It Is No Secret

1 Corinthians 2:9-12

Did you know that God is not trying to keep you in the dark about what is going on in your life? Some have said that God doesn’t show you what He is doing so that you won’t interfere and mess things up, but this has no basis in scripture. He told Noah to build the ark, though He could have floated Noah on driftwood if He so desired. He told Joshua to march around Jericho, though He could easily have just flattened the city with a word. The list goes on and on, and God is in the business of letting His people in on what He is doing.

Granted, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), and 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 Corinthians 2:9). However, the very next verse says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit”. This means that because we have the seal of the Spirit in our hearts, we have revelation as to what God is preparing for our next step.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD”. Your King James Bible has “good” italicized, showing that it was added by the translators to bring out the meaning of the verse. Perhaps here, they had a hard time believing that EVERY man’s steps were ordered by the LORD, so they just put “good” in front of it. What they wanted and what it says are two different things however. The text tells us that man’s steps are ordered by God. If God is ordering them, and we are the ones actually stepping, doesn’t it make sense that He wants us to know where we are going?

Now the world has little hope of knowing where they are going. This is because the world is walking in darkness, while the saint is walking in the light (John 8:12; 12:35). Since His light is in us and around us, He wishes to reveal to us what His plans are for our life.

Paul states that we have not received the “spirit of the world” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The word ‘world’ is “kosmos” in Greek, or literally, “the world-system”. As believers, we do not function under the same system as the world. They do not know what is coming until it is upon them, but we have it better, for we function in what we have received, “the Spirit which is of God” (verse 12).

Whatever situation that you face, you do not face it alone. You have the identification of the Holy Spirit in your heart and there is nothing off limits to help you on your way. All things have been “freely given to us of God” (verse 12). Need knowledge? Ask for it. Don’t know what to do? Seek His voice. He will always lead us and guide us as His desire is not to carry us to our destination and then show us how He did it, but it is to walk alongside of us all the way there, enjoying the journey with us.

Remember believer that Christ came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He is with you to bring joy to the journey. Consult Him always, and He will always show you where to go.

That I May Know Him

Philippians 3:10

If there is any one that ever lived that could claim to know the character of the risen Christ, surely it was the Apostle Paul. Yet, when writing to the church at Philippi, he says, “That I may know him”, as if there is more for him to know. How telling is this? If Paul had more to learn of the glorious Savior, surely we have a world of knowledge awaiting us!

The context of Paul’s request is a recap of his life prior to meeting Jesus. He counts all previous knowledge and law keeping as “loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7), and “dung” (Verse 8), willing to exchange them “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord”. The thirst for knowledge is a recurring theme in Paul’s writings as he challenges believers to come to a fuller understanding of whom that they are in Christ. Notice his insistence:

“And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” (Romans 15:14)

“That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge.” (1 Corinthians 1:5)

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15:34)

These are just a few examples of Paul appealing to the knowledge of the believer. His belief was that there was no greater knowledge to be found than that which brings Christ into fuller light in your heart and mind. There was and still is, always something more to learn about our Savior.

The fullness of knowledge is linked to the fullness of spirit. Paul goes on to say, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12). The daily increase in his knowledge of who Jesus was led him to an apprehension of what it meant to be complete in Christ. The more that he learned of Christ, the more that he felt complete or “perfect”.

Jesus told us to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matthew 11:29). Daily resting in Christ, whose yoke is “easy” and whose “burden is light” (Matt. 11:30), causes us to “learn” who He is. The more we rest in His finished work, the more that our awareness of His love and compassion is for us.

As you go about your day, take every available moment to dwell on the Father’s love for you. As you allow grace to wash over your soul, you place yourself beneath the yoke of Christ which is easy and light. Every moment that you rest under that yoke, you come into a fuller knowledge of who Christ is, which leads you one step further to living a perfect lifestyle. I do not insinuate that you will never fail again, but the goal in Christianity is to let Christ live His life through us, and that will be a life free from the stain and the failure of sin.

