We wrestled with our relationship with God in some form or other. We wonder if we know Him. We think we have a grasp but then as a slippery fish, all we thought we knew about Him disappears into the murky water.

In Paul’s letters he talks about knowing God. He uses three different words for the word know, ginosko, epignosis and kiononia. As I take a closer look I notice a progression in the know words. Does this give some road map, some strategy for the wrestling?

Ginosko
The know about stage.

  I have come across Christopher Columbus. And no it was not in real life and yes it was in 6th grade history class. In a beat up old text book that other kids had chewed and wrote random things “ Go Phillies” and “ I hate Martha” ect. I read about him, wrote the answers down in my notebook and closed the book. I had never met him yet I knew about him. I could tell you that in 1492 he got the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria and wooshed-a-shooshed across the oceans. I could rattle the facts of what I had learned about him.
  We learn about God, the facts. In our brains we hold the information. We recite the Lord’s Prayer as we peek through squinty eyes. We know about God. We hear about Him in church. In family devotions, at summer bible school. If you asked about God we could tell you what we know. This stage is the foundation of our fellowship with God. It is the beginning and a stage that we need to keep building if we want to keep growing.

 Some practical ways that we keep building this foundation:

• Study Scripture
• Take classes or become part of a Bible study
• Read books that expands our knowledge of God

 Then Paul talks in Romans 10: 1 and 2 that he wishes that the Israelites would grow beyond just the zeal of learning about God and actually allow it to become heart
knowledge. Which bring us to the next word.

Epignosis
The heart knowledge stage.

  Romans 12:2 but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. This is more than just knowing about God but allowing His truth to become a part of our being. Transforming
our hearts. Allowing the truth of God to humble us, break us, and heal us, to change us deeply. We wrestle with our brokenness, our personhood. Instead of trying to manage our lives we choose to embrace the mystery.

Some practical ways that deepen this heart knowledge:

• Reflect on God’s miracles and workings in our lives
• Look honestly at our stories and see the thread of God’s work in them
• Allowing or lives to be directed by the Holy Spirit

  This brings us to our final eternal knowing.

Koinonia
The ongoing fellowship.

 This is through the transformed heart. This requires us to walk daily in the light as in 1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Its a deep communion with Christ, a close knit, and partaker in His sufferings. This no longer just wrestling with brokenness but to welcome it with rejoicing. This is dwelling, abiding and that oneness with Christ. This fellowship is eternal. When we make that transition from this earth to that heavenly place we will be there in endless fellowship with the Bridegroom.
There are some practical ways that this is played out on earth:

• Engaging in Spiritual warfare
• Having strong confidence in Him
• Constant communing with Him in the spirit

We can not enter into deep ongoing fellowship, kiononia, until we have wrestled well with, ginosko and epignosis. And yet again maybe, I think its far less cut and dry than this. This wrestling I mean.