The Heart - Part 3 — Stephen Kaung

Our Heavenly Father, we do rejoice in thy presence, knowing that we are the family of God. How we praise and thank thee for thy great love towards us, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we shall be called the children of God.

And we are truly thy children because thou hast given us thy own life. We do praise and we thank thee because thou dost tell us to know thee the only true God and to know the one whom thou hast sent. This is eternal life.

We praise and thank thee for giving us this wonderful knowledge of thyself. We know thee and we want to know thee more. We pray that this evening thou will open thy word to us and open our hearts to thy word, that thou mayst be able to impart thyself to us in a fuller way, that we may enter into the fullness of Lord.

Together we look to thee to give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation to the full knowledge of God. In the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen. For the past two sessions we have been fellowshipping together over this matter of the heart and its relationship with life.

The Heart as the Passage of Divine Life

The heart is the passage through which the life of God enters into us and also flows out of us. For out of the heart are the issues of life. Very often we find that the life of God is being obstructed or being bound up within us.

It is not because the life of God within us is not living, is not operating. It is because something is wrong with our heart. If we turn our heart to the Lord, then the veil will be taken away from our face and we shall behold the glory of the Lord and we shall be transformed from glory to glory according to his image as by the Lord.

And this morning we mentioned how God desires to be our God and how can we be his people, not in a superficial way but in a real way and the secret is God is to be our God in the law of the spirit of life and we are to be his people also in the same law.

It's only when we learn to live according to the law of the spirit of life then we find ourselves truly God's people and God is truly our God. I think there is one thing which fascinates me and that is when Paul says, my God, my God shall supply all your needs.

My God, God is my God. In other words, he knows God in a way that makes God his God and he is truly God's people and we say this morning that this is God's purpose. Now this is Hebrews chapter 8. This morning we read verse 10.

Tonight we will read verse 11. Hebrews chapter 8 verse 11. And they shall not teach each his fellow citizen and each his brother saying know the Lord because all shall know me. Now in this translation it said all shall know me in themselves because in the original it does have such a meaning in it.

From the little one among them unto the great among them. Let's read it again. And they shall not teach each his fellow citizen and each his brother saying know the Lord because all shall know me in themselves from the little one among them unto the great among them.

1st John chapter 2. 1st epistle of John chapter 2 verse 27. 1st John chapter 2 verse 27. And yourselves, the unction, make it clearer. The anointing. The anointing. Not only the anointing oil but the anointing which ye have received from him abide in you.

And ye have not need that anyone should teach you. But as the same anointing teaches you as to all things and is true and is not a lie. And even as it has taught you ye shall abide in him. You have no need that anyone should teach you.

Why? Because the anointing teaches you in all things and it is true and not a lie. And even as it has taught you ye shall abide in him. Probably we'll read a few more. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 in the first prayer that Paul prayed for the saints there.

Verse 17 and the first part of verse 18. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him. Being enlightened in the eyes of your heart.

Knowing God Through the New Covenant

Being enlightened in the eyes of your heart. Chapter 3 of Ephesians. Paul's second prayer for the saints there. Verses 16 through verse 19. In order that he may give you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his spirit in the inner man, that the Christ may dwell through faith in your heart, being rooted and grounded in love, in order that ye may be fully able to apprehend with all the things what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of the Christ Christ the past knowledge, that ye may be filled even to all the fullness of God.

Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Another prayer of Paul for the church in Colossae. Verse 9. For this reason we also from the day we heard of your faith and love do not cease praying and asking for you to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

We mentioned this morning the reason why God put his law in our heart is because by doing that he is able to be our God and we will be his people. In other words this is the only true way in which God can really be our God and we really be his people.

His law is in our heart. This is the law of the spirit of life. Life that God has put in us is the law within us. And if our heart is towards the Lord we will love the law of and we will find it not only give us knowledge it give us power to do his will.

