, listen, align the heart, mind, will. Surrender to His love and trust to that. Allow His love, His grace, His priorities to soak through us, our psychologies and neuroses, our fears and insecurities… with trust and love. That we understand how firmly and securely He holds us in HIS embrace… that we then be equipped to embrace others in that same love.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So yes, I will again say the shocking thing I’ve come to understand…
“I know everything.”
BUT, Gentle Reader, so do you! Now let us carry on “bringing to our remembrance” what we already know, that we may understand and live it out, walking.
Amen
P.S. Whatcha know? 🙂 Everything!
The Postmodern Mystic 
wingedprisms
June 4, 2014 at 1:49 PM
great post…… 😀
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 1:55 PM
Thank you! A little bit nerve wracking to prepare to say, in all seriousness, something that sounds so arrogant and ridiculous… and hope that readers will carry on to see what I mean. But, no kidding, and no backing down… the original statement stands. How about you? Howze it feel to realize, you fully, totally, and completely know God… and hence, all else?
It’s a rather disturbing realization for one who considers themselves primarily a “teacher”, such as I. I sort of turned to God saying, “So… I’m out of work?” To which He just laughed and gave a new image, of a midwife. That the “teacher’s task” is not to “imbue with knowledge”. It is to assist a person in ushering into their experience, life, and realization… knowledge already buried inside them. It’s the process of “delivering” wisdom, more than “installing” it. And we each do that for one another, as family, as fellowship, as Body.
Grace — LM
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wingedprisms
June 4, 2014 at 1:57 PM
😀 – we so quickly forget (and I think some have yet to realize) that when we have the Holy Spirit and Jesus and the Father within us – we have exactly that. If we could just remember and walk in that as best we can far more will be complete and healed and BAM! God can be seen by others….. if I only remember…….
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 1:59 PM
You and me both. Tell you what. Once a week or so, you remind me. And I’ll do the same. Deal?
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wingedprisms
June 4, 2014 at 2:00 PM
Deal! I’m in….. 😀
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Don Merritt
June 4, 2014 at 2:17 PM
I like it, yes, everything! The rest is just “stuff”
Yes, I like this one a lot!
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 2:19 PM
Soooooo, Don,
Howzit feel to be omniscient? 🙂 Now, the trick is… well, we need a new word. What’s a usable word for “all-realizing”?
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Don Merritt
June 4, 2014 at 2:27 PM
A New Creation
Oh… sorry, too many words!
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 2:28 PM
Oh, but I like it so much! Yes! 🙂
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paulfg
June 4, 2014 at 4:51 PM
LM – for the first time ever!!!! I get a sense your cats are all sitting around you. Washing with that determined licking. Purring with that throaty burr. Still. Being still. It’s kind of beautiful to see.
“Like I had to “earn” eternal life by “acquiring” knowledge of God.”
Your post earlier had transaction plastered all over it. Yet He held back my typing finger from the keyboard. And as always He knows. And as I am learning, I listened. And waited.
Welcome “midwife”. Another name for a teacher. Giving birth to an awareness of the soul within. Allowing another to grow their own soul. Larger than they ever thought possible. Discipling by birthing that awareness of within.
And a “new name”? I always thought I am of I Am did the job.
I have a sister. Lives 300 miles from here. We talk by phone sometimes. See each other two three times a year. I love my sister. She is in me somewhere always. Sometimes big, sometimes a whisper, sometimes tucked away behind a bunch of other stuff. Neither of us “need” more.
That is the closest I can get to “in dwelling”.
And the closest I can get to saying thank you for all your ongoing teaching/midwifing/connecting/challenging/loving/out flowing is … Thank you. I love sharing your connection.
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 5:31 PM
“for the first time ever!!!! I get a sense your cats are all sitting around you. Washing with that determined licking. Purring with that throaty burr. Still. Being still. It’s kind of beautiful to see…”
Actually, I think when I plonked down in astonishment the first time to say, “I know everything…” I heard them turn to me and say, “We’ve been trying to tell you… silly hoo-man,”
And yes, there are people who dwell within me as well. I’ve never thought of that. Glad this post worked for you. I figured you were “up in town” today, and wondered what you’d think. 🙂
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paulfg
June 4, 2014 at 5:50 PM
Ha ha! All these changes mean Thursday or Friday is town day!! I was just very good and listened to the “not yet”‘request.
There are loadsa things in this one: discipling and helping birth a baby soul – beautiful! Knowing everything “because” rather than by books – beautiful. And the most beautiful thing of all for me? One I sense more and more … There is no “one way” for these wham-bam moments. Every single one of us has a different key, and he has one perfect lock for just our key.
My joy is increasingly seeing the joy when another’s key turns and that moment happens.
As for the “I know everything” – one key one lock one great joy. As for the indwelling and knowing everything – do you get a sense of knowing everything – or knowing just the right thing at just the right time without knowing how you know that in that moment?
