Hidden Wisdom
Hidden Wisdom
Sunday – 12th February 2023
Overview
1. Introduction – Hidden Wisdom
2. Wisdom of God is for the Mature.
3. We need the Wisdom of God because God works in Mysterious ways.
4. Hidden Wisdom of God in the New Testament.
5. Hidden Wisdom of God in the New Testament.
6. Trusting the Manifold Wisdom of God.
7. Manifestation of the Wisdom of God through the Holy Spirit.
8. Manifestation of the Wisdom of God in the Old Testament.
9. The Omniscient Holy Spirit.
10. Desiring the Manifold Wisdom of God.
11. Wisdom of God freely given through the Holy Spirit.
12. Conclusion – Having the Mind of Christ.
13. Prayer
Introduction – Hidden Wisdom
This message was preached by Pr. Anish Mano Stephen
This is the second part of a series of messages on the “Wisdom of God”
As we were preparing the verses for our new calendars for the year 2023, the Holy Spirit prompted the prayer team led by Pastor Greeshma Mullakara to assign the month of February with the theme of ‘Wisdom.’ If you are a regular follower of the contents of Hope in Jesus Ministries, you might have learned from the first day of the month of February about the wisdom of God, how the wisdom of God operated in powerful men and women in the Bible, and what is exactly meant by having the wisdom of God.
Let us turn our attention to the book of 1 Corinthians 2:7;
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
1 Corinthians 2:7
In the year 2021, from November onwards, we were talking about the Glory realm of God. In 2022, we were more focused on the Glory of the Almighty God shining upon us and the nations witnessing that Glory, and in 2023, we are learning about the More Glorious temple, that is us, the Church. It is the wisdom of God that releases More Glory into your life. There is much importance in having Godly wisdom in our lives. Godly wisdom is not to get the first rank in 10th standard, not to get the first rank in engineering, not to become a Ph.D. holder, but Godly Wisdom is to understand the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to understand the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, to understand the plan and purpose of the Almighty God for our lives. The unsaved people in the world are living a clueless life. They do not know what is their future. They do not know what will happen tomorrow, but we the anointed people of the Almighty God have great confidence about our future life. We know what is coming our way because God is giving us glory through the wisdom of God in our life. Now, the Bible says this wisdom of God is a hidden thing. People hide things because of two reasons. One, if they do a mistake. Second, because it is something precious. Now here, this Wisdom is not hidden because it is a mistake but it is hidden because it is very precious. And it is revealed to only mature sons and daughters.
Wisdom for the Mature
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.
1 Corinthians 2:6
What do we mean by maturity? Maturity is we become an adult who has the mind of Christ. When we were a child, we were tossed up and down with so many theories, with so much knowledge, with so many memories, we start believing Charles Darwin's theory as well. But when we came to maturity, we started thinking about everything before believing them. Down the lane from 2023, many theories brought forth by science may change. But this wisdom of God is not changing. It is given to mature sons and daughters of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is so that we will have more glory in our life. While Jesus was in this world, he spoke in parables to the public, but he revealed the mysteries to His disciples.
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been given.
Matthew 13:10-11
Jesus says that the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven are given only to the mature sons of God. It is not for everyone. Mature sons are special to Jesus, so he is revealing the hidden mysteries to them. He wants to release his wisdom into our life. He wants to release his knowledge. He wants to talk to us and he wants to release His Spirit on us so that God's glory will be manifested in our life. Because this wisdom is just not to interpret the Word of God to preach sermons, yes that is necessary, but more than that this wisdom is to make the plans of the Almighty God very clear and very known in our life.
Wisdom of God because God works in Mysterious Ways
The beauty of the Bible is that God works in mysterious ways. Mysterious ways are the ways we cannot think or imagine. The problem with us is the more and more information we get, the more and more we try to drive God in our direction. But the Word of God says if we want to get God's wisdom, first we must be a fool. Whom do we call a fool? Someone who does not know anything. Now if we acknowledge ourselves as a fool, God is ready to release His divine wisdom. That is why the intelligent people of this world could not recognize the Almighty God and God chose us who were fools in this world to become wise in the kingdom of the Almighty God.