We are able to listen to him, we are able to obey him, we are able to honor and respect him, we are able to worship and to serve him. He is truly our God and we are truly his people. Now we say this morning this is God's purpose towards us.

But this evening we would like to say this. The new covenant does not end there. God said putting my law into their mind and write them on their heart that I may be to them God and they may be for me a people.

But that's not all. It continues with verse 11 and in verse 11 it says they shall not, they do not need to teach everyone his fellow citizen and everyone his brother saying know the Lord because they shall all know me in themselves from the littlest among them to the will be our God in the law of life.

It's a purpose but it is also towards an end. Why does God want to be our God? Why does he want us to be his people? There is an end purpose towards that and that end purpose is God wants us to know him because knowing him is to be united with him.

To be united with him is to be filled and this you will find is the end result. So we may say this the end that God has in view before us is that we may know him. We may have the full knowledge of God and in having the full knowledge of God we will be filled with the fullness that is the end.

Moses’ Desire to See God’s Glory

You remember in the old testament Moses cried before the Lord. There was a hot cry in Moses. Moses was not contented just by receiving some revelation from God and Moses received great revelation. The Moses cry towards the Lord was this.

Let me see your glory. He was not contented with just receiving some revelations from God. Great revelation but he wanted to see the glory. This is just another way of saying I'm not satisfied just by knowing something that comes from you.

I want to know you yourself and of course Moses being representative of the law he is not allowed to see the face of God. He can only see the back of God. God said I will go by you and declare all my goodness and you who shall hide in the cleft of the rock and after I have passed you can see my back.

Why? Because that's law. The utmost the law can do is to see the back of God. It is only by grace that we can see the face of God and the cry of the psalmist. In Psalm 27 you find the cry of the psalmist is said my heart says for thee that is my heart says for God seek me my face.

Thy face oh Jehovah will I seek. That's the response of the heart. So again you'll find the desire of the psalmist is to see the face of God and that is just but the old testament way of saying that he wants to know God.

God himself of course. The cry of Paul is very clear. He said that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering that I may be conformed to his death and I may attain to the out resurrection from among the dead.

Paul said I count all things as draws for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. His passion was to know God and his prayer for the saints in Ephesus. His prayer for the church in Colossae is the thing that they may enter into the full knowledge of God.

Not just know God a little bit but to enter into the full knowledge of God because knowing God is to be united with God is to be one with God is to be like him is to be filled and that is the real goal that you'll find before you.

So brothers and sisters there is one thing which God desires us to enter into in a full way because that is God's purpose for us. He wants us to know him. In a sense nothing pleases God more than to know him.

He is the most unknown person if I may say in the whole universe and he longs that we may know him. To know him his heart is and by knowing him he is able to impart himself to us in a fuller way. In Hebrews chapter 8 verse 11 it says there is no need for you to teach your fellow citizen your brother saying know the Lord because everybody knows him in themselves.

Objective Knowledge and Personal Knowledge

Now you'll find here two knows. The first know is know the Lord. The second know is all know him. You know in the Greek these are two different words not the same word. The first word know the Lord is knowing in general.

In other words it is an objective knowledge. It is a knowledge that you accumulate through information. It is a knowledge that comes through teaching and instruction. How do you know a thing? You are being taught.

You are being instructed in your home, in school, even in society. You gather all these data and you gather all this information and through the years you gather a lot and you become a man in the know.

You know. Now that is one kind of knowledge. It is objective. The second know because you all know him. How? Means yourself. This word know in the Greek is oida is another word and that word means a conscious and intuitive knowledge.

A subjective knowledge. A knowledge that does not come from outside. A knowledge that comes directly from within from God. So brothers and sisters you'll find there are two kinds of knowledge here. There are two ways of knowing.

One way of knowing is by absorbing information from outside and if you accumulate enough you know. In other words you know about it. But there is another kind of knowledge that does not depend upon outside information.

There is another kind of knowledge that comes directly from God within you. And this kind of knowledge is real. The first kind of knowledge. Know the Lord is the old testament. Old covenant. The second kind of knowledge you know in yourself is the new covenant.

