Mystery of Hidden Power
Mystery of Hidden Power. Paul was an intelligent man, trained in all of the knowledge of his day; he certainly could have impressed the church at Corinth with eloquent words. Yet, he chose to speak to them in simple words, in fear and trembling, that would demonstrate the Spirit and power.
1 And I, brethren, when I came
to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to
you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among
you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in
weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my
preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not
be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
6
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom
of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers
of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:1-8, NKJV
Mystery of Hidden Power
There is so much to cover in 1 Corinthians 2 regarding the mystery of hidden power of God that I have decided to divide it into two devotionals.
Paul's
goal to the church at Corinth, which is God's goal for all His children
is simply to live in the power of God. It is considered a mystery
because God chose to reveal His power only to His church: those who are
saved through the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins.
Paul
was an intelligent man, trained in all of the knowledge of his day; he
certainly could have impressed the church at Corinth with eloquent
words. Yet, he chose to speak to them in simple words, in fear and
trembling, that would demonstrate the Spirit and power. When we come
before the throne of glory, we do not come in the wisdom of this world,
but rather we come to God in fear and trembling, seeking to receive His
wisdom and power so that we may live this life according to the purpose
He has chosen for us.
Why
is the hidden power of God considered to be a mystery? It is spoken of
plainly here in 1 Corinthians 2 for all to read. God writes His Words
upon the hearts of believers, so that they, alone, can truly understand
the depth of these verses.
Notice verse 7: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.
What is significant about this verse? The wisdom we receive from man is all earth centered and bound by time, because we are creatures of time. Yet we know that the wisdom of God is timeless; God is not a creature of time as we are. The hidden wisdom which He grants to us was ordained before time began. No wonder the wise of this world do not comprehend it! If they had known it they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory.
The
wise, the rich and powerful of this world, apart from Christ, do not
understand the mystery of the hidden power of God. Why then do we
Christians seek to emulate them and stand upon every "wise" word they
speak? As true believers, we are no longer of this world; our life is
now timeless!
Pray
today that you would seek the wisdom and power of God instead of the
wisdom of this age, understanding that your whole purpose in life is to
glorify God. Everything in your life should be committed to that end.
This world is not our home!
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