Paul said,
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV
Yes, God works in ways that no eyes have seen, no ears have heard, and no human mind can conceive. Paul was trying to tell the world that God works in very mysterious ways. In other words, God always works concealing things from the understanding of human beings. After 2000 years, still, no scientists were able to find out the formula for changing water into wine (John 2:1-11). Because the Wisdom of God is far above what any of us can imagine.
Hidden Wisdom of God in the New Testament
A. The Crucifixion
The crucifixion of Jesus was the biggest mystery. The Almighty God concealed the purpose of the crucifixion and the depth of the mission of Jesus on the cross from the entire humanity, and from the devil also. The devil was just hoping according to the Jewish tradition that the Messiah will come and the Messiah will fight the battle in a physical way and will take over the Jewish community. The devil did not understand that there was a hidden way, a mysterious way by Lord Jesus Christ to taste death because if he tastes death, he will become the captain of salvation to the entire world because He is the author of life. In Him was life. But for the first time, the devil did the biggest big mistake. He brought Jesus into Hades and death. Unfortunately, he lost the battle in Hades and death once and for all. And from that day till today, he has been lamenting and crying over his failure because all of us are set free from the power of death in the name of Jesus because the mysterious wisdom of God was displayed.
B. Manifestation of God in Flesh
The other hidden wisdom manifestation of God was God becoming a man and coming into the world. The devil never expected God to manifest in the flesh because the devil never could understand that God, who dwells inside Holiness and Glory, can come into this world full of sin and under the control of the devil. The Bible says, he left his glory in heaven and lowered himself, took the form of a man, and came to this earth. The devil did not understand that. But in John chapter 2, the disciples understood when he manifested His Glory for the first time. Jesus ascending to Heaven, from the earth, was yet another powerful manifestation of His wisdom.
Hidden Wisdom of God in the Old Testament
When we look at the Bible right from the beginning, God worked in mysterious ways. God sent Joseph to Egypt. The journey was very hard for Joseph. At the same time, Jacob was devastated, because he loved his son very much. People might have accused the favorite son; the dreamer is dead. The house has a curse. But people, even Jacob could not understand the wisdom of God that was manifested there. Jacob did not know that God was sending Joseph ahead so that Jacob and his children will not die of hunger. Some things happened in our life because we did not know what God has installed for us.
When David was all alone in the forest fighting with lions and bears and getting his character molded for a greater mission, he never would have dreamt in his wildest dreams that one day he will become the most powerful king that the world has ever seen.
Trusting the Manifold Wisdom of God
When we trust in the manifold wisdom of God, we will have ‘Rest.’ This is the wisdom of God. He always wants the best for us. We should not try to measure this big God. we will fail. Trust him in every step. Step number one, step number two, step number three, step number four, walk away. When we reach our destiny, Eternal Life, we will see that what God has mysteriously done in our life is full of the wisdom of the Almighty God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
When we are trusting in the manifold wisdom of Almighty God, then we should not trust in our understanding. Because God does not work on our calculations. His plans and His ways are higher than ours. When we feel that we are not able to understand why things are happening in a certain way in our life or in our family, the best way normally is to rest in the Lord. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Do not be frustrated or anxious or worried. Just rest.
Manifestation of the Wisdom of God through the Holy Spirit
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10
Now it is very interesting that initially, God said, this wisdom is hidden, it is mysterious, and I cannot let you know. But then Paul says, there is a way in which you can understand a little bit of Godly wisdom is by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in your life. When the Holy Spirit came into our lives, the Lord opened our eyes of understanding to partly understand the glorious work of Lord Jesus Christ in our life. It is not fully, only partly, that’s why Paul says, the prophecy gift is the greatest gift that can get into the mind of God. But you prophesy, part by part. “You are seeing, as if you are seeing your face in a mirror, days will come when you are in eternity, and you will get to know the fullness of Lord Jesus Christ.”
