1 Cor 2:14-16
Intro:
We have
a great need of wisdom.
Illustration
This
imbecile decides one day that he is sick and tired of people calling him
stupid, so he decides to show his wife that he is really smart. While his wife
is off at work, he decides that he is going to paint a couple of rooms in the
house. The next day, right after his wife leaves for work, he gets down to the
task at hand. His wife arrives home at 5:30 and smells the distinctive smell of
paint. She walks into the living room and finds her husband lying on the floor
in a pool of sweat. She notices that he is wearing a ski jacket and a fur coat
at the same time. She rushes over and says, “Honey, are you all right?” He
slowly nods his head yes. “What are you doing?” she asks incredulously. “I
wanted to prove that I’m not so dumb,” he started, “and I wanted to do it by
painting the house.” “Well why do you have both a ski jacket and a fur coat
on?” she asks dumbfounded. “Well,” he says, “I was reading the directions on
the paint can and it said: For best results, put on two coats.”
The older I get, the more I find I’m learning
about the need for wisdom.
14
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. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments
about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16
"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
I. COMPREHENDED
BY SPIRITUAL PERSONS
A. NOT BY THE NATURAL MAN...
1. The "natural" man is one:
a. "governed and influenced by
the natural instincts; the
animal passions and desires, in
opposition to those who are
influenced by the Spirit of
God" - Barnes
b. Who depends only on his own senses
and own reasoning
2. The "natural" man in such a
state:
a. Does not receive the things of the
Spirit, for they seem
b. Cannot know them, because such must
be spiritually discerned
-- This helps explain why many people
think the Bible is foolish
B. BUT BY THE SPIRITUAL MAN...
1. The "spiritual" man is one:
a. "who is enlightened by the
Holy Spirit in contradistinction
from him who is under the influence
of the senses only"
- Barnes
b. Who is open to the teaching of the
Spirit revealed through
2. The "spiritual" man in such
a state:
a. Is able to make judgment
(discernment), for he has had his
senses exercised concerning what is
good and evil - 1Co 2:
b. Is rightly judged by no one (other
than the Lord Himself)
-- Through the inspired Word, the
Spirit leads one to true
spiritual enlightenment
CONCLUSION
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my
prayers. 17 I keep
asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you
the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the
riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who
believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also
in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head
over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every
way.
Eph 1:15-23
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