“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Corinthians 2:13, NIV84)

Here the apostle Paul confirms again that the truths we hold are not self-evident. Because man is inherently sinful, he does not naturally believe and accept truth. The truths you and I believe and accept today are spiritual in nature. One cannot understand, then, from human wisdom alone. In order to understand spiritual truth one must be taught by the Spirit of God. Have you ever tried to talk to someone about the truths you believe in, and he or she looked at you like you had two heads? It is because that person’s heart and mind could not interpret the information through their current worldview. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that the “natural man cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God because they are foolishness to Him. He cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised.”

As I said in yesterday’s devotion, I think we need to add an evangelistic component to our defense of God’s truth. We need to always have the other person’s heart and soul on our mind. We need to witness to Jesus in our defense of the truth so that the Holy Spirit can move the heart and mind of the one to whom we are speaking. Once the Holy Spirit converts the heart and mind, He can begin to use us to teach God’s truth to the newly converted.

For you and me this verse is humbling. It reminds us that we cling to the truth of God, not because we are smarter than the world but because God has already changed our hearts and taught our minds. The difference between us and the world is not that we are smarter or better than anyone else. The difference is that we have already been reintroduced to the God of truth.

Let’s get involved in doing some reintroducing.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church