Or is that the same thing?
🙂
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 5:50 PM
Hey, I’ve got the dumbest question in the world. I was just watching an episode of Midsomer Murders, and Tom Barnaby and his wife were shopping in a market as he pushes the shopping cart. I found myself wondering, do ya’ll go down the left side of the aisles in the market, passing people on your right? Or do you go down the right side?
No reason at all for the question but that inquiring minds want to know. (Btw, we go down the right, usually. Unless there’s a gawker or what we want is on the other side.)
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paulfg
June 4, 2014 at 5:53 PM
We go where the other carts are not. Left or right or up a different aisle and come in from the other end.
Now cars (what we call automobiles) – that’s the left stuff.
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Little Monk
June 4, 2014 at 5:57 PM
Ah, another small mystery solved! Something else “realized” that somehow I already “knew”.
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“Knowing just the right thing at just the right time without knowing how you know that in that moment? Or is that the same thing?”
Fun question. I am not sure the difference is meaningful. There’s nothing wrong with “seeking”, Jesus said to do that. But it’s the “running about” part that seems to have dropped off here. It seems the answer is always contained in the question, when we listen.
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paulfg
June 4, 2014 at 6:05 PM
I will now sleep. Great to have you back!!
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Susan Irene Fox
June 5, 2014 at 1:31 PM
I am slowly, day by day, become more confident in this.As I write and seek knowledge and confirmation in Scripture for something I believe I know, I sometimes receive it right away. Other times, I wander down a rabbit hole for hours.
Then I am reminded of something I attempted to affirm a couple of years ago. I searched through Scripture and couldn’t find the answer. I asked three different pastors, and they, too, could not give me the answer. I felt a strong leading from the Holy Spirit that I “knew,” so I went with it. Sure enough, this week, I “happened” upon the confirming Scripture as I was seeking out confirmation for another “feeling.”
As a new believer, it comforts me to have a growing confidence and trust in the Holy Spirit, and to have this experience and evidence as proof of His indwelling.
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Little Monk
June 5, 2014 at 1:36 PM
🙂
A wonderful tool in finding scriptures is BibleGateway.com It will help you search both by word combinations and by version. (Like maybe your remembrance is of a King James rendition. That may be quite different from NIV or NASB or whatever.) See what you think of this tool. Later there’s some other cool tools out there, if you get adventurous! 🙂
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Susan Irene Fox
June 5, 2014 at 2:43 PM
I’ve actually been using BibleGateway.com for some time now. I’ve been wanting to dive into Hebrew and Greek translations, and can’t quite figure out how to navigate the Strong’s section. In trying to understand the nuance of a particular word, it’s frustrating to look up a word and find 5-7 meanings. I can “assume,” but we all know what that would make me! 😀
That’s what I mean about going down a rabbit hole. I need to rely on the different translations and the Holy Spirit when that happens.
If you have any other “cool tool” suggestions, fire away. I’m always up for an educational adventure. Lifelong learner here! 🙂
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Little Monk
June 5, 2014 at 2:51 PM
Yup, we do. If Greek looks like fun, try this. Yer already using BibleGateway. Find a verse/word you want to check out… the “idea” you want to explore, and a verse that represents it most clearly for you. Like “forgiveness” or “repentance” or “judgment” or whatever concept. Identify a verse, then find that chapter in whatever translation you like. Note the chapter/verse number, the switch the “Page Version” button… to “Mounce Interlinear Greek New Testament”.
You’ll see the whole chapter appear in two different lines, one English, one Greek. Go to the verse you are interested in, and click on the word you want to research in Greek. (Remember, this will only work in “Chapter” view with the Mounce on the page alone, not in parallel.) Anyway, you’ll see your target word become highlighted everywhere it appears in the chapter.
Now, on the right panel at the top there will be a little “information box” about your word, and towards the bottom of that box, the words.. “click to see every verse where xxxxx appears”.
When you click it, you’ll go to Teknia.com and see the Strongs’ and Young’s information about your word, some statistics, and just below that, you’ll see ever incidence of your GREEK word, (not just English, like Biblegateway)… appears. Examining these verses carefully, sometimes expanding to their chapters to get a stronger sense of context… I find gives me a very solid feel for the “connotations”, not just “denotations”… the different “flavors” and “aromas” that some of these words carry.
See what you think! Grace to you! — LM
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Susan Irene Fox
June 5, 2014 at 4:16 PM
Wow, thank you!
I’ve just printed out these instructions, as I’m completely brain dead now. (Happens every day around 2pm – I start at 6:30am.) I’m going to try it first thing in the morning.
Oh, I’m so excited! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whoopee! 😀
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Little Monk
June 5, 2014 at 4:17 PM
You’re so welcome! Lol. Just ask me or Paulfg if my instructions aren’t clear enough. 🙂 Joy to you!
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