Yet one day God gives to us a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Then He reveals Himself to us in a fresh, special, and deepening way, so that we can say that not only do we know Him, but we have a full knowledge of Him. Then we can declare, "Now I know. I have seen, and I am clear. I do not need any other support. I do not need my mind or my feelings to support me anymore. I have the full knowledge of God now."

Perhaps some of you do not understand what I mean. I will illustrate with a few examples. A Christian once said, "I have been a believer for twenty-two years. During the first two years, I tried hard to believe. If you asked me if I was saved, I could tell you definitely that I was; no one could say that I was not saved. I knew that I was saved, and I knew that I had eternal life. But there was one problem: when others asked if I believed in God, I had to push myself very hard to tell them that I did. It seemed as if I was grasping hold of my believing, and that if I did not grasp on to it, I would become a non-Christian. My believing in the Lord was a tiresome believing. Did I believe in God? Yes, I did. But did I know Him? No, I did not. I needed many reasons and doctrines to support my belief. I could only be at peace when I found enough reasons to justify myself and when I found the right doctrines. Only then could I speak to others about my faith. I needed the support of my mind to be a Christian. But today I can testify that I am not like that anymore. I can say that I know my God. I do not need any reasons to support my faith, and I do not need any external evidence to defend my belief."

Brothers and sisters, this is what it is like when we truly know God. This kind of knowledge comes from revelation. It is not a matter of a lucid teaching, but a matter of inward knowledge. This knowledge is unlike the knowledge we had when we first believed, which had to be handled with much care, like a cup full of water, lest it spill. Many people believe in the Lord Jesus in a way that is like holding a cup full of water; they walk very carefully. They are afraid of hearing this or that. But one day God gives them a revelation, and they know Him; they begin to have the full knowledge of Him, and they truly see Him. Then they no longer have any problems. Brothers and sisters, if you truly know Him, the whole world's faith will not help you, and the whole world's unbelief will not shake you. Even if the arguments of others sound reasonable, even if they say that the Bible is false, and even if there are more reasons to disbelieve than to believe, no reason can shake you. You can boldly declare, "I know inwardly. My knowledge is deeper than my mind. My knowledge is deeper than my feelings. Nothing outward can shake this inward knowledge of mine."

This is indeed a very crucial matter. Many Christians live by their feelings. If they feel happy and joyful, they say that God has been gracious to them. If they feel cold and indifferent, and if they lose their taste for everything, they almost say, "Where is God? It is hard to know Him!" Many people are sustained by their feelings. Once their feelings are gone, they waver and shake. They are this way because they do not have the full knowledge of God. God has to lead us to the point that we no longer care if we feel cold or hot, indifferent or excited, because we have known God. Our knowledge is deeper than our joy, our pain, or any feeling. Although outwardly there may be joy, pain, or other kinds of feelings, no feeling will change us, because we know Him inwardly. Brothers and sisters, only this kind of Christian will stand, and only this kind of Christian will not be shaken. God can only use this kind of person.

There was a brother who was told not long after he became a believer that there were mistakes in the Bible. He became so worried that he almost cried. He believed that the Bible was right, and he believed that there could not be anything wrong with it. But others pointed out to him several places which made him a little concerned. He worried about what would happen if the Bible was indeed wrong. He referred this matter to an older sister. He thought that she would definitely be concerned if she heard about some mistakes in the Bible because she loved the Lord and the Bible so much. But to his surprise, after he mentioned it, the sister acted as if nothing had happened. She only said, "It does not matter." The brother thought, "It does not matter to you. But it matters to me." He pressed on for an answer from the sister. Eventually, the sister replied that one's knowledge of God does not depend on such questions being answered. The brother thought, "Perhaps a person as old as you does not need to think about these questions. But I am a young person, and I have a mind that thinks. It is impossible for me to let this matter go so easily." Later that brother spent a year to study the Bible and investigate the allegations. Eventually, he found the evidence to prove that the Bible had no mistake and that it was right. He felt that a big rock was removed from his heart. Actually, had that brother known God, he would not have needed to waste his time worrying. Brothers and sisters, if you have the full knowledge of God, even if more questions come, you will not have any rock in your heart, and nothing will bother you. Others may prove this and that, but Christians can prove one thing—God is God. We know our God. He is so real. Once we know, we know. If we have the full knowledge of Him, every problem will go away. It is not a matter of persuasive reasonings or clear doctrines, but a matter of revelation. Revelation is indispensable. We have to ask God to give us a spirit of revelation, so that we can have the full knowledge of Him. This knowledge is foundational to a believer, and it is quite necessary.