The new testament. With the people of Israel how could they know? The only way they knew was there were these priests. And these priests were not only those who serve in the temple. Not only those who help you to offer sacrifices.

But these priests some of them were teachers and instructors. The priests were those who were instructors. They were to tell the people of Israel what the will of God was. You do not know yourself. If you want to know you go to the priest.

They know the law of God. They studied the law of God. Therefore you went to them and they will tell you what was the will of God. Now in your daily affairs. Now suppose like Saul he lost the ashes. What should he do?

He went to the seer. And the seer will tell him well your ashes were already found. Don't worry about that. So you find that in the old testament time the way to know is by being instructed. If nobody instructs you how can you know?

That's the only way to knowledge. But this kind of knowledge is external. Is objective. This kind of knowledge of God is actually about God. Not really knowing God yourself. That's the old testament way of knowing.

Tasting and Experiencing the Lord

But after Christ has come. After he has finished this work of redemption. It's different. Now God said you can know in yourself. You do not need anyone to teach you. Because you know. I wonder if your sisters are called the brothers are included too.

In the kitchen. Do you know the difference between sugar and salt? Suppose you have two bottles here. One is salt. The other is sugar. Now you look at these two bottles. Can you see the distinction between sugar and salt?

Suppose they are all refined. Suppose they are all granular. Suppose they are all white. Can you tell the difference? Have you ever make that serious mistake? When you try to know salt and sugar with your eyes you may be deceived.

But there is one way to know. And I believe you must have done that. Taste it. And the moment it touches your tongue you know. And that know is real know. You know the difference of salt and sugar as heaven and earth.

They are so different. So you find that one kind of knowledge is deeper. Is more accurate than the other kind of knowledge. That's why you find the scripture said come and taste. And see the Lord is good.

You need to taste. Is not enough just to hear of him. You don't know really. You have to taste. And then you know him in a real way. Now brothers and sisters. How do you know the Lord? Is your knowledge of God of the first kind?

Or is your knowledge of God of the second kind? Is your knowledge of God a knowledge that has been accumulated through the years by being taught? Or is your knowledge a direct knowledge from within? Now what is?

People may accumulate a great deal of knowledge about God and do not know God. Other people may not have the ability or the opportunity of having so much accumulation. And strange to say they may know God so well.

Even better than many who have great store of knowledge so called. As a matter of fact you know. We know God as it were in three steps. In Psalm 103. Psalm 103. I think this verse is very familiar probably with some of you.

Verse 7. God made known his ways unto Moses. His acts unto the children of Israel. You see the children of Israel know the acts of God. That's the first step of knowing God. But Moses knows God more. He knows the ways of God.

Knowing God Through His Acts

In the old new covenant there is the third step. You know God himself. Or the nature of God. The first step in knowing God is you only know the acts of God. Now what are the acts of God? The people of Israel?

When they were in Egypt they saw how God plagued the land of Egypt with ten plagues. Now these ten plagues were the acts of God. And by seeing these acts of God they knew how powerful when they crossed the Red Sea.

God divided the water. They walked through the Red Sea. And when the army of the Egyptians followed them God closed that water and they were all drowned. So Israel looked back at the acts of God and they could sing the song of victory.

God was powerful. God was mighty. In the wilderness God rained manna for their daily food. God gave them water out of the smithy rock. These were the acts of God. And by seeing these acts of God they realized that God was powerful.

God was mighty. God was great. In the New Testament when the Lord Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed the 5 ,000. Immediately the people realized something of the acts of God. And they were attracted.

They wanted to make the Lord Jesus their King. Then the problem of food was solved. Will be solved. That's the act of God. Lots of people knew God by His acts. Lots of people knew God because they noticed something that God did.

Some miracles. Powerful works of God. And by seeing these things they bowed down and said God really is God. Do you know God? By knowing His acts. You look at the people of Israel. They observed the acts of God how many times?

