Scripture
15Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
Observation
Paul is contrasting those of the flesh with those of the spirit and reminds the believers that we are able to evaluate- weigh the value of- what’s going on around us. How is this possible? He answers in the next verse that this ability to discern what others cannot flows from an intimate knowledge of Christ. When Paul is talking about our “understanding” this is not a book or head knowledge as much as it is a relational knowledge. The greek word “ginosko” was used to describe a deeper perceiving and feeling. To put a more blunt point on it so we don’t miss the point, the Jews used this word to describe the sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. Paul, one of the most educated of his day, is saying that intimacy with Jesus not intellectual superiority is how we are to understand the times in which we live. Paul makes it clear that we will have many will judge our spiritual decisions as foolish and even judge God himself daring to “teach him”. It’s out this place of personal experience that we take our stand in unwavering obedience.
Application
For the first time in New Hope’s history we are closing doors to public services to adhere to the leadership of our city, state and country regarding the spread of COVID-19. Though some are saying this is an act fear we feel it’s an act of faith. After a time of prayer and discussion today with Pastor Wayne and our leadership team we came out saying “it seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit that we do this” (Acts 15:28). Aimee Semple McPherson, recently honored by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 most influential women in our countries history, was constantly being judged from the standpoint of man’s wisdom. She started the Foursquare movement just as the Great Depression was looming. How did she do this? She opened a commissary and fed the hungry and the poor of Los Angeles. What about the early Church? The church was called to go into all the world was pretty much sticking around Jerusalem. It’s what they knew and were comfortable with. God used the persecution of Acts 8 to scatter the gathered church from Jerusalem, Judea and to the ends of the earth. If God can use The Great Depression to start a church planting movement and persecution to spread the Gospel throughout the earth what can He do with a pandemic of global proportions? Instead of the mind of politicians, and the mind of newscasters, and the mind of Hollywood elites, we need to pursue the mind of Christ. If your thoughts have been anything like mine they have been every which way but the right way. Yet, when I stop, open up His Word like today, and wait upon the Lord my thoughts are all rounded up and put in their place at the feet of Jesus. Out of intimacy comes clarity, out of prayer comes a pathway forward, and out of surrender comes a fresh sense of purpose.
Lord, I thank You for the ability to evaluate- weigh the value of-what’s going on in our world right now. I think that our way forward isn’t watching more news but hearing from You. It’s not head knowledge but heart knowledge that we need as we travers these uncharted waters before us as a church. With our leadership telling us that we should not gather in groups larger than 10 we have effectively returned the 21st Century Church to the 1st Century Church. I pray that the priesthood of the saints would rise up in each home and see their worth and value in leading the way to being Jesus where they wake, work and worship. Though my head wants to run around and fix things I choose to wait on You and let our intimacy deepen and lead us through.
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