We Have God's Own Spirit to Teach Us [1 Corinthians 2:10-16]

12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,13which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.14But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.15But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

 

As I read these words it struck me that the Spirit of God indwelling in me has a huge role.  In these verses we see that we have received the Spirit of God in order to know the things that have been freely given to us by God (grace).  He searches everything, even the depths of God. In verse 11  we see "For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one know the concerns of God except the Spirit of God" (Holman CSB). Just like no one really knows a person's concerns except his own spirit, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God.  It is the Spirit who gives us the mind of Christ.


God's Spirit not only communes with our spirit about God's concerns and the power He has freely given us to have the same concerns (Christ's mindset) but in Romans 8:26-27 we see that "the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."  He understands our weakness and groans to the Father for us!  What an incredible gift we have - God's own Spirit, understanding God's desires and our concerns and translating those to be the same.

 

May you spend time today letting God's Spirit direct you into the heart of God and listening to Him teach you the things God desires (God's will).
Verna McCrillis, 11/6/2008