To know God Himself is to know the nature of God. As soon as we are regenerated and receive the life of God, we have the nature of God. Through the life of God within us, we can touch the nature of God. When we touch the nature of God, we touch God Himself; in other words, we know God Himself. Such knowledge is different from the first two steps of knowing God’s doing and His ways from without. This is knowing God Himself from within.
For example, consider a brother who had an incurable sickness, but who was actually healed by God. He exclaims happily: “Thank God, He really cared for me!” From this, he knew a little about the doings of God. Later he was sick again. This time he knew it was because he had some fault and God was chastening and disciplining him. Thus, he dealt with his fault. When he had done this, he knew God would heal him (1 Cor. 11:30-32). The result was that God did actually heal him. But before he was healed, he already knew God would heal him. This was because he knew the ways of God. At this time, though his knowledge of God had improved—from knowing God’s doings to knowing His ways—yet still it was an objective knowledge of God from without, not a subjective knowledge of God from within. Later, this brother felt from within that he had certain things which were not in accord with the holy nature of God; so he dealt with them and eliminated them. Such feeling and such knowing did not come from anything outside of him, but from the consciousness given to him by the inward life of God. Hence, this time he came to know God Himself from within; he had a subjective knowledge of God.
Consider another brother who in the beginning of a severe difficulty prayed to God, and God carried him through. He thus knew the doings of God. Later, when he again met a difficulty, he knew how he should act so that he could be carried through by God. This indicates that he knew the ways of God. Finally, when he again met a difficulty, he had strangely within him a sense. He sensed that God would definitely carry him through. This sense or knowing was not due to his seeing certain doings of God from without, or from knowing the principles by which God does things. It was because he had touched God Himself from within; therefore, he had this sense or this knowing. Such knowledge of God can be said to be the highest, the deepest, and the most inward.
In Old Testament times, God manifested only His doings and His ways to men. Therefore, at that time man could only obtain the first two steps of knowing God. Now that the New Testament time has come, though we still should know the doings and the ways of God, yet the most important and glorious thing is that God Himself in the Spirit dwells within us to become our life. This enables us to directly touch God Himself and to know Him from within. This third step of knowing God, the knowing of God Himself, is a special blessing to us who are saved under the new covenant.
Though our knowledge of God is in three steps, there are actually only two kinds of knowledge: the outward knowledge and the inward knowledge. To know the doings and the ways of God are both knowledge of an outward nature. Though these two steps of knowledge differ in degree of depth, yet they are both a knowledge of God derived from the doings and the ways of God outside of us. Therefore, they are objective and outward. Yet to know God Himself is knowledge of an inward kind. This kind of knowledge comes as we touch God Himself by His life within and thereby know Him in a subjective and inward way.
In the original text of the Bible, there are two different words used to describe the inward and outward knowledge. Hebrews 8:11 speaks of our knowing the Lord. The word “know” is used twice in this verse, yet in the original text, two different words were used with different meanings. The first “know” refers to our general, outward knowledge, for which we need the teaching of men. The second “know” refers to the knowledge of our inward sense, for which we do not need man’s teaching. This indicates that the outward and inward knowledge of God are indeed different.
For example, suppose we put some fine, white sugar side by side with some fine, white salt. In outward appearance, both are white and fine, and it is difficult to distinguish between them. We may ask someone to tell us which is sugar and which is salt, but this knowledge comes from the teaching of others and is outward, objective, and general. It can also be mistaken. Yet if we simply taste them, we immediately can taste which is sweet and therefore, is sugar, and which is salty and therefore is salt. We do not need others to tell us. This knowing is derived from the sense within; so it is subjective and belongs to the inner sense.
Whenever we taste God from within, we have an enjoyment and taste that cannot be obtained by the knowledge of God according to His doings or ways from without. Psalm 34:8 says: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.” Thank God, He can be tasted! Hebrews 6:4-5 says also: “Those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come.” This shows us that not only can God be tasted, but the things of God, the things of the Spirit, can also be tasted. This tasting causes us to know from within. Once we “taste” God and the things of God from within, we naturally have a certain, accurate knowledge which comes from the inner sense, and we do not need others to teach us. This is indeed a glorious blessing under the new covenant!