Title: The Holy What?Scriptures: Scriptures: 1 Corin 2: 6-16, Matthew 16:13-20
Paul uses the word "Spirit" or "Spiritual" 13 times in 6 verses, including "Spirit of man", "Spirit of God", "Spirit of the world', "Spiritual thoughts", "Spiritual words". Is the "Spirit of God" the same as the "Holy Spirit"? When does one receive the Holy Spirit? at birth? baptism? at conversion? Does every living thing have the "Spirit of God"? And I began to wonder, if I am unclear about spiritual things, maybe you are, too.
Put the Spirit in context and think about the Trinity.The Bible teaches us that there is one God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE God". The Bible also talks about three persons in one, although it does not use the word "trinity".We know of God the Father and creator. We know of Jesus, the crucified and risen redeemer; fully God and fully human. And we know of the Holy Spirit, who is with us now.There are three persons in one AND all of God is involved in everything God does. The work of creation is not only the work of the Father, it is also the work of the Son and the Spirit. The work of redemption is not only the work of Jesus, but of the Father and the Spirit. We cannot separate them.
Look at four verses in this passage.
Verse 7 "But we speak God's wisdom, a mystery (secret) and hidden. Before the world began, God planned this wisdom for our glory".
The "mystery" is the message of salvation through the cross of Jesus; and as Paul writes "planned by God before the world began". This is the mystery-- the resurrection of the crucified Jesus and God's redeeming plan for all of creation.
Verse 8. "None of the rulers of this world understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
The Jewish leaders and political rulers did not have God's wisdom, they acted without understanding, even to the point of crucifying Jesus. They could not discern the things that Jesus was saying and doing without God's wisdom.
Verse 10. "these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit"
We know God only because the Holy Spirit reveals God to us. The Holy Spirit is given to us when we come to faith in Christ, to uncover or reveal God to us.
Apokalypto or reveal, means to take off the cover or uncover or unwrap, like a gift. You receive something NEW and UNEXPECTED. A revelation or an apokalypsis, is a surprise. What was hidden is now known. The "hidden-ness" of God is a revelation. God's eternal purpose is available to all people NOT through reason, BUT revealed only by the Spirit.
Verse 14. "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."
What is the "foolishness" that Paul writes about? It is crazy for someone to die a criminal's death on a Roman cross as the only way to save the world. BUT God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, brings the UNEXPECTED to us.
Tell come to faith story. Before I entered that church, I was arrogant. I thought I knew it all. I was a Corinthian, then...The mystery that Jesus is the son of God, was apokalypto, unwrapped, uncovered to me. I believed that Jesus, who was crucified, was the Savior of all people. I did nothing to deserve this spiritual wisdom; it was a gift.
This is what happened to Peter in the gospel reading. Peter realized that Jesus was the Messiah, not through his reasoning, not through human insight, but through an apokalpysis of the Spirit of God. Peter not only knew Christ but experienced Christ. Peter not only knew of God's love, he experienced God's love. God seeks earnestly for us to know him.
How is the Holy Spirit active in our lives? Look for the NEW and UNEXPECTED? Something apokalypto.
Make room for the Holy Spirit through Bible study, sharing community and prayer.
Bible Study. The Holy Spirit revealed God to me, and I was changed by the reading and hearing of God's word. Read the Bible. Study the Bible with friends. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the mystery of God's word to you
Shared community. Jesus lives in community. Put yourself in a place where God can get to you. We never know when an apokalypsis will happen. It is God who does the work.
Pray. Prayer is both speaking our thoughts, our requests, our concerns and it is listening. I am convinced that it is Mike's prayer for me, that brought me to faith in that church in Pasco. God wants a relationship with us. God is within us. If you believe, if you have the Spirit of God in you, ask God for audacious faith and to receive something NEW and UNEXPECTED. If you do not believe, talk to God anyway, "Lord, I do not know the truth of Jesus, and I cannot put your truth in my life. I cannot receive it. But reveal yourself to me, and I will receive you".
God wants to reveal himself to us. So when we give God some space, we may hear words of revelation, of apokolypsis, like "I love you" or "You are my beloved". Listen. We cannot figure out everything with our small minds. The Holy Spirit reveals the love of God to us, and we are changed by it, UNEXPECTEDLY. Amen.
