November 22, 2021
Scripture
Devotion
God reveals things to us. The things He reveals are usually things that cannot be known in any other way. If we are to know them, He must reveal them to us. The Apostle Paul refers to these things in our verse for today as “the things of the Spirit of God” and he also refers to them as the “secret and hidden wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7). This secret wisdom includes, among other things, the Gospel message concerning Jesus Christ.
Although God’s secret wisdom is revealed to people, this does not necessarily mean that they will accept what has been revealed. Not everyone accepted Jesus or the Gospel message. Paul says, “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8). Although Jesus and the Gospel message were revealed to them, they could not understand them for what they truly were.
The reason why they could not understand was that each of them was a “natural person.” That is, they were people devoid of the Holy Spirit. They were people who lived in the natural strength and wisdom of their own flesh rather than in the supernatural strength and wisdom of the Spirit. The wisdom they had was the “wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away” (1 Corinthians 2:6). According to this fallible and transient human wisdom, God’s wisdom was mere folly.
In order to accept and understand revelation of the secret wisdom a person must be given the Holy Spirit, for these things are “spiritually discerned.” Because of the sin that is present in all of us, our knowing faculties have been corrupted and cannot properly understand God’s wisdom. As a result, it is necessary for the Holy Spirit to enter our lives and open our minds to the truth. Specifically, it is the gift of faith born of the Spirit that opens our minds and allows us to understand the truth of God’s wisdom (Ephesians 2:8).
Today, let us ask God to fill us with the Spirit and open our minds to the fullness of the truth He is revealing to us.
Inspirational Image of the Day