It Is No Secret

1 Corinthians 2:9-12

Did you know that God is not trying to keep you in the dark about what is going on in your life? Some have said that God doesn’t show you what He is doing so that you won’t interfere and mess things up, but this has no basis in scripture. He told Noah to build the ark, though He could have floated Noah on driftwood if He so desired. He told Joshua to march around Jericho, though He could easily have just flattened the city with a word. The list goes on and on, and God is in the business of letting His people in on what He is doing.

Granted, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), and 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 Corinthians 2:9). However, the very next verse says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit”. This means that because we have the seal of the Spirit in our hearts, we have revelation as to what God is preparing for our next step.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD”. Your King James Bible has “good” italicized, showing that it was added by the translators to bring out the meaning of the verse. Perhaps here, they had a hard time believing that EVERY man’s steps were ordered by the LORD, so they just put “good” in front of it. What they wanted and what it says are two different things however. The text tells us that man’s steps are ordered by God. If God is ordering them, and we are the ones actually stepping, doesn’t it make sense that He wants us to know where we are going?

Now the world has little hope of knowing where they are going. This is because the world is walking in darkness, while the saint is walking in the light (John 8:12; 12:35). Since His light is in us and around us, He wishes to reveal to us what His plans are for our life.

Paul states that we have not received the “spirit of the world” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The word ‘world’ is “kosmos” in Greek, or literally, “the world-system”. As believers, we do not function under the same system as the world. They do not know what is coming until it is upon them, but we have it better, for we function in what we have received, “the Spirit which is of God” (verse 12).

Whatever situation that you face, you do not face it alone. You have the identification of the Holy Spirit in your heart and there is nothing off limits to help you on your way. All things have been “freely given to us of God” (verse 12). Need knowledge? Ask for it. Don’t know what to do? Seek His voice. He will always lead us and guide us as His desire is not to carry us to our destination and then show us how He did it, but it is to walk alongside of us all the way there, enjoying the journey with us.

Remember believer that Christ came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He is with you to bring joy to the journey. Consult Him always, and He will always show you where to go.

That I May Know Him

Philippians 3:10

If there is any one that ever lived that could claim to know the character of the risen Christ, surely it was the Apostle Paul. Yet, when writing to the church at Philippi, he says, “That I may know him”, as if there is more for him to know. How telling is this? If Paul had more to learn of the glorious Savior, surely we have a world of knowledge awaiting us!

The context of Paul’s request is a recap of his life prior to meeting Jesus. He counts all previous knowledge and law keeping as “loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7), and “dung” (Verse 8), willing to exchange them “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord”. The thirst for knowledge is a recurring theme in Paul’s writings as he challenges believers to come to a fuller understanding of whom that they are in Christ. Notice his insistence:

“And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” (Romans 15:14)

“That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge.” (1 Corinthians 1:5)

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15:34)

These are just a few examples of Paul appealing to the knowledge of the believer. His belief was that there was no greater knowledge to be found than that which brings Christ into fuller light in your heart and mind. There was and still is, always something more to learn about our Savior.

The fullness of knowledge is linked to the fullness of spirit. Paul goes on to say, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12). The daily increase in his knowledge of who Jesus was led him to an apprehension of what it meant to be complete in Christ. The more that he learned of Christ, the more that he felt complete or “perfect”.

Jesus told us to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matthew 11:29). Daily resting in Christ, whose yoke is “easy” and whose “burden is light” (Matt. 11:30), causes us to “learn” who He is. The more we rest in His finished work, the more that our awareness of His love and compassion is for us.

As you go about your day, take every available moment to dwell on the Father’s love for you. As you allow grace to wash over your soul, you place yourself beneath the yoke of Christ which is easy and light. Every moment that you rest under that yoke, you come into a fuller knowledge of who Christ is, which leads you one step further to living a perfect lifestyle. I do not insinuate that you will never fail again, but the goal in Christianity is to let Christ live His life through us, and that will be a life free from the stain and the failure of sin.

