7 No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” —
10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
God’s secret wisdom has been hidden... From whom was this secret wisdom hidden? Answer - those whom God has not chosen! Among those are the rulers of this age, and they did not, nor do they, nor will they, EVER understand it if they were not chosen by God. Since the lost do NOT have the Holy Spirit, it is hidden from them. This interpretation is supported by 1 Corinthians 2:14:
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.
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.
So when Paul writes in verse 10 that He has revealed it to us by His Spirit, he is not referring to us humans - or all mankind, he is referring to us Christians, the Elect of God chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
Next: The phrase “destined for our glory...” is specific. Who did the action of “destined?” Did we destine ourselves? NO! God performed the action - and didn’t ask us before He did it.
Next: The phrase “destined for our glory...” is specific. Who did the action of “destined?” Did we destine ourselves? NO! God performed the action - and didn’t ask us before He did it.
...for our glory... To whom is the word “our” referring? Well, go back and read Chapter 1, verse 2 - Paul clearly identifies the group of people to whom he is writing:
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
The glory God had destined was for CHRISTIANS, His Elect, NOT every soul who ever lived.
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
The glory God had destined was for CHRISTIANS, His Elect, NOT every soul who ever lived.
Then the phrase, “before time began” sounds just like Ephesians 1:4 - the verse that speaks of God’s Elect being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Because we were chosen by God, once He saved us by quickening our dead spirit, He revealed this secret wisdom to us by His Spirit. And we understand it ONLY because we have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit which guides US (not them) to all Truth (John 16:13).
Bottom Line - God’s secret wisdom has been hidden from the lost and revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The lost do not have the Holy Spirit, and that’s why it is hidden from them. It’s right in front of their eyes and they hear words with their ears but they don’t understand it (John 8:43-44) because they do NOT have spiritual ears. Hence it’s hidden from them. That is why no lost person will ever “accept” Jesus and that is why the Bible NEVER says one has to “accept” Jesus to be saved.
We become children of God NOT by human decision. (John 1:13)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.