Category: 1 Corinthians

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 (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

Remember yesterday?

You do remember yesterday, don’t you?  I mean, if not, you may want to consider getting some help with that…

Anyway, yesterday I pointed out that we, as finite creatures, are simply not capable of grasping the immensity of what God has in store for us.

That’s true.

But that’s not all.

You see, there is someone who understands the deep things of God, someone who is not limited by our finiteiosity.  Someone who understands God’s mind as if it were his own.

Because, well, it is.

The Holy Spirit, that mysterious third person of the Trinity, understands the Father in a way that is…well…inconceivable to us.

At least to the non-schizophrenic among us.

And here’s the great part. That mysterious Person…the one who understands God so well?  

He kinda likes us. And he’s willing to share.

And that, Beloved, makes all the difference.

Happy Friday

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”  (1 Corinthians 2:9).

It’s inconceivable.

Go ahead.  Try to imagine what it will be like

to be in his presence

to be like him

to be complete.

Do you have a picture in your head?  Great!

You’re not even close.  

You’re a toddler who’s been promised a trip to the beach.  You’ve never been to the beach, but you’ve been told about it.  

The beach has sand–but so does your sandbox.

The beach has water–but so does your bathtub.

The beach has waves–but you’ve been to a swimming pool, and you’ve seen how the water slops around after a big kid does a cannonball.

You know what to expect.

Except not at all.

Inconceivable

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).

They meant well enough.

They wanted to protect their world, improve their society

maybe pad their bank accounts–and legacies–a bit

but all in all, they were doing what they thought best.

However

they were making decisions without the Holy Spirit, operating in the wisdom of the world, which isn’t.

And in that worldly wisdom they wrought horror and abomination.

Sound familiar?

Take heart, Beloved.  God used their foolishness, their evil acts, to demonstrate his power and glory.  

And God has a habit of repeating himself.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began (1 Corinthians 2:7).

Secrets can be fun.

When my son turned twelve, we got him a puppy.  

Golden Retriever, because…I mean…they’re awesome.

Anyway, we kept it secret until the big day.  Alec came around the corner into the family room and saw that puppy, and he just stared.

“It’s a dog,” he said.

My son is brilliant like that.

He had wanted a dog for quite some time, but we knew that he hadn’t been ready for one yet.  When we determined that the time was right, we revealed the secret that brought him great joy.

You see where I’m going, don’t you?  Yes, you do…

God wasn’t playing some cosmic game, nor was he making it up as he went along.  His plan of salvation was set before the world began.  He was simply waiting for the time to be right, for all the pieces to be in place.

And now you’re in on the secret.

You should feel pretty special.

You should feel Beloved.

Happy Tuesday.

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 (1 Corinthians 2:6).

Everybody knows how you oughta live.

Just tune in to news or social media or YouTube or wherever, and you will get an earful about who you should be and where you should live and what you should drive and how you should vote. There’s a raging plethora of people who claim to be the fount of all wisdom.

This world’s wisdom.

And yet, if these people do not have Christ, they will come to nothing. 

Their power, their wisdom, their influence…it will come to nothing.

Based on what Paul is saying here, it’s always been that way.

So try to get too stressed out about the world today, Beloved. Yes, there is evil out there, and yes it is trying to pass itself off as good, and yes many many people are falling for it.

But you know better.

You know Him.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Corinthians 2:3-5).

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

all other ground is sinking sand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote says it better than I ever will, but he doesn’t have a blog, so I’m good with that.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

The cross.

Paul just keeps coming back to it.

As should we

Beloved, there is a constant temptation before us to rely on our own skills, our own talents, our own hard work.  It’s at the core of our being.

Sometimes it spurs us to do great things.

Mostly, it drives us from God. 

Paul didn’t want to risk people following him rather than Jesus, so it kept it simple:

God loves you.

He died for you, because he loves you.

Your debt has been paid, because he loves you.

Come be free, because he loves you.

As you dive into your day, remember: no matter what your job is, your mission is simple.

Show them the cross.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

Repeat after me…

Because of him I am free. 

Because of him I am clean.

Because of him I am joyful.

Because of him I am confident.

Because of him I am whole.

Because of him I am victorious.

Because of him I am righteous.

Because of him I am faithful.

Because of him I am important.

Because of him I am worthy.

Because of him I am his.

Because of him I am Beloved.

Happy Wednesday.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by the world’s standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things–and things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

Remember the story of Baalam and his donkey?  

That would be you.

No…not Baalam.

And just as God used a lowly donkey to school a prophet, God can and will and does use you.  

Yes, you are weak.  

You’re right, you don’t know the Bible as well as you ought.

Your prayer life?  Well, I wasn’t going to use the word “pathetic,” but if you insist…

Doesn’t mean he won’t use you. 

Of course, he may not use you in the way you lobbied for.  I keep pointing out to God how well he could use me as a multibillionaire writer/speaker/boogie dancer.  He has not yet seen fit to take my advice. 

Go figure.

Still, I trust that he is using me, teaching in my little classroom, writing my little blog, loving my little family.

And he’s using you.  Trust me.

Better yet, trust Him.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).

You know those people who are better on their worst day than you are on your best day?

You know who I’m talking about.  The person who looks better after sleeping on a bus for three hours than you look on your way to a wedding.  The guy at the gym who lifts more on his “easy” day than you do in a week.  The one who picked up an instrument a week ago and can play the piece you’ve been attempting–unsuccessfully–for years.

Yeah, I like to throw rocks at those people.

Metaphorically…mostly

It’s like that with God, but in a good way.

Not the rock throwing part, the “better than you” part.

He’s just so far beyond us…there’s really no way to quantify him

or question him

or challenge him

and yet we just gotta try, don’t we?

Beloved, before you charge into your Friday, why don’t you soak for a minute in a few simple truths:

He really is all-wise.

He really is all-powerful.

He really does love you.

Happy Friday, Beloved.