The word “knowledge” in Greek is “epignosis”, and it means exact or precise knowledge; full knowledge with intimacy. It means full comprehension, recognition, or perception; to become fully acquainted with God. This is the knowledge the Lord seeks for His children to have of Him. We’ve been called to glory and virtue; that’s the life of glory, honour, dignity and excellence, and this life works in you through your knowledge—“epignosis” —of Him.

The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, shows us how to get this knowledge of God in His prayer for the Church: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…” (Ephesians 1:17-18). What does this mean?

He’s saying that as you get to know God through this kind of special relationship or acquaintance, He’ll grant you insight into reality. Yes, God has appointed you to a life of honour, dignity, and excellence, but as you learn about Him, as you meditate on the Word, secrets about this life and how to walk in the reality of it are unveiled to you. It reminds me of yet another powerful truth in 2 Peter 1:2: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (KJV). Again, the word translated knowledge here is “epignosis.” So, in addition to a life of honour, dignity, and excellence, grace and peace can be multiplied in your life as you meditate on the Word of God.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Faith is based on a promise, while knowledge is based on revelation-spiritual information. We all have faith according to the Scriptures, but functioning according to the revelation knowledge that God has made available to you through His Word is what puts you over in life. That’s what makes the difference. For example, David wasn’t merely demonstrating faith when he confronted and defeated Goliath; he had revelation knowledge of God’s covenant with Israel. It wasn’t that he had more faith than everyone else in Israel; what distinguished him was what he knew-revelation knowledge.

When he asked about Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:26 “…who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” he was speaking from his knowledge of the circumcision. He knew the implication and benefits of the circumcision. He knew, on the basis of that spiritual information, that he could mince Goliath, the champion of the Philistines.

Understand this: when you know the Word, you don’t need to try to squeeze out faith! That knowledge gives you faith. What David did was a demonstration of his knowledge; he knew the significance and power of his circumcision. The Word of God already gave the children of Israel the clear information that they would not fall before the uncircumcised. For David, that wasn’t something he needed to try to “believe,” but something he had come to know; the knowledge was in his spirit.

You become effective in life as a Christian when you function according to revelation knowledge. In Matthew 22:29, Jesus said, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures….” He lets us know that the reason people make mistakes, and go wrong in their choices and actions, is that they lack the revelation knowledge of the Word.

Have a burning desire for the knowledge of God’s Word. Consistently inundate your spirit and mind with spiritual information from God’s Word. Your ability to live a victorious, joyous, and prosperous life is dependent on how much of God’s Word you know and live by.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9).

In the opening verse above, the Apostle Paul specifically prayed for the Colossian brethren to be filled with the full knowledge of God’s will. This was the knowledge of God that Paul had, and lived by; which made him extraordinary and distinguished him among the Apostles. It’s the knowledge that makes us masters. It puts you over in life.

In Christ, we’re ordained of God to live as champions and reign as kings in life. The reason this hasn’t been the experience of many is that they haven’t learnt to walk in the knowledge of God’s will. Romans 12:2 tells us about the good, the acceptable, and the perfect will of God: “And be not conformed to this world: 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.”