Yes No doubt in my mind. Yes! For the Bible says,
1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor 2:9-16
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
(v. 9). This verse is often used at funerals and applied to heaven, but the basic application is to the Christian's life today. The next verse makes it clear that God is revealing these things to us here and now.
This verse is a quotation (with adaptation) from Isa 64:4. The immediate context relates it to Israel in captivity, awaiting God's deliverance. The nation had sinned and had been sent to Babylon for chastening. They cried out to God that He would come down to deliver them, and He did answer their prayer after seventy years of their exile. God had plans for His people and they did not have to be afraid (Jer 29:11).
Paul applied this principle to the church. Our future is secure in Jesus Christ no matter what our circumstances may be. In fact, God's plans for His own are so wonderful that our minds cannot begin to conceive of them or comprehend them! God has ordained this for our glory (1 Cor 2:7). It is glory all the way from earth to heaven!
For those who love God, every day is a good day (Rom 8:28). It may not look like a good day, or feel like it, but when God is working His plan, we can be sure of the best. It is when we fail to trust Him or obey Him, when our love for Him grows cold, that life takes on a somber shade. If we walk in God's wisdom, we will enjoy His blessings.
We have considered two fundamental truths of the Gospel: this message centers in the death of Christ and it is part of the Father's vast eternal plan. The believers at Corinth had forgotten the cost of their salvation; they had gotten their eyes off of the cross. They were also involved in minor matters - "baby toys" - because they had lost the wonder of the greatness of God's plan for them. They needed to return to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and this would be Paul's next point.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
The Gospel Is Revealed by the Spirit through the Word (1 Cor. 2:10-16)
Our salvation involves all three Persons in the Godhead (Eph 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:2). You cannot be saved apart from the Father's electing grace, the Son's loving sacrifice, and the Spirit's ministry of conviction and regeneration. It is not enough to say, "I believe in God." What God? Unless it is "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:3), there can be no salvation.
This Trinitarian (somebody who believes in the Christian doctrine of the Trinity) aspect of our salvation helps us to understand better some of the mysteries of our salvation. Many people get confused (or frightened) when they hear about election and predestination. As far as the Father is concerned, I was saved when He chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4); but I knew nothing about that the night I was saved! It was a hidden part of God's wonderful eternal plan.
As far as God the Son is concerned, I was saved when He died for me on the cross. He died for the sins of the whole world, yet the whole world is not saved. Paul pointed out four important ministries of the Holy Spirit of God.
The Spirit indwells believers (v. 12). The very moment you trusted Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God entered your body and made it His temple (1 Cor 6:19-20). He baptized you (identified you) into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). He sealed you (Eph 1:13-14) and will remain with you (John 14:16). He is God's gift to you.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of liberty (2 Cor 3:17). We have not received the "spirit of the world" because we have been called out of this world and no longer belong to it (John 17:14, 16). We are no longer under the authority of Satan and his world system.
Nor have we received a "spirit of bondage again to fear" (Rom 8:15). The Holy Spirit ministers to us and makes the Father real to us. This ties in with 2 Tim 1:7 - "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound [disciplined) mind." We have a wealth of spiritual resources because the Spirit lives within us!
The Spirit searches (vv. 10-11). I cannot know what is going on within your personality, but your human spirit within you knows. Neither can I know "the deep things of God" unless somehow I can enter into God's personality. I cannot do that - but by His Spirit, God has entered into my personality. Through the Holy Spirit, each believer becomes a sharer of the very life of God.
The Holy Spirit knows "the deep things of God" and reveals them to us. First Corinthians 2:10 makes it clear that "the deep things of God" is another description of "the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). God wants us to know today all the blessings of His grace that He has planned for us.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God
WHAT DID GOD REVEAL TO US, THE THINGS THAT, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” They are only revealed to men that has the Spirit of God dwelling in them
The Spirit teaches (v. 13). Jesus promised that the Spirit would teach us (John 14:26) and guide us into truth (John 16:13). But we must note carefully the sequence here: the Spirit taught Paul from the Word, and Paul then taught the believers. The truth of God is found in the Word of God. And it is very important to note that these spiritual truths are given in specific words. In the Bible, we have much more than inspired thoughts; we have inspired words. "For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest (John 17:8).
