“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
–1 Corinthians 6:9-11
It is said of Charles Spurgeon that one Sunday when the time came for reading Scripture, he left his Bible closed shut. “Some have found fault with me,” he said, “contending that I’m too old-fashioned. I am always quoting the Bible and do not say enough about science. Well, there’s a poor widow here who recently lost her only son. She wants to know if she will ever see him again. The question is where should I turn for the answer? Let’s turn to science. Science, will she see him again? Where is he? Does death end all?” There was a long pause. “We are waiting for an answer,” he said. “This woman is anxious.” Another long pause. “Nothing to say? Then, we’ll turn to the book!” Spurgeon then picked up his Bible, and began to read all the wonderful promises concerning Heaven and eternal life that are recorded within its pages.
I contend that the world is looking for answers – but in all the wrong places. The truth concerning life is available to you. But you must know where to turn. Which leads to this question: to whom or to what are you turning to for answers about life?
Would you like to have proof that the Bible is true and reliable? Simply do what it says and you will get your answer. In John 7:17, Jesus said, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” In other words, if you want to know if God’s Word is true, then “do God’s will,” that is, do what the Bible says. At that point, you will know if it is truly the source of wisdom.
Let me ask you another question: What is your source of wisdom?
How do you make decisions about your life? To whom are you listening? What influences are shaping the way you think? TV? Movies? What is shaping your world view? Would you like to know what God would tell you to do in a given situation? Do you desire true wisdom? Well, here is the truth: the amount of time you spend in God’s Word is a direct measure of your desire for true wisdom.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, Paul gives an explanation of how it is possible for a person to actually take on the mind of God. Do you know that it is possible for a person to actually think the way God thinks? It is! You can take on the mind of Christ, and see the world through His eyes. You can begin to understand what life is all about. You can begin to live your life by His wisdom. You can know what Jesus would do in a given situation. How? Listen to Paul. Here is what Paul wrote to explain how this is all possible:
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—but God has revealed it (wisdom) to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
From this passage of Scripture, three significant truths concerning the wisdom of God are presented:
1.) God’s wisdom is revealed only to His children. The wisdom of this world and the leaders of this world are spewing out nothingness. Luke 9:25 states, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” The scholars of this world gain much knowledge, but they have no wisdom, and the end result is the very loss of their souls. John MacArthur writes, “All human wisdom is passing away. It is empty, futile, and comes to naught.”
2.) We also learn in this passage that God’s wisdom is a secret wisdom that is hidden from the natural man, that is, the man without the Spirit, the nonbeliever. Verse 7 (NASV) reads like this: “But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory.” This word, mystery, according to MacArthur, does not refer to something strange or puzzling, but to that which is held in secret. God intentionally withholds it from the natural man. That is why Paul writes, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” Paul is not referring to the glories of heaven, but to the fact that the natural man cannot rely on his eyes, his ears and his mind to understand spiritual matters. To try to understand spiritual things with the natural mind is an impossibility.
3.) We know from the Bible that the gospel is veiled to the natural man. 2 Corinthians 3:15 states, “Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.” Why is this? Because of the work of Satan and the hardness of the human heart. Satan works to keep unbelievers imprisoned in a state of blindness. 2 Corinthians 4:4 states, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Not only does Satan work towards this end, but he also has compliant victims. In Matthew 13:15, Jesus said, “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” Satan blinds the natural man by using the willingness of his calloused heart.”
This is why you may get strange looks from some of your friends when you try to explain spiritual matters and/or your testimony to them. The wisdom of God remains hidden from them.
The wisdom of the world will come to nothing. God’s wisdom remains hidden to the natural man, because God’s wisdom is revealed only to his children. How does God do this? Well, that leads to the second significant truth that we learn from this text. I will cover this in next week’s devotion. So, stay tuned. Amen!
