Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Paul opens chapter 2 by telling once more how he didn't speak with flowery, eloquent words for a reason. That style just didn't square with the message of the cross. That message is of humiliation and obedience. It is also about more than justification, or being made right with God.
In verse 6 he says that mature believers can be taught the mystery of God. Back in verse 1 he called it God's testimony. We often think of people having a "testimony" but not God. What would His testimony be? His secret. His mystery--that is,that Jesus came for everyone, not just Jews, and that He came to give us as believers the Holy Spirit.
What is the Holy Spirit? The mind of Christ. The mystery is that we can receive the mind of Christ at the point of our justification to help us in the process of sanctification. Real spiritual maturity involves allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us the things of God. That's how Paul learned them and we should learn the same way.
This is where the Corinthian church had stumbled. In chapter 3:1-4 Paul tells them that he can't speak to them as mature, spiritual Christians, because they've misunderstood the message of sanctification through the Spirit. In fact, they may have rejected it outright. They were still worldly. They harbored sin in their lives and that halted the freedom of the Holy Spirit to work in them. This, Paul asserts in verse 4, is the real reason for their disagreements and arguments over leadership.
Let's do a little self-evaluation here. Do we fuss and argue with other Christians? Do we live our lives just like "those who are perishing" around us? Is there envy and strife among us? Do we claim loyalty to certain leaders to the exclusion of others? Do we criticize the leadership in our own church?
If so, there can be only one reason. Spiritual immaturity brought on by hampering the work of the Holy Spirit. In a word: sin.
Let's get rid of our pride and selfishness and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us up so completely that He pushes out all the garbage in our lives. Let's repent and ask Him to take control. Then, when we are truly obedient, watch Him work. It will be fabulous!
In verse 6 he says that mature believers can be taught the mystery of God. Back in verse 1 he called it God's testimony. We often think of people having a "testimony" but not God. What would His testimony be? His secret. His mystery--that is,that Jesus came for everyone, not just Jews, and that He came to give us as believers the Holy Spirit.
What is the Holy Spirit? The mind of Christ. The mystery is that we can receive the mind of Christ at the point of our justification to help us in the process of sanctification. Real spiritual maturity involves allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us the things of God. That's how Paul learned them and we should learn the same way.
This is where the Corinthian church had stumbled. In chapter 3:1-4 Paul tells them that he can't speak to them as mature, spiritual Christians, because they've misunderstood the message of sanctification through the Spirit. In fact, they may have rejected it outright. They were still worldly. They harbored sin in their lives and that halted the freedom of the Holy Spirit to work in them. This, Paul asserts in verse 4, is the real reason for their disagreements and arguments over leadership.
Let's do a little self-evaluation here. Do we fuss and argue with other Christians? Do we live our lives just like "those who are perishing" around us? Is there envy and strife among us? Do we claim loyalty to certain leaders to the exclusion of others? Do we criticize the leadership in our own church?
If so, there can be only one reason. Spiritual immaturity brought on by hampering the work of the Holy Spirit. In a word: sin.
Let's get rid of our pride and selfishness and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us up so completely that He pushes out all the garbage in our lives. Let's repent and ask Him to take control. Then, when we are truly obedient, watch Him work. It will be fabulous!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)