This is really good stuff. Paul explains the Holy Spirit so well, and the fact that we can only understand God's wisdom because the Holy Spirit reveals it to us.
From 1 Corinthians 2:
9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
This is what God has prepared for us in the here and now if we love Him. (It's paraphrased from Isaiah 64:4).
Sometimes I find reading Paul's letters a little confusing, but the rest of this chapter seems crystal clear. Mankind, who doesn't have the Spirit, cannot understand the mysteries of God, but those of us with the Spirit have the potential and the desire to comprehend what He imparts on us. God shares this information with us freely, but I believe we need to actively desire to know it. In other words, we need to pray for understanding and comprehension before we dive into the word. We need to pray that He reveals wisdom to us. Sure, we have those AHA moments, but think how much more we could be understanding if we open ourselves up to receive it.
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
Verse 15 below isn't saying that believers can't be judged or shouldn't be judged. David Guzik wrote: "Paul is not saying that every Christian is above every criticism (after all, much of this letter is criticism). The point is clear: no natural man is equipped to judge a spiritual man." (Found at EnduringWord.com)
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
I just love to research and learn, so all of this just feeds into that. There are so many concepts and teachings in the Bible that we, as humans, cannot comprehend because of our finite minds (the Trinity, for one), but God wants us to understand as much as humanly possible while we're here. Then, when we get to Heaven, I believe, it's going to be like, "POW" and everything else is just going to make sense. It's really exciting if you think about it!
P.S. I really like the above photo because it has a "3" on the coffee cup. I immediately thought of the Trinity teaching us.
You may also like:
- "Seek wisdom and understanding" (This is one of those AHA moments.)
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Please join me this week in praising the Holy Spirit. Pray that those who consider themselves Christians yet bear no fruit come to question whether the Spirit is living within them. Let's pray that if they are not yet truly saved, they seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Let's pray that if they are saved, they grow in their faith and strive to become more Christlike. May we recognize those who are living on either cusp and offer them discipleship. Pray for words, encouragement, and guidance to help those who are lost.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power
#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #HolySpirit #Christian #salvation #comfort #discipleship #wisdom
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