It Is No Secret

1 Corinthians 2:9-12

Did you know that God is not trying to keep you in the dark about what is going on in your life? Some have said that God doesn’t show you what He is doing so that you won’t interfere and mess things up, but this has no basis in scripture. He told Noah to build the ark, though He could have floated Noah on driftwood if He so desired. He told Joshua to march around Jericho, though He could easily have just flattened the city with a word. The list goes on and on, and God is in the business of letting His people in on what He is doing.

Granted, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), and 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 Corinthians 2:9). However, the very next verse says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit”. This means that because we have the seal of the Spirit in our hearts, we have revelation as to what God is preparing for our next step.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD”. Your King James Bible has “good” italicized, showing that it was added by the translators to bring out the meaning of the verse. Perhaps here, they had a hard time believing that EVERY man’s steps were ordered by the LORD, so they just put “good” in front of it. What they wanted and what it says are two different things however. The text tells us that man’s steps are ordered by God. If God is ordering them, and we are the ones actually stepping, doesn’t it make sense that He wants us to know where we are going?

Now the world has little hope of knowing where they are going. This is because the world is walking in darkness, while the saint is walking in the light (John 8:12; 12:35). Since His light is in us and around us, He wishes to reveal to us what His plans are for our life.

Paul states that we have not received the “spirit of the world” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The word ‘world’ is “kosmos” in Greek, or literally, “the world-system”. As believers, we do not function under the same system as the world. They do not know what is coming until it is upon them, but we have it better, for we function in what we have received, “the Spirit which is of God” (verse 12).

Whatever situation that you face, you do not face it alone. You have the identification of the Holy Spirit in your heart and there is nothing off limits to help you on your way. All things have been “freely given to us of God” (verse 12). Need knowledge? Ask for it. Don’t know what to do? Seek His voice. He will always lead us and guide us as His desire is not to carry us to our destination and then show us how He did it, but it is to walk alongside of us all the way there, enjoying the journey with us.

Remember believer that Christ came that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He is with you to bring joy to the journey. Consult Him always, and He will always show you where to go.

It is "What You Know”

Hosea 4:6

There is an old saying that goes, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know”. Of course this means that in life, intelligence and education will only take you so far, so you better know someone who can advance you or help you climb the ladder of success. In living for the Lord, who you know is Jesus Christ, so it is obvious that there can be no higher friend. However, what you know is of vital importance for the child of God, so vital in fact that I dare say that in order for you to live free from sin and its slavery it is very much, “What you know” that makes all of the difference.

Hosea tells us that God’s people are “destroyed for lack of knowledge”. Notice that they do not “perish”, as some translations say, indicating that they simply starve to death, or waste away. Rather, they are so weakened by what they do not know that they become easy pickings for their adversary, the roaring lion.

The New Covenant is wonderful and beautiful, providing everything that the believer needs to reign in this life, but all of its wonders are wasted if the individual is ignorant as to who they are in Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32). “And ye shall know” is translated, “come to know” in Greek, meaning that Jesus promises us an ever learning experience as we walk with Him.

Paul stated that our new man is “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10); and that we keep from conforming to this world by being, “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Peter stated that if a believer does not have various fruits in their life, such as faith, patience, godliness, etc, it is because he “hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:9). Again, it all comes back to what the believer knows about what Jesus has done for them.

This is why Satan goes after our thought life with such fervor. He knows that he has been defeated at Calvary, and stripped of all of his power, but he thrives on our ignorance of those facts. If we feel like we must defeat the devil, then he will gladly go to war with us, since he cannot war with Christ. What we do not know about who we are in Jesus equips the devil to play with our lives, trapping us in vice and sin. Paul told Timothy to teach the people in his church who condemn themselves, so that God would help them to change their minds toward the truth (2 Timothy 2:25). This knowledge would “recover them out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (verse 26).

What does the Word say about you, the believer? Know these things and hide them in your heart. It says that you are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21); that you are one of the sons of God (John 1:12); that you are no longer a servant, but a son, and if a son then an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:7); that you are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10); that you used to be a sinner, but now you are washed, sanctified and justified (1 Corinthians 6:11), and that because you are sanctified, you are perfect in the eyes of the Father (Hebrews 10:14).

Believer, hold fast to that knowledge and be free in Jesus name!