Spiritual Wisdom
Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, enables us to discern good from evil, and empowers us to live righteous lives. How He does this is difficult for the finite mind to comprehend, but Paul offers some explanation in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
First, the natural person cannot understand spiritual truth. The combined wisdom of the rulers of this world could never discern the wisdom of God. Had they been able to do so, they would not have crucified Christ. God’s wisdom was hidden in the past but is now being revealed in the ultimate revelation of Christ. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (verse 9, NLT). It is humanly impossible to understand the wisdom of God through our natural channels of perception and our limited ability to reason, but “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit” (verse 10).
Second, the Holy Spirit knows all things and is capable of revealing the nature of God and His will. “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (verse 10). Third, as believers we have not received the spirit of this world, but we have received the Spirit who is from God. The Spirit makes known to us the things freely given by God. Fourth, we have the mind of Christ, because the very presence of God is within us. Fifth, the Holy Spirit takes words (logos) that are not taught by human wisdom but by the Spirit and combines (brings together, compares or explains) them. What is actually being combined or compared is not clear—the original language literally reads “spirituals with spirituals.” That phrase is translated in the New International Version as “words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words” (verse 13).
We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2), and we are “to be made new in the attitude [literally, the spirit]” of our minds (Ephesians 4:23). The Holy Spirit discloses to us the mind of Christ as we study God’s Word and then enables our thoughts and renews our minds with the Logos. The peace of Christ rules in our hearts as the words of Christ richly dwell within us (see Colossians 3:15-16). Finally, the peace of God guards our hearts and our minds (see Philippians 4:7).
We may not fully understand how God does this, but we don’t have to fully comprehend it in order to believe that He does. Nobody can fully explain the virgin birth of Jesus, the mystery of the incarnation, the Holy Trinity and the miracle of our new birth, but liberated Christians believe these truths, and understanding follows. When we choose to believe what God says is true, the Holy Spirit renews our minds, and we begin to understand and see more clearly.
Those who refuse to believe God and His Word until they fully understand will never fully understand. Those who choose to trust God and live accordingly by faith are blessed and begin to understand more fully as they mature in Christ. The disciple Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus and believed, prompting Jesus to say, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
a few questions to ponder:
In what ways does the Holy Spirit give us wisdom and enable us to understand spiritual truth?
What does combining “spirituals with spirituals” mean?
How do we allow the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts and guard our minds?
Why can’t you figure out the mysteries of God on your own?
Are you waiting to fully understand the mysteries of God before you choose to believe, or have you chosen to believe in God and allow the mysteries to become clearer as you mature in your faith? What is the difference?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.