If we are walking with a Spirit, and taking time to engage with God in His word, what we see, naturally, seems to us, obvious - so obvious, we cannot imagine anyone not seeing it. This is why we are often surprised, even dumbfounded, when somebody we think should know - be able to see what we see, hear, and understand, cannot. In fact, to us, their perspective can seem incredibly skewed and backward.
In 1Corinthians 2, Paul is speaking of the mind of the believer imbued with the mind of God, sparked by the Holy Spirit, and compares and contrasts the mind connected to the Spirit to the mind and thinking of the world, which is under the effects of the ruler of the king of the air, who Jesus describes me as “a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44).
How we see life, we will treat life; how we see life, will be the fruit of how we see God, who is life. We have talked about life where it comes from, from Whom it comes, and with that, who has the right to define life when and where it begins, and the value of life - a person whose life has been thought of and granted by God:
Life’s inception - the mind of God
Life’s conception - the person in the mind of God is coming to be
Life’s realization - birth and maturation
How we view life will determine how we treat life. If we view life as God’s gift to us, imbued with intrinsic value, a reflection of God, in image and likeness, then we will be apt to treat life and the person who possesses it, with the greatest respect and dignity.
If we do not, we will not. We will treat life as ordinary and mundane, and a person, too often, as one who is there for us, to compete with us, or in our way - utilitarian - something to be moved out of the way, or used for our...
Then, there is another life, one that, you might say, has gone from “life to life”.
That is, going from having been “made in the image and likeness of God” - Born of a mother and father, living, certainly reflecting, though dimly, God, in image and likeness but going through life, “dead”, “dead in our sins and trespasses…”. Though living and animated, devoid of the life of God in us, separated from God by those sins and trespasses. And with that, lacking the ability and capacity to see, hear, and understand God or what is truly, good.
…to being “born again”, this time of God, by His will, in this description, we are going from life to life, actually from living dead to life, born again, “created in Christ Jesus”, “new creatures”, each person a new creation. Not only being given the gift of life itself, but now, the imputed righteousness of Jesus, and imbued with the Holy Spirit, and with Him, the mind of God - as to see, hear, and understand, God.
Why does the world not understand? Why can’t the world see?
God
His wisdom
What is right or true
We were, and “they” are of the spirit of this world. We, now, are of the Holy Spirit, or, the Spirit of God
Why can’t the world see? Why can’t they understand? From where we have fallen? We were intended to walk with God, but…
Romans 1 Depravity and futility - refusing to acknowledge God, we begin a slide down away from God, and if away from God, away from what God intended us to be. (Romans 1:18-20)
From not acknowledging God, we begin to replace God - our “thinking became futile and our foolish hearts darkened”. (Romans 1:21) In our stupidity, we not only refused to acknowledge God, or give Him credit, we exchanged the glory of God for images…” (Romans 1:22-23)
In exchanging the glory of God for images, we went further to “exchange the truth about God for a lie, and began to worship the images and idols, and He “gives us over to our lusts” and we slip further and further away from God, into deeper and deeper depravity… (Romans 1:24-27)
Then, we begin to resist or rebel against our being made - distinctly - in the image and likeness of God
· Distinct from God - we are not God - though we think we are (at least equal to)
· Distinct from the animals (as Adam would be led into seeing and realizing)
· Distinct in our sex and the expression of that sex - male and female
Finally, (mankind) acts inhumanely - going against the purpose of their making. (Romans 1:24-32)
If Jesus came as the perfect human and acted perfectly humane, as the righteous Son of God in the flesh, what He came to do was demonstrate for us what being human was, what being human, is supposed to be, and what we will look like in eternity.
Our depravity, then leads to “inventing ways of doing evil” this is our being and acting inhumane, even inhuman, and leaving our (God's) intended way of being - to be like Him.
We no longer reflect God’s glory as intended, and so now only dimly reflect God’s invisible qualifies (1Cor 13:12)
It is Jesus and the gospel of Christ, that rescues us from this lot. (Romans 1:14-17)
It is the Holy Spirit, God’s divine power, in Christ, that allows the believer to rise above THIS corruption, and “participate in the divine” (2Peter 1:4; Rom 8:4-7) or, regenerated humanness and humanity. In other words, to look and act like Jesus (Phil 2 “will and act according to God’s purposes”, Romans 12:2 “transformed”, Eph 2 “created in Christ Jesus”, “conformed” Rom 8:29”, “new creature” 2Cor 5:17)
Now in Christ, we more and more accurately, reflect God’s invisible qualities - as we go from “glory to glory” 2Cor 3:18
Now with the Spirit, we are able to see, hear, and understand God, where we couldn’t before.
Everything said in Romans 1 is a study of Genesis 1-4. Paul is asserting that sin has removed us further and further from God’s design and original intent - traveling the road away from the Garden, with Cain.
And, as our sin increases, so does our depravity, as God “gives us over” to our sinful lusts, until we finally move from depravity to ever-increasing depravity, from futility - or - stupidity, to a “reprobate” or “worthless” mind - that everything we think, believe, say, and do, is “unapproved” by God. (Romans 1:28-32)
If righteousness is what God approves of, then depravity is unrighteousness - what God does not approve of.
And that is what Paul is speaking to in 1Corinthians 2
Believers have the wisdom of God based on the truth of God, the Spirit of Truth, and Scriptures – it is crucial we walk with God’s Spirit and engage with God in the word, prayer, and fellowship – it is here that we are able to see, hear, and understand God’s working and will. And, even if something is beyond us to truly grasp, our hearts and minds are guarded and guided by the Spirit and Truth to trust God and His glory and goodness – which we can see!
If are not investing in our relationship with God this way…
…we can lose sight of God’s will and intentions, and begin to defend and justify our ungodly feeling, thinking, believing, speaking, and acting - our sinful behavior, as we are deceived (by our heart) about what is right and good and of God - even believing that if we have prayed about something (that is actually outside of righteousness) and the opportunity is then afforded us, it is God’s gift and approval, His will, by His “answering my prayer”
We must be careful… to take off the old, and put on the new, no longer acting like…
Christians can suffer from depravity and futility also if we choose to entertain and indulge the flesh (Rom 1;8; Gal 5) and relieve their suffering in and through temptation, which we are called to exert self-control and endure and persevere (2Peter 1: 1Peter 4) - we must know that to suffer in the body, is to join Jesus in the resisting the urges of the flesh.
The Holy Spirit will (John 14-16)
Remind us of the truth (in Christ)
Guide us into all truth (in line with the scriptures)
Prompt and direct us according to the truth
Warn and convict us when we stray from the truth
Prick our conscience when we sin - giving warning gs pangs of guilt, shame, stricken conscience
To not properly respond to the Spirit’s conviction and prompting and act according to Jesus’ righteousness (that we are (2Cor 5:12), or, to not “rise above… and participate in the divine”) is to then “grieve the Spirit” Eph 4:17-30-32
The world cannot see what we see, or know what we know, or interpret what we are able to interpret (2Cor 4:4-6; 10:3-4)
