Diving Deeper | A Message of Wisdom
Part of A Deeper Response to the Scripture
August 1, 2021

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This is Us | A Message of Wisdom

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. —1 Corinthians 2:6-8

In the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul compares and contrasts wisdom and foolishness— human wisdom and human foolishness as well as God’s wisdom and God’s “foolishness.” In this week’s verses in chapter 2, Paul drills down further into the differences between human and godly wisdom and helps the Corinthians, and us, understand what is God’s wisdom and what is the wisdom of the world that ultimately comes to nothing.

The wisdom of the world is human wisdom that is devoid of the power and presence of God’s Spirit. This wisdom follows a worldly agenda that would tragically “crucify the Lord of glory” in order to remove an obstacle from the path. “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (v. 14). This person readily dismisses God’s wisdom and does not hesitate to deride the one who speaks “Spirit-taught words.” Without God’s Spirit it is impossible to understand godly wisdom.

But for those whom God has set apart “into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1Cor 1:9), God’s Spirit now dwells within and is at work searching the mind of God, discerning the deep things of God, and teaching the believer who humbly seeks God’s wisdom. True wisdom is seeking God’s perspective on all things. It is the Spirit, then, who leads the believer into wisdom that is of God.

Wisdom is a verb! Wisdom is not godly wisdom until the one who knows the right thing to do responds and acts in accord with God’s leading. True wisdom requires trust, obedience and action.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil. —Proverbs 3:5-8

Consider:

  1. This week watch for places in your world where people, including yourself, are seeking wisdom. Are they seeking agenda-driven human wisdom or Spirit-led godly wisdom? Pray for God’s will to be done there.

  2. The Spirit is mentioned eleven times in 1 Corinthians 2. Clearly, Paul believes that God’s Spirit serves a vital role in the believer’s life. Is there anything new in this chapter that you’ve learned about the Spirit? If so, how might this new understanding guide you in your search for wisdom?
    Sneak peek: Read 1 Corinthians 6:11. What more does the Spirit do?

  3. Have you ever considered that “wisdom is a verb”? When have you known the right thing to do but failed to obey? When have you acted upon the Spirit’s wise counsel? What was the outcome of each?

  4. Ask for the Spirit’s power to help you increasingly surrender to the crucified Christ. By the Spirit, may you grow in wisdom and love of God and his people.