Manifestation of the Wisdom of God in the Old Testament
A. Life of Daniel
Another manifestation of the Wisdom of God in the Old Testament is at the time of Daniel,
And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Daniel 5:25-29
There were wise people, wise men, magicians, sorcerers, false god worshippers, and idol worshippers were there and no one could understand what was written. But when Daniel saw this writing and because the Spirit of God was upon him, he could understand what the Lord God was going to do at that time. As New Covenant believers, we are so blessed because we have the Spirit of God to make us understand what God is about to do in our life, which is Faith.
B. Life of Joseph
The Bible talks about Joseph having the Holy Spirit because of the dreams that he interpreted which no one else could remember.
And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
Genesis 41:38-39
Pharaoh testifies about him, is there any other man in this world we can find in whom the Spirit of God is? This might be the reason when Joseph traveled through all the hardships in his life, he never gave in to his emotions or pleasures of the world. Because Holy Spirit reminded him of the greater calling that he has in his life.
The Omniscient Holy Spirit
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11
Holy Spirit makes us understand the mind of God in our life, the heart of God, and the will of God for our lives because the Word of God says that no one knows the thoughts of God except for the Holy Spirit.
Desiring the manifold Wisdom of God
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matthew 11:12
The violent people in the kingdom of God will be the victorious ones. They will be the ones who will take the Kingdom of God by force, and who can stand against the schemes of the devil because they are more than conquerors. In the kingdom of God, we are not void of problems in our life. Jesus is the father who wants the children to be victorious. If we, normal human beings want our children to be successful, how much more the Father God in heaven is looking at all of us to be successful every time when the devil brings violence into the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit will enable us to be successful. It is very important to understand that we should never neglect the Holy Spirit God. In other words, the Holy Spirit must take control of our life in a higher dimension so that we can be an expression, a portal for the manifestation of the Wisdom of the Almighty God.
Wisdom of God freely given through the Holy Spirit
So, what do we need to do as a church?
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
1 Corinthians 2:12
So, two things in this verse.
First, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, it is not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit from above, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of purity, the Spirit of righteousness that came into our life. The Holy Spirit does not take us into the fashions of the world. It takes us out of the world. We need to shut down the world to open our eyes to see the divine wisdom of the Almighty God.
Second, the Bible says, the Holy Spirit will tell us what God has freely given in our life. Grace is freely given into our life. Faith is freely given into our life. Wisdom is freely given into our life. The healing is freely given into our life. All the blessings in the Bible do not cost us anything, it is freely given to us by the Almighty God. But for us to know it, we need the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion – Having the Mind of Christ
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2:13
In Corinthians, Paul says the wisdom which is from the Holy Spirit is not to make us pass any worldly examinations. But sometimes wisdom will make us fail in this world, to make us eligible to manifest the manifold Wisdom of Almighty God. Today we might be looked down on by people. Today we might be in a lot of problems but when the wisdom of God manifests, it is amazing.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
1 Corinthians 2: 14-15
Those who are spiritual judge all things, all thoughts, and all actions. When we have the wisdom of God we will think and judge by the power of the Holy Spirit before we say something or before we do something because that is Godly Wisdom. That is how we make decisions.
For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
I Corinthians 12:16
We have the mind of Christ. When the mind of Christ operates, we will have a wonderful, successful, blessed life because we will be aware of our life through the manifold Wisdom of God and the Unlimited Holy Spirit that is in us.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we pray that, in the month of February, as we are meditating about the Wisdom of God, we want the unlimited Holy Spirit in our life so that the Holy Spirit God will manifest the manifold Wisdom of God in us. Teach us to desire your wisdom more and more and to trust in your divine timings.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.