Probably you will say now if you were among the people of Israel surely you will not react like these people of Israel. You will believe. How could you not believe after witnessing such mighty acts of God?

But the Lord said they cannot enter into the promised land because of the evil heart of unbelief. They observe so much and yet they rebelled against God. They did not believe in God. They refused to follow God.

They did not know God. They only knew God superficially. When they saw the mighty acts of God they worshiped. But after a while that is not knowing God. But Moses was different. Israel knew the acts of God but Moses knew the ways.

Moses and the Principles of God

He knew the ways of God. What does it mean? It means that he did not need to wait until God did something and then he believed. He knew the ways of God. The principles by which God worked. So before God did something he knew already.

He knew how God will react to certain situations. Before God reacted he already knew how God will react. He knew the principles by which God will work. So you remember in the book of Numbers chapter 16 after the rebelling of Korah and his party and the punishment of God came upon them.

The earth opened up and swallowed up the household of Dathan and Baran and the fire came out and burned the 250 who were trying to offer incense. The people of Israel saw the acts of God. And yet their reaction was they murmured.

They murmured and said Moses and Aaron had killed God's people. And while they were murmuring against Moses and Aaron the glory of the Lord appeared. You remember the story. Moses lay flat and then he told Aaron quickly the golden censer.

Put the incense on it. Rain to the midst of the people of Israel because plague has already begun. How did he know? He knew how God will react. Because he knew God by the principles which God worked. So when the glory of the Lord appeared he knew God will react.

There will be plague. So immediately he instructed Aaron to go and to atone for the people. And Aaron rushed into the midst of the people. He stood between the dead and the living. And the plague was done.

Now that's knowing God's way. Those who do not know God enough. You have to wait until God's act has become apparent. Then you know. But those who know God a little better you do not need to wait until God can move.

Before God can move you know what direction it will move. Because you know the principles. The ways of God. For instance Abraham. You know in Genesis I think it's chapter 18 I think. When God revealed to Abraham that he was going to destroy the city of Sodom and the city of Gomorrah.

Because the things of this city were full. Abraham drew near to God and interceded for the city of Sodom. And he said now God is it you? Is it like you to destroy the righteous with the wicked? Can the judge of all the earth do something like this?

If there were 50 righteous in the city will you spare them? On what ground did Abraham intercede? Abraham interceded on the ground of the way of God. He knew God's way. Being a just God he will never do something like that.

He knew how to keep the righteous in safety. When he destroyed the wicked that was God. So on the basis of the righteousness of God on the basis of the justness of God Abraham interceded and his prayer was answered.

Unfortunately there were not 10 righteous in the city. But even so God delivered the righteous locked out of the city. That is praying according to the principle of God. He knew the way of God. Another instance.

Obedience and God’s Ways in Saul and Samuel

First Samuel chapter 16. God sent Saul to destroy the Amalekites. He went. He destroyed all the people and all the and poor sheep and cattle. But he kept the best of the cattle and of the flock. And he spared the life of Agath the king of the Amalekites.

Samuel came. Samuel said well what has happened? Saul said I have done everything that the Lord had commanded me. I have killed the Amalekites. I have destroyed them completely. And then Samuel said what did I hear?

The bleeding and the lowering. What did I hear? Oh he said because the people want to keep the best to sacrifice to God. And you know what Samuel said? Obedience is better than sacrifice. Because you do not obey God.

Even if you want to sacrifice God has rejected you. How did Samuel know? No. He knows. He knew. Because he knew the way of God. How God will react. He knew. And Saul was rejected. Another instance. David.

David’s Costly Sacrifice

David numbered the people of Israel. Out of pride he wanted to know how many people he had. He did not trust in God. God will bless his people as the sand of the seashore. Nobody can count. But out of his pride he wanted to know.

And after he did that he knew he was wrong. The hand the sword of the Lord came upon. He saw the angel of destruction at the threshing floor of Arona the Jebusite. So David went forward. And he told the Jebusite I want to buy your field.

