The Knowledge Of The Holy: The Eternal God by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Why the Knowledge of God Matters

The foundation of the believer's confidence in the kingdom is based primarily on the depth of encounter with the personality the Bible calls him who sits upon the throne. The difference between any two believers may not necessarily be the amount of scripture they have read or the church activities they have engaged in — usually it is the depth of their encounter and comprehension of God in all his multifaceted dimensions.

God, as mighty and eternal and vast as he is, desires to be known. He has programmed the strength of his people to depend on their knowledge of him. John 17:3: This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

The believer is not given the liberty to learn God using any formula. Creativity happens when you begin to dominate within the cosmos — but the business of encounters is based on a pathway that is already predefined. If you attempt to learn God through a route of your own invention, you will end up with casualties in the spirit. The scribes and the Pharisees were learned men who wanted to know God — and when Jesus appeared, every sermon was a judgment over them. One of them became humble: Nicodemus. His admission led to John 3:16.

Three Biblical Channels for Learning God

There are three ways to learn God:

1. Through his character and nature — the greatest and deepest channel
2. Through his ways — which translates to wisdom in your life
3. Through his power — which causes you to do the works of God

The nature of God transmutes that same nature to work in your life. The ways of God translate to wisdom. The power of God causes you by the Spirit to do the works of God. To illustrate: if someone dropped money with a gentleman you have never met, the easiest way to identify him in a crowd is by a description connected to his character and nature. You came in with an understanding — and you are not confused by the many people around you. This is what John was doing when he got to the throne room. There were many things that could attract him, but his attention was on the epicenter: the one who sits on the throne.

Four Principal Qualities of God's Nature

In study of the word and by the help of the Spirit, there are four outstanding qualities of God. It does not matter what you are called to do — if you will be a person of power and stature in the spirit, you must encounter these four dimensions.

1. God is Spirit — John 4:24. God is not just a being who has a spirit — God is Spirit. Anyone who comes to do business with him must have this orientation. You cannot relate with God from the realm of flesh and blood. Matthew 16:17: "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you." You must master the laws of the spirit. Do not be frustrated when your mind does not understand — the staying power comes from the revelation that God is Spirit. In the realm of the spirit, every impossibility is only a raw material.
2. God is Holy — 1 Samuel 2:2: "There is none holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee." Revelation 4:8: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." The Hebrew word kadosh means set apart — branded in a class all by yourself. When the Bible says God is holy, it is not merely saying God does not sin. It is saying you are given the liberty to explore every realm of the spirit and you will not find any like him. This knowledge does not just purify your heart — it gives you confidence as you approach him. When the Holy One looks at you and says you are free, there is no judge who can call you back.
3. God is Light — 1 John 1:5: "God is light and in him is no darkness at all." In his presence nothing is hidden. When that light comes to your finances, your destiny, your ministry, your mind — everything changes. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. According to the law of visibility, everything can remain under a bushel if it has no light. If you desire visibility, do not look for who will announce you — look for light. God does not only shine light into darkness — he can command light to shine out of darkness. Ask Saul. Ask Rahab. Out of your pain, a ministry can come. Ephesians 3:9 reveals the assignment of the teaching priest: to make all men see. When you know that God is light, an ability comes upon you while you teach — a grace cast upon your hearers — to make all men see.
4. God is Love — 1 John 4:7–8: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love." There are four dimensions of true love:

   • Passion — the first index of genuine love. It is impossible for genuine love to be at work and passion be found wanting. When your hunger for God is missing, something is wrong with your love.
   • Commitment — the staying power that remains whether convenient or not. Emotions are the weakest index for directing a man's life. But love constrains. He said, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." God is not ashamed to show how vulnerable he is — he can chase men without shame, and when they repent, he is already on his way to meet them before they return home.
   • Sacrifice — love that gives without reservation. John 3:16: God so loved the world that he gave. The measure of giving defines the measure of love.
   • Vulnerability — true love opens itself to the risk of rejection. God opened himself to that risk in sending his Son to a world that would crucify him.

The Invitation: An Experiential Knowledge

Job said, "I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee." You can doubt what you hear — you cannot doubt what you see. There are certain things you will never be able to do until you know God. Audacity is a product of the knowledge of God. Genuine Bible faith and exploits in the kingdom come from encounter.