1 Corinthians 2:9-16:
"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"—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 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. 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. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
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. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ."
Have you ever wondered why some people who read the Bible don't understand its message? Or why some who do understand the message, don't apply the message of the Bible to their lives?It is because they are a natural man. As the above passage states, these things are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
This is one of the most important roles of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit's illumination of the Scriptures meaning to us.
There are so many evangelistic techniques out there. Altar calls, dimming of the lights, replaying a song over and over at the conclusion of a service to evoke a response, are all man made evangelistic techniques.
Before you get mad at me, I am not saying that if you responded to an altar call that you are not a Christian or that the Holy Spirit did not work on you to lead you to place your faith in Christ. I am just saying that we need to be careful when using these methods.
We first and foremost should preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its unadulterated form.
Or as Paul says it so eloquently in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."
In 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Paul writes,
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
So, for those who do not believe, Satan has kept them from seeing the light of Jesus Christ.
Friends, we are to share the message and let God do the saving.
I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit has illumined the Scriptures to me and that when I read them each day I understand that I am reading the Word of God and the significance of that. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit enables me to apply the teachings of the Bible to my life and gives me the power to live for God's kingdom by God's Grace.
So, what if you are reading this blog right now and you are not a believer but you want to be?
Well, the answer is to place your faith in Jesus Christ. Turn from your sins, and turn towards Christ. The Bible calls us to turn, or repent from our sins, and to turn toward Christ.
Ask God to save you. The Holy Spirit will make you a new creation in Christ and the significance and meaning of the Bible will take root in your soul.
Romans 10:9-11 states,
"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."
Friends, for those who are believers, be thankful the Holy Spirit has given us the mind of Christ to think God's thoughts after Him. Are you thinking His thoughts or are you being influenced by the wisdom of this age?
For those who are unbelievers, pray to God to save you and place your faith in Christ. You will be saved, made a new creation, indwellt by the Holy Spirit, and be given the gift of eternal life.
The Christian life is not an easy life. But God will give you the strength to endure, and the joy that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ is worth all of the trials and tribulations we will experience here on earth.
Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Soli Deo Gloria.
Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.
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