The Intent of the Word

by Dan DeVitis

here is a place Christians find themselves in what I term "the gap." And no, it is not a clothing store. It is not even a place, as such. It is a condition that has resulted from failure to internalize revelation knowledge. You see there is this gap between revelation knowledge and experience. All too often we hear an anointed message, agree with it, and walk away with a greater understanding of the Lord's call upon our lives and our eternal destiny. And, that is where it remains, in our understanding. We have grown in knowledge but not experience.

Many years ago I heard "the word" of salvation in and through Christ. When acted upon it, I experienced the internalization of that word. I was changed, never to be the same again. There was no gap between hearing "the word," gaining revelation knowledge, and experience. "The word" did not remain externally as an understanding of how a Christian should live or conduct himself spiritually. I was not just spiritually enlightened. This word became flesh. I was born anew. Now, I must grow and mature spiritually in the same manner.

Years later I met an old friend from whom I had since parted ways. Our conversation drifted to a discussion of the 'bride of Christ' and of this present time of preparation for the return of the Bridegroom. The discussion was so good that I began to attend his church (my home fellowship was still meeting on Sunday evenings at that time.) This man's messages were right on target. Weekly he would expound "the word" of the 'Bride of Christ,'—her calling, her foreshadowing in scripture, this time of preparation, the anticipated marriage supper, and so on. It was good.

However, something became very evident. This word was not having an effect on the lives of the people, nor even in the life of the pastor himself. An obvious gap existed between revelation knowledge and experience. The pastor grew stronger in his controlling character trying to force the people into some kind of pattern for Christian living, and the people remained immature, self-centered, unstable….well, I'm out of adjectives.

Both the apostle John in his first epistle and Paul in his epistle to the Galatians addressed the then current Gnostic heresy in the Church. The Gnostics taught that matter, including the outward man, was nothing, corrupt, and evil, and that salvation was just of the spirit. They believed that their understanding of the hidden knowledge (gnosis) made them a kind of spiritual elite, who were above normal distinctions of right and wrong. And now today, how often have we witnessed a 'man of God', profound in his ministry of "the word," be found to conduct his personal life in disregard for true Christian ethics? Or a people filled with revelation knowledge of the mysteries of God, but whose personal lives are filled with the secular and the mundane? This is the gap of which I am writing, between revelation knowledge and experience.

The apostle Paul warns of those who are, "Always learning but never able to come into the knowledge of the truth." 2Tim. 3:7 An understanding of the word for "knowledge" here, epignosis, is of utmost importance. (See footnote) What Paul is saying is that these people are always learning, they are always enthusiastically becoming informed and growing in understanding of many things, but are falling short of entering into that knowledge that is full and experiential—a way in which it powerfully influences and manifests in the spiritual life of the believer. Epignosis knowledge closes the gap between knowing and experiencing.

I highly value "the word". I honor it as that inspired by God (God breathed) and respect it, not handling it carelessly but examining every word singularly and in its context. However, we must put our understanding of "the word" into a proper light. "The word" is the most highly valued servant of God. It serves God as it makes known His heart. God sends forth His word to accomplish His purposes—"He sends it forth from His mouth." And, as a faithful servant, "it will not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the things for which He sends it." (Is. 55:11) God sent forth the fullness of His Word in Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:14), who emptied Himself of deity and came to this earth in the form of this servant (Mt. 20:28). Jesus would express "the word" in His teachings and parables, and send it forth to accomplish His work of miracles, e.g., Mt. 8:5-8. He was exalted in glory when His work as "the Word" was complete—"It is finished."

The fundamental nature of "the word" is that of an obedient servant. Some have exalted the exposition and doctrinal analysis of "the word" to a place it does not belong. Should one love, serve, worship, and emulate the servant, or the One who has sent the servant? When this servant has fulfilled its mission, the heart of God has been satisfied, His purpose is fulfilled, and things will never be the same again.

