Tonight I do not feel like going to the abortion mill. I must wake up early (as in 5:30 am) and drive 40 minutes down to a busy road where I will hold a sign of a brutally murdered pre-born baby ("exposing the darkness" as in Eph. 5:11). I have not been in the Word regularly this week and these feelings and apprehensions are my own fault. But God is so good, isn't He? I spent a few minutes reading some verses and came upon a passage I have heard before: 1 Corninthians 2:9-16. In fact, I have memorized verse 14 at some point in my life. And yet, suddenly God revealed this passage to me in such a fresh and overwhelming way! Let me share it with you...
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
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.
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.
Now, read that passage again and think of all the implications of what Paul is saying to the Corinthians here. First of all, notice the big "S" in verse 10: "these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit." That is God. Living in US. Now Paul makes an interesting analogy to the Corinthians so that they will "get it." So they will truly understand how huge this thought is. He says, "For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?" Little "s" this time. Your thoughts, wishes, ponderings...they are all so personal. They are the essence of you. They are what really makes you, well...you. But do you see where Paul is going with this? "So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." Do you see it? It's the same thing! Your thoughts, wishes, ponderings are your spirit. But you also have the Spirit! You also have GOD'S thoughts, wishes, ponderings if you are truly His child! Now, go back to verse 10 where Paul says, "For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God." That is the same Spirit that resides in you! Do you want to know the heart of God? Do you want to know the very depths of God Himself? You can. He tells us so. "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." Freely given! But do we desire them and seek them? And do we share, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, that wisdom that is taught by the Spirit? "And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual."
Or, do we remain like the natural man? "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." Few things sadden me more than when people claim to know my Jesus and yet live as though they have no understanding of what He told us to do. They do not help widows or orphans, as we are commanded (James 1:27). Or they criticize those who are, using human reasoning ("that's ineffective," "you are making Christians look foolish," etc.). I know many of those Christians are well-meaning. And certainly, our faith is not determined by our works. But faith without works is dead, as we are told in James 2:14-17! Personally, this puts a health fear of God in me! Are we living like we love Him or like we love the world? Are we Spiritual, discerning the Spirit, or "natural," perceiving the spiritual to be nothing more than "folly"?
Now for the really tricky part of the passage (at least to me). I sat and thought about this one for a while, but I want to chew on it even longer. "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." As best I can understand, then, if (big if) we are truly sharing in the "mind of Christ" in our actions and attitudes, then there is no place for others to judge us. If a fellow believer is doing the things that God commands and we cannot point to a chapter and verse in the Bible that contradicts his or her actions, we need to be very, very careful of casting judgement, or we just might be judging the "mind of Christ!" This is another very heavy thought! In all our judging, God always gives warning to us. We must have humility and search our own hearts first. We must ask God for wisdom and proceed with much caution.
"But we have the mind of Christ." Isn't that an amazing thought? Go read that passage once more and let all the wonderful implications sink in!