The successful Christian learns the vocabulary of the Spirit and makes use of it He knows the meaning of justification, sanctification, adoption, propitiation, election, inspiration, and so forth. In understanding God's vocabulary, we come to understand God's Word and God's will for our lives. If the engineering student can grasp the technical terms of chemistry, physics, or electronics, why should it be difficult for Christians, taught by the Spirit, to grasp the vocabulary of Christian truth?
Yet I hear church members say, "Don't preach doctrine. Just give us heartwarming sermons that will encourage us!" Sermons based on what? If they are not based on doctrine, they will accomplish nothing! "But doctrine is so dull!" people complain. Not if it is presented the way the Bible presents it Doctrine to me is exciting! What a thrill to be able to study the Bible and let the Spirit teach us "the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:10).
How does the Spirit teach the believer? He compares "spiritual things with spiritual." He reminds us of what He has taught us (John 14:26), relates that truth to something new, and then leads us into new truth and new applications of old truth. What a joy it is to sit before the pages of the Bible and let the Spirit reveal God's truth. The trouble is, many Christians are too busy for this kind of quiet meditation. What enrichment they are missing!
The Holy Spirit is like a householder who "bringeth forth out of his treasure flinging new and old" (Matt 13:52). The new always comes out of the old and helps us better understand the old. God gives us new insights into old truths as we compare one part of Scripture with another. Jesus based His teaching on the Old Testament, yet people were amazed at what He taught because it was so fresh and exciting.
I suggest that you make time every day to read the Word and meditate on it. Follow a regular schedule in your reading and give yourself time to pray, think, and meditate. Let the Spirit of God search the Word and teach you. The study and application of basic Bible doctrine can transform your life.
The Spirit matures the believer (vv. 14-16). The contrast here is between the saved person (called "spiritual" because he is indwelt by the Spirit) and the unsaved person (called "natural" because he does not have the Spirit within). In 1 Cor 3:1-4, Paul will introduce a third kind of person, the "carnal man." He is the immature Christian, the one who lives on a childhood level because he will not feed on the Word and grow.
At one time, every Christian was "natural," having only the things of nature. When we trusted the Saviour, the Spirit came in and we moved into the plane of "spiritual" - able to live in the realm of the Spirit. Then we had to grow! The unsaved man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because he does not believe in them and cannot understand them. But as the Christian day by day receives the things of the Spirit he grows and matures.
One of the marks of maturity is discernment - the ability to penetrate beneath the surface of life and see things as they really are. Unsaved people "walk by sight" and really see nothing. They are spiritually blind. The maturing Christian grows in his spiritual discernment and develops the ability (with the Spirit's help) to understand more and more of the will and mind of God. The Corinthians lacked this discernment; they were spiritually ignorant.
To "have the mind of Christ" does not mean we are infallible and start playing God in the lives of other people. Nobody instructs God! (Paul quoted Isa 40:13. Also see Rom 11:33-36.) To "have the mind of Christ" means to look at life from the Savior’s point of view, having His values and desires in mind. It means to think God's thoughts and not think as the world thinks.
The unsaved person does not understand the Christian; they live in two different worlds. But the Christian understands the unsaved person. First Corinthians 2:15 does not suggest that unsaved people cannot point out flaws in the believer's life (they often do), but that the unsaved man really cannot penetrate into the full understanding of what the Christian's life is all about. I like the New American Standard Bible's translation: "But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man." That "no man" includes other Christians as well. We must be very careful not to become spiritual dictators in the lives of God's people (2 Cor 1:24).
The Corinthian Christians were so wrapped up in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit that they were neglecting the basic ministries of the Spirit. And in their emphasis on the Spirit, they were also neglecting the Father and the Son.
Blessed are the balanced! And blessed are they who understand and share "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).
Yes, I’m ready to meet my Maker, come Lord Jesus, come.
