Living Understanding Pt 35: Holy Spirit

1Corinthians 2:10-14            10these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  11For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them?  In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  12What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.  13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.  14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

1Thessalonians 1:4-5            4For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.

There is an interesting background to these verses which is extremely relevant to today’s church.  The people at Corinth had come to see eloquence of speech and pervasiveness of words as evidence of wisdom brought about by divine inspiration.  We see much the same thing today as mega-churches have arisen, seating thousands of people, putting on spectacular shows with music worthy of a national tour, and led by millionaire pastors.  People see such things and think, “God is really moving in that place!”

Searches all things

But Paul challenges the Corinthians and us to be careful to avoid people who have “a form of godliness but deny its power” and that we are to have “nothing to do with such people” (2Timothy 3:5).  No, Paul says, we are to search for what the Holy Spirit has to say.  True Godly wisdom is not found in worldly arenas, but only through the Holy Spirit because, using a human analogy, who is more likely to understand the things of God except God’s own Spirit.  Here is where we run into a disconnect:

8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.  9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

For a human mind to understand the things of God through his own ability is impossible.  Only through the Word, written and Living, and through the enlightenment of the written word by the Holy Spirit does one come to even have a glimpse of God’s ways.  The Isaiah verse shows us that we can’t grasp the things of God, but when we believers are studying God’s word we often have that sudden ah-ha moment when increased understanding comes to us.  That moment is given to us by the Holy Spirit who understands the deepest meaning of God’s plan and reveals to us at that moment the things most relevant to us at that time.

Understand that freely given

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit came to rest in our hearts.  We became his temple, and he became the means through which we communicate with the Father and the Son.  It is He who conveys to us the beauty of God’s plan, the wonderfulness of his presence in our lives, and the increased understanding of all the Godly things.  You see, God has given us a full description of his intent, his will, and his plan for salvation.  That description is called the Bible.  But if we read it at all, we often read it as an ordinary story, not having an inkling of the grandness of His plan of salvation.  But the Holy Spirit changes that as He opens our eyes at various times to help us understand the meaning of the passage we happen to be reading.

Discerned only through the Spirit

I’ve occasionally wondered why the things of God, his divine precepts, his greatest commandments are not more pervasive in our society.  It used to be that way, but even in the days of our country’s youth Godly precepts were mostly followed as things to be obeyed, required activity, but not borne out of the love of God.  It is one thing to do something because you are required to, but quite another to do those same things just because you love the author of them.  This is where the Holy Spirit comes in.  People of the world, or even secular believers, who don’t have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, can’t grasp what God is saying to us.  The person without the Holy Spirit can’t understand such things.

Christ came over two thousand years ago as a Lamb, bringing a message of salvation, healing, and truth.  He will come again, but this time as a Lion who will destroy evil, Satan, and all his principalities and powers.  Satan is doing everything he can to sidetrack this plan and as the time approaches, in his panic at certain defeat, he is ramping up deception and rejection of Jesus.  It is no surprise that the world is filled with people who don’t believe and who don’t understand.  Those people have no Spirit and no understanding.

It is tempting to see the world as containing two groups of people—the good guys and the bad guys.  But that is a wrong view.  We should see the groups as those who understand and those who don’t.  The other guys mostly aren’t bad—they just don’t get it.  So we who have the Spirit, those who do get it, have a job to do.  We must teach, by word and by example, that the beauty of God is worth pursuing.

What about me?

It is therefore important that each of us devote our energies to loving God, learning everything he has to say to us, trusting him, and letting the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts.  It is important that we grow in the LORD, but equally important that we don’t keep our new understanding to ourselves. 

12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

Believer, tell everyone that you love the Lord, your God, with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Tell them, too, that you love them as you love yourself.  This is the greatest testimony that one can give to the wonderful love of God.