Is there not a goal to "the word?" Should not revelation in the deeper things of God cause consequential changes in our hearts according to His purpose? Should there not be a progressive sanctification? A maturing unto sonship? A preparation of a people for the return of our Lord—a people that have become more pleasing to Him and more functional to His use? Or is the end product a people filled with revelation knowledge above all the people on earth? Of this latter, I don't think so.

There is the work of "the word." This work of "the word" is to reveal the mysteries of God (Col. 1:27), to explain His upward call (Phil. 3:14), and to expose our condition before Him (2Tim. 3:16).

But the purpose, the actual intent of "the word", is to bring us into the intimacy of His fellowship, which is the place of the spiritual, the miraculous--the place of transformation of our minds and hearts (Rm. 12:2, Heb. 4:12, etc.). It is in His fellowship, where "the word" is actually written upon our hearts (Heb. 8:10), just as He wrote His commandments upon the two tablets with His finger. Ex. 31:18

Is this not the pattern of salvation set forth in the second paragraph above? I heard the Word--the mystery of Christ was revealed; I received Christ into my heart--Godly fellowship in the spirit; and something happened within, I would never be the same again—experiential transformation.

How often, today, the highest in church services is a focused on "the sermon." Now listen, I would never lessen the importance of the anointed message and the absolute necessity to, "Feed My sheep." Jn. 21:17 However, how often worship and prayer are a prelude to this anticipated revelation of the mysteries of God? And, we walk away from such services with greater understanding of who God is, His high calling, His purposes, and His end time goal for our lives.

But is this really the highest? Should not the exposition of the Word, all doctrinal analysis of its intent, lead a people into the intimacy of Godly fellowship—and the place of transformation? Is this not where Spirit-to-spirit fellowship imparts some greater measure of Christ? Should we not find ourselves in the position of Mary, the sister of Martha, who sat at Jesus' feet, not just hearing His words but actually receiving something into her being, some measure of Christ Himself? Lk. 10:39

In a like manner, how often do we fill our mornings with a time reading or hearing "the Word", then after a few prayers we're off to our daily chores? But, little time is given for intimate fellowship, Spirit-to-spirit communion. This very morning I awoke from a dream in which I was speaking face-to-face with a dear friend. Our hearts were open to one another as we talked of things of God. Then, in my dream I leaned even closer to him and said, "Isn't this God's highest? This very kind of fellowship with Him?" And it is, you know.

Our gatherings must be soberly understood as a most solemn assembly. Oh not a gathering to pay homage to God, to offer our sacrifice of tithes and praises, and to receive a message among other blessings. Our realization must be that we constitute a most holy sanctuary, the actual presence of God Himself in the Spirit. We may be sitting in a building made with hands, but in the Spirit we, "are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:6

And above all is the attitude of our hearts. Our sacrifice brought to the throne of God and the Lamb, must be that of "a broken and contrite heart." (Ps. 51:17) Is not that contrite heart one that is truly humble, and remorseful, or sorrowful (2Cor. 7:10) over all one's failures whether of morality, character, obedience, attachment to the world and the secular, or just plain falling short--all that the Spirit may expose.

Oh that His Holy Spirit, in this time of holy communion, would work the reality of His Word into our hearts, transforming our inward man—"beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2Cor. 3:18) That we might inhabit that place where the word become flesh, where spiritual revelations becomes experiential reality, where that of the flesh, the secular, the mundane is, as an offering, consumed upon the altar of sacrifice (Rm. 12:1,2).

It is here, in this holy sanctuary of Godly fellowship, in this place of ultimate adoration and surrender, where "we draw near with a true or genuine heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22), where true worship occurs. It is here where we become, "manifestly an epistle of Christ…written not with ink but by the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2Cor. 3:3 This, is the intent of the word.

¹The Greek word epignosis combines the prefix epi, which intensifies gnosis, which means to know experientially. Thus, epignosis means "a more thorough and exact participation in the object of knowledge; a knowledge which powerfully influences the form of the spiritual life, exerting influence on the person, determining the manifestation of the spiritual life including its moral conduct." Therefore this experiential knowledge of God closes 'the gap' between revelation knowledge and experience.