Our study of the “God-Kind” of faith continues in 1st Corinthians chapter 1. Let us read the following scripture text:
1Co 1:25- 29, " Because what seems foolish in God is wiser than men; and what seems feeble in God is stronger than men. For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble: But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong; And the low things of the world, and the things without honor, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are: So that no flesh might have glory before God."
We have studied over the past few weeks on the “ingredients” necessary for the God-Kind of faith to become active and live in us. The teaching has been about the CONDITION of a person’s heart who is being prepared to live a life of true faith, and “to walk by faith and not by sight.” The life of faith is not an easy one to live. That is why not many wise, noble, intellectual people can walk it. Faith works against what we would call “common sense.” Do not misunderstand me, we need common sense for many things. We need it to walk across the street and not get hit by a car. We need it to go to sleep, eat, drink, brush our teeth and more.
When it comes to a real life of faith, common sense can become the greatest of enemies. It is foolish to many people that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin birth. Many don’t believe it happened. How can a virgin get pregnant they say? That is why so much focus today is on Jesus being married and having a family. Many wise people can’t believe He is the Son of God. Common sense says, He could not have lived a sinless life no one has. Common sense says He was just a man, a prophet, a good person with a new philosophy.
This is why the Gospel is foolishness to the wise men and woman of the world. Common sense may believe that He died on the cross, but it can not believe that the Father raised Him from the dead. So as you can see, common sense can be the enemy of true and living faith.
Why does the Lord have to chose “even the things which are not?” This is a fundamental question we are going to try to answer in this lesson. The bible tells us in Proverbs 14:12, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in the way of death or destruction.” THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT! This is the secret to the verse we are expounding. The way of a man in his own wisdom and thinking always seems the right choice. Every decision we make as people is one that we always “think” is right.
Before I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, I had plans for my life, goals, and all that I wanted to achieve. They were good plans. I knew where I wanted to be in 20 years, what I wanted to have, how I was going to plan for my wife and my future. I planned how I would pay for my children’s education. I had great and lofty plans. As I went about achieving these plans and goals, nothing was going to get in my way. You could say I was “wise” in my own sight. I was “noble” because I had my own success. When people came to preach the Gospel to me, I hated them. I despised them. Though I was religious and went to church, I didn’t need a savior. I liked my life the way it was.
I use this illustration to bring forth a needed point of discussion. This thinking and reasoning is the way that seems “right” to every one in the world and even some Christians. Shouldn’t we plan for our future and have something for a rainy day?
These goals and plans were “my ways.” The ways in which I was going to walk and bring my family. This reasoning was apart from the Holy Spirit guidance, and the bible calls this the “life in the flesh.” Romans chapter 8:1 tells us that, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE HOLY SPIRIT!” The amplified bible expounds this verse this way, “who walk not after the dictates and ways of the flesh, but after the dictates and ways of the Spirit.” Verse 6 says, “the mind of the flesh, (which is your sense and reason apart from the Holy Spirit) is DEATH, But the mind of the Holy Spirit (which is your sense and reason with the Holy Spirit) is LIFE AND PEACE!”
Faith requires the work and direction of the Holy Spirit. It requires the ability to hear God’s voice and the understanding of what He is speaking to our heart. His voice is to give us our plans, direction, power and ability to live and do the will of God. Active faith can never work apart from the ability to hear God’s voice personally through the bible and the personal speaking He does in a human heart.
When we are void of the Holy Spirit and dead in our sins, we can NEVER hear God or know His will and plans for our lives. We only have our “human thoughts” to live by and guide us, and the impulses of our flesh to gain as much as we can for ourselves. We might be good people and even help others, yet we are still guided by our “own understanding in wisdom.”
Romans 8:7, says “but the mind of the flesh (sense and reason apart from God) is at war, enmity against God. For to the law of God it CAN NOT submit itself.” Beloved, there is not one once of the God-Kind of faith in this kind of thinking. This type of thinking is opposed to God because it is based in common sense or human reason. Even though God has given to every man a “measure of faith”, this faith is dormant in a man until he is born-again by the Holy Spirit of God. Only them can that God-kind of faith in him become active to walk by.
The mind of the flesh, common sense, is at war with God, why? The bible answers that question in the following verses. Let us read and receive the impartation of these words: Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, or your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God says, "OUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT, HIS THOUGHT! OUR WAYS ARE NOT HIS WAYS!