12/03/2023
Do we depend solely on our own intellect to search out the wisdom of God? Do we study and ponder His Word ourselves in search of truth there, or do we use our intelligence like a shovel to feed our spirit God’s Word, while it works hand in hand with His Holy Spirit to seek and sift through it for those things that are of great spiritual value? When we depend upon our intellect alone it brings us very few of those wonderful revelations that we recognize as being of Him, but when our spirit is engaged with the Holy Spirit, it mines the most fantastic treasure for us from the glorious depths of God, and we encounter those wonderful “Ah Ha” moments of faith.
“And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:3-5 ESV
The apostle Paul understood the nature of faith, and the dichotomy of the human being. He understood that our physical self can only see so far into the things that are of God, but that our spirit drills deep into the ethereal world of the Father to uncover the truth that resides there. Our conscious mind doesn’t instruct our spirit, but the opposite is true.
“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.”
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV
As intellectual men and women we read scripture over and over again, and ponder its meaning. At some point we think we have uncovered all that it has to offer. Our mental ability has been applied and we are confident in it; we are certain in our own reasoning. Then one day we discover the causeway that leads to our spiritual self, and by some act of God we are lead to reread that selfsame scripture. On this day our newly awakened spirit gives us insight into those words that we never dreamed possible, and what we once reasoned for ourselves is retaught to us, and new meaning is uncovered that takes us to truths we previously found unfathomable. On that day scripture becomes alive to us, and faith is realized.
It is easy to apply our logic and calculation to scripture only to get it wrong, or at best, to glimpse the surface of it. Oswald Chambers wrote of this danger in profound words of warning to pastors. They come fresh from seminary, and lean on their own newly acquired understanding, but this is not enough. Listen to his words...
“If in preaching the Gospel you substitute your clear knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the Gospel, you hinder people getting to the Reality.” - Oswald Chambers
This is a warning for pastors, but it applies equally to all seekers, and anyone who delivers the Gospel to another. So as spiritual beings we lean on the Gospel, and feed our spirits with the Word of God. Then, in turn, our spirit, working in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, delivers the truth and the Reality of God to us.
“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.”
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 ESV
Seminaries, and Schools of Divinity teach human understanding of biblical history, languages, and God’s Word, but once acquired, a lifetime of instruction begins in which our spirit endeavors to search, reveal, and teach those things once unknown to us. God’s intent is for us to seek Him out, and He has no desire to hide Himself and His truths from us.
“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
Luke 8:17 ESV
If we go to school long enough we will run across a teacher who is more concerned with demonstrating his own intellectual superiority than in imparting true spiritual wisdom to his students. In fact this person isn’t a teacher at all, but rather an intellectual narcissist. God doesn’t tease us with knowledge. It is His will that we learn of Him, and He builds on our understanding day by day, and verse by verse. He gave us Jesus as a Rabbi, and gives us the Holy Spirit as a tool to teach us how to utilize our own spirit to access His truth. Those moments of sudden discovery and revelation thrill students and teachers alike. These are the “Ah Ha!” moments of our faith.
So we seek God utilizing our spirits as a bridge into the spiritual world of His Word, and we lean not on our own understanding. This is the beginning of wisdom, and this is the true inception of our faith.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
Proverbs 3:5 ESV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your Holy Spirit, and the interaction of my own spirit with Him. I thank you for each gem of understanding you provide me as I search to know you better. Holy Father, I seek you not in my own understanding, but in the revelation you give me through the free rein I allow my spirit in discovering you. Your Son Jesus Christ breathed your Holy Spirit upon us, and in that glorious moment we became real disciples of your Word. Help me Father to set aside my own intellectual pride and vanity so that my spirit can commune with you unfettered. Reveal to me your Word in the fullness of its meaning. Let me see you more clearly with each interaction that I have with you. I praise you more with every new glimmer into your greatness. I love you more with each touch of your gentle hand. Lead me in the spirit Father, and found my trust and understanding in you through the guidance of the Holy Spirit who meets me there.
Rich Forbes