Seeing the world differently

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

⁶ Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. ⁷ No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. ⁸ But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. ⁹ That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

¹⁰ But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. ¹¹ No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. ¹² And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

¹³ When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. ¹⁴ But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. ¹⁵ Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. ¹⁶ For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

Verse 9 from this passage is frequently quoted, usually in reference to what a wonderful place heaven is going to be.  On reading through the passage thoroughly though, I have realized that you cannot quote verse 9 without quoting verse 10 – there isn’t a full stop between the two verses!  God’s spirit is what reveals to us, “the things God has prepared for those who love him”.  Verse 12 talks about us receiving God’s spirit so that we can know the wonderful things that God has freely given us.  And this isn’t just for when we are in heaven either!  It means that God’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, is revealing to me the wonders of God and all that He has for me right now!  It is through the Spirit of God that I get to know God, not by my own reading, not by my own effort, but by the working of the Holy Spirit.  I don’t have to wait for heaven to see wondrous things from God!  They are all around me all the time, if I would just listen to the Spirit of God revealing them and Himself to me! It is like putting rose-coloured glasses on, but instead they are “Holy-Spirit”-coloured glasses!

Lord, help me to listen to your Holy Spirit revealing more of you and your work to me.  Help me to have a heart sensitive to your leading and prompting.  Help me to see you in all that I do and see around me!

Written by Ps. Jen Irving