The Pursuit of Spiritual Wisdom is one requirement of aspiring overcomers. The Apostle Paul was well aware of the need for wisdom from Above. After all, he had pursued man’s wisdom which had led him as a young man to pursue a life of persecuting Christians. Today we look around at man’s wisdom and see we are in a serious mess. Paul brings up this topic in 1 Corinthians Chapter 2:
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Here we have an Old Testament Scholar who admitted he knew nothing except “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. Paul had to throw away all of his previous doctrine and start over. Each of us must ask the same question: What doctrine am I holding on to that prevents me from receiving the Mind of Christ, the Wisdom from Above? Paul continues:
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Here, Paul differentiates man’s wisdom from the Power of GOD. Later in this letter Paul is going to mention the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit, all of these representing certain out workings of the Power of GOD. Each of these manifestations is motivated by Divine Intent and for us to properly operate in these manifestations, we must take on the Mind of Christ. Where is your faith? In man’s persuasive words that support his worldly view?
6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
Paul is a fruit inspector. He makes an assessment of those who speak with worldly wisdom and finds their wisdom “coming to nothing”. Worldly wisdom can be hard to inspect for it is very subtle in its intent to take your focus away from your gifts and calling. Its goal is to “burn up” your time, to make you of none effect, unproductive for the Kingdom. Each day you waste is a victory for the old man and results in death and destruction.
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Man’s wisdom played into the plan of Our Heavenly Father. Man’s logic said to kill the opposition and unknowingly completed a required step in the plan for redemption thus assuring their rule of the people would be lost. Their plan backfired. Man’s wisdom continues to backfire to this very day.
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Our Heavenly Father’s preparations are for those who Love Him! Once again, Love is what it is all about. It’s not about anything else. Wisdom from Above comes by way of Love.
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
We want to know the deep things of Our Heavenly Father. For that very reason you read this blog as well as others, searching for those nuggets of wisdom that will change your life. I am also in pursuit of the wisdom from Above. I am fully persuaded that Love is the portal to that wisdom. I need only look around at those who preach out of earthly wisdom and inspect their fruit to know that there is a greater prize than what they have received. I look at Jesus Christ as my example. His fruit is what I must compare when I look at where I stand. The promise of greater works (John 14:12) should be the expectation of those who pursue the “deep things of GOD”.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
We must have the Spirit of GOD to be able to receive the deep things of Our Heavenly Father. Natural man sees them as foolishness because his logical, polarized mind cannot comprehend the infinite aspects of Love. Love will express itself beyond man’s logic. “You must die to live” does not compute in man’s logic. “Greatest in the Kingdom is the one who serves all” is another statement that defies man’s logic. I would also suggest that the pursuit of the Baptism of Love is another “deep thing” of Our Heavenly Father that puts the mind in”tilt”. How can you pursue Love and expect physical fruit that surpasses anything man can muster up? Once you get a glimpse of this revelation, you begin to see it everywhere in Scripture. Instead of focusing on the “acts” of Our Heavenly Father, you begin to focus on HIS “ways”, or Divine Intent.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Our goal should be to have and operate in the Mind of Christ. If we have the Mind of Christ, we will walk in the fullness of our calling and do greater works as was promised by Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Mind of Christ operates by Divine Intent, not the worldly wisdom of man. Love is at the core of Divine Intent. Paul tells us that the things of GOD are prepared for those who LOVE HIM. The old man will fight you every step of the way until you finally subdue him and cast him down. You must be determined that you will not be denied of the fullness of the Mind of Christ. As you immerse yourself in the study of Love, as you promote Love, as you operate in Love, you will take on the Mind of Christ.