SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 2
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. [1 Corinthians 2:14] Paul stresses that we are not better than other because we are In fact, from a worldly point of view, we are not that impressive. But we do have something that sets us apart – the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that opens our minds and hearts and enables us to believe and to live for God.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor 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 14:16-17] The world does not value the Spirit, but for us, the Spirit makes all the difference in the world. He gives us wisdom and power for living. He shows us truth from error, goodness from wickedness, right from wrong. But He not only shows us these things, He helps us to choose and live accordingly.
We need the Spirit in order to live as Jesus-followers. The Father is over us, and Jesus is with us, but the Spirit is in us. He conveys the fullness of God’s love, blessing, power and wisdom to us. This is what it means to be baptized and filled with the Spirit. If God is like a nuclear power plant, and Jesus is like the power lines, the Spirit is the actual current that energizes us and enables us to do what He wants us to do.
Paul makes it clear that the success of his ministry is in the power of the Spirit. He takes Paul’s unimpressive preaching and connects it to the hearts of his audience. The Spirit that enables people to believe, He opens our minds to the mind of Christ.
Am I relying on the Spirit, or on my own abilities and skills?
PRAYER:
Lord, I have experienced times when I sensed Your power at work through me. I want to experience this more!