God’s Wisdom Imparted to Us

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Corinthians

Read 2:6-7… God’s heavenly wisdom is imparted to those who believe in Him, but to the natural man, to those who reject God’s Son, only earthly wisdom is given, for they are incapable of such knowledge (Matthew 11:25-30; 13:10-15).

Read 2:8-10a… Paul is not talking about the wonders of heaven, but he is talking about the wisdom of God that is given to believers, for it is “prepared for those who love Him,” it is revealed to us not by what we have seen or heard or thought about, but God’s plan, God’s truth, and God’s wisdom is divinely unveiled for us. (Isaiah 64) Read 2:10-11… Only God’s Spirit living in us can reveal God to us in such a way for us to know God intimately, even the deep things, the very thoughts of God.

Read 2:12-13… God’s Wisdom is revealed to us via the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, and this is “freely given” to us through the revelation of God’s Word.

This is so important, as Jesus said (Matthew 4:4), “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” God’s Wisdom is revealed to us via inspriation, coming directly from God, and imparted to us as sovereign and authoritative in all the affiairs of men.

Paul warns us (Colossians 2:8-10), to be careful “that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”

People are “taken captive” [kidnapped or carried off in their thinking] by godless “philosophies” (a compound of two Greek words [phileo] “love” and [sophia] “wisdom”), man’s pursuit of “hollow and deceptive” human wisdom, which is often antithetical to God’s wisdom.

God’s children are equipped with wisdom from God, so that we will not be led astray and captivated by false teachings and worldy doctrines of the natural mind; those who are mature in their faith must often guard those who are easily led astray or influenced by such ignorance.

Christians were deceived in Christ’s time, just as they are today, by false teachings that seduce unaware, weak, and immature people; for Christians will often believe that which has been widely accepted by the “Christian” community; but, as Christians, our source of truth and wisdom must be the Word of God.

2Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed [from the mouth of God] and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We live in a society that doesn’t want to know or hear God’s wisdom; instead, it listens to the contemporary cultural-religious-academic gurus who seek to make them feel good, and the liberal media that regulates human- centered entertainment and popular thinking by flooding their ears and eyes and minds with worldly and godless dribble and psychobabble.

The abortion of millions of babies is defined as free choice. Homosexuality is defined as an alternative lifestyle. Lewdness, nudity, obscenity and profanity are considered a form of free speech and personal expression protected by the First Amendment.

Many Americans are ignorant of God’s truth; in fact, many consider themselves to be Christians because they go to church, have a Bible, or give to the poor.

Many have believed the lie that by doing good deeds, having intellectual belief about or historical knowledge of Jesus Christ is enough to save them. Well, it isn’t! Going where Christians go, doing what Christians do, won’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a chicken coop, eating grain and clucking will make you a chicken. Read 2:14-16… You can read the Bible, study it for years, and yet totally miss what it says (1:18).

John 5:37-40, “the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form, nor does His word dwell in you, for you do not believe the One He sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.”

God’s Word must be discerned spiritually, and it will always reveal God’s Son as Creator and Life-giver; therefore, natural man (unbelievers) cannot understand spiritual truth because they are spiritually dead.

John 1:1-4, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

John 3:6, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (i.e., you must be born of God’s Spirit)
John 14:15-17, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:25-26, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

God’s Spirit reveals all we need to know, to trust, to believe in, and to serve God. We are fully equipped to live productive lives in this present world while waiting for the world to come – eternity in heaven with God.

The full essence, character, nature and authority of God dwells in Christ, as Paul writes to the believers (Colossians 1:9), “We have never not stopped praying, asking God to fill you with all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” (vv. 15-18) for [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, by Him all things were created and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn among the dead, that in everything He might have supremacy.”
Christ dwells in us through God’s Spirit, and He has imparted God’s Wisdom to us that we might serve God.
2Corinthians 13:5, “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?”
Romans 8:9-10, “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

All those who have genuinely repented of their sins and confessed Christ as Savior and Lord, are able to receive and understand the very thoughts and wisdom of God. How cool is that? Hmmmm! God’s wisdom or the foolish thinking of this fallen world? Are you kidding?

You can believe and follow man’s wisdom, “which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ,” or you can have the wisdom of God which has been made effectual through Jesus Christ, in whom “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” and through whom you “have been given fullness” (Colossians 2:8-10), so “that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything” (James 1:4).
God’s Son is the head over every power and authority, He is the Creator, Sustainer, Lord, Savior, and Judge over all. Isaiah 9:6 says, “the government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Jesus Christ is God’s Salvation, He is God with us, and He made it possible for all those who believe in Him to know the very mind and wisdom of God, so that we might apply God’s revealed, divine, and authoritative Word to all things, as we enjoy our life on this earth while serving God, waiting to be taken to heaven to spend eternity there with Him.