I want to sacrifice to the Lord. And Arona said O King the field is yours. The oxen I gave to you. Everything is free. You can take everything and just do your sacrifice. But in 2 Samuel 24 you remember David said I will buy from you the field and the sacrifice.

Because I will not offer to God without cost. What is that? Knowing the way of God. God will not accept anything that is without cost. You cannot borrow anything. Get anything from others. It has to come from you with cost.

He know he knew the ways of God. Brothers and sisters you can see very clearly that knowing the ways of God is more advanced very much more advanced than knowing the acts of God. The people of Israel knew the acts of God but Moses knew the ways of God.

There are certain people in the Old Testament time they knew the ways of God. They knew God. But dear brothers and sisters even so knowing God by his acts knowing God by his ways are still thank God today.

Knowing God’s Nature in the New Covenant

By his grace it is great. We are supposed to know God more than the people of Israel. More than even Moses and those giants in the Old Testament time. Isn't that wonderful? Oh we may think we can never know God like Moses knew God.

But no. God has done a great thing for us. Today if we know God only as the people of Israel knew God too bad. Today if we know God as Moses and David and Samuel and Abraham knew God still not enough.

Still not enough. These are Old Testament knowledge in the new covenant God said you shall know me in yourselves. In other words we know God we know his very nature. Now that's different. Dear brothers and sisters I know in one way you know we always have the feeling now we can never know God as Abraham knew God.

We can never know God as David knew God. Yeah well in one sense that's true. That's true. But in another sense no. Even if you knew know God as they do or just as they do you're going backwards. You're not going forward.

God wants us to know him. How do we know him? To know his ways. To know his acts knowing about him. But to know him is to know his very nature. If you know the nature of a person then you really know him.

If you only know a person by what he does you know a little of him. If you know his habit the principle by which he lives you know him more. But if you know him so well you know his very nature. And knowing the nature of God is real knowing.

Real knowing. You know him. So that's where you'll find it is a knowing. Now what is eternal life? John chapter 17 verse 3 says to know thee the only true God and to know the one whom thou hast sent this is eternal life.

Do you know that the life that God has given to you that life has a nature and because that life is in you therefore you're able to know the very nature and knowing the very nature of God you really know him and is it not true you have life in you and because the life of God is in you and that life has a nature therefore you know him in yourself.

You do not need anyone to teach you because you know him is that true. You know the trouble with many Christians is this after we believe in the Lord Jesus we tend to think well I just am a newborn baby I know nothing.

Thank God you take that kind of attitude. But because you think that you know nothing therefore you feel that you have to ask everybody to teach you and to instruct you. Now in one sense this is a good thing.

If a person thinks he knows everything he knows nothing. But on the other hand if you know nothing how are you going to know something? We all made a mistake. We think well if we know nothing then the only way we know how to know something is to get instruction.

Therefore we go to this teacher we go to that instructor and whenever we have a problem we go to someone and say now here tell me what should I do? What is the will of God for me? No you you are more spiritual than I am.

You are to know. Now just tell me and I'll do it. And sure enough you find there is a natural crave in human nature to be teacher. I have never met so many teachers as in this country. Everybody likes to teach.

If you don't ask them they will teach you. If you ask them fine that's a good opportunity. And because of this it resolves in producing a certain kind of Christian that's always clinging to man. They are not able to know God directly.

Their whole way of knowing God is external. They know about God. After 10 years they don't know God. They don't know God's nature. Whether God's nature is holy it's all instructed. The Bible says you shall not need anyone to teach you know the Lord.

Yes if you want to know God externally you need teaching. You need instruction yes. But today your knowing God is of a different kind. You don't need anyone to teach you know the Lord about the Lord. Why?

Because you can know God better. You can know God by the life. You can know God intuitively. You know our spirit. God has given us a new spirit. And this new spirit has a function. It has the function of sensing God himself.

We call it intuition. Why? Because intuition is direct knowledge. It does not depend upon environment. It comes directly from God. The life of God will speak directly to your spirit. In 1 John chapter 2 it says do you know that the anointing is within you, abiding you.

Now why is it the scripture used the word anointing? It is because the operation of the Holy Spirit is in you. The Holy Spirit or the spirit of life within us it operates in your spirit. It is called the anointing.

The Anointing as an Inner Teacher

Now just like when you have a wound you put some ointment on it. And when you apply some ointment on it you find it is very soothing. Very soothing. And when the Holy Spirit, the spirit of life is teaching you in all things it is like applying an ointment upon some wound.

It is very tender, very gentle, very soothing, very healing. That is the way the spirit of life works in your spirit. So dear brothers and sisters we have a new spirit. And the spirit of life lives in our spirit.

And he is there to teach us in all things. In other words your teacher is not outside. Your teacher is within you. You have a private tutor who follows you everywhere you go. Never leaves you nor forsakes you.

Why do you have to travel a mile to find a brother and ask him what is the will of God? Because your private tutor is with you. He is ready to teach you in all things. All things, yes. Big things and small things.

Even very very small things. He is ready to teach you. And the anointing is very diligent. Does God speak today? Does he speak in you? Is the life within you living? He is the spirit of life. He is living.

He is operating. He is working all the time. He is a ready teacher. He will teach you in all things. How do you know? Because deep down in your spirit, when the spirit of life begins to move, begins to teach, intuitively you think.

Well it's difficult to explain but you know. You think something. Sometimes it is a restraint. Sometimes it is a constraint. Sometimes it is a check. Sometimes it is a little fear. Sometimes it is a little encouragement.

The still small voice to put it in another way. Now that's not important. But anyway you'll find that the life that God has put in you, this life as it operates, it reveals its nature. And by its nature you know.

You know God. What is of God. What is not. Sometimes your conscience bothers you. Especially in the matter of sin you know. If you do something which is sinful. Now your conscience will bother you under the conviction of your conscience.

Unless you repent and look to the blood of the Lord Jesus you will not have peace. But dear brothers and sisters this is not good enough. As you learn to follow the life within you, you will find that life is holy.

It gives you a sense of hope. Anything that is not holy you immediately, as it were, sleep within you. It may not be sinful. Maybe other Christians are doing that. But strange other people may but you cannot.

You shrink from it. You abhor it. Because it is not according to God's nature. Not according to God's nature. It's almost like Peter you remember. After he had followed the Lord for some time he went back to Fisher.

And the Lord came to him and did a miracle you know. And what did Peter say? Peter knelt before the Lord and said now Lord depart from me for I am a sinner. He knew the nature of God. Knowing God's nature is knowing God.

How does God express his nature to you? It's through the anointing. So you'll find when the anointing is teaching you he does not teach you according, teach you according to right or wrong. Good or evil.

He teaches you according to God or not of God. It's different. You know lots of Christians always ask the question. Now is it right or wrong? If it is right I'll do it. If it's I cannot do it. If it is good of course.

Anything good is God. God's will. But if it is bad I won't do it. Now that is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You don't live by that. You live by the tree of life. When the anointing teaches you he does not teach you according to right or wrong.

Good or bad. Now that doesn't mean there is no right or wrong. No good and bad. Of course. But it is far beyond and above. Is it God or is it not God? If it is not God even if by all consideration it is good but it is not God's will.

Brothers and sisters this is the way to know God. And the Bible says and this it is true. It's not a lie. Any knowledge that you accumulate from outside may not be accurate. Only the anointing gives you.

You who have the life of Christ in us. God wants us to learn this. This is not for the mature Christian from the littlest one. In other words you have to start the moment you believe in the Lord. You have to learn to know God by the teaching of the anointing.

And if you follow the teaching of the anointing you abide in Christ. You come to know God's nature. You come to know God. It's all direct. As a matter of fact very often you go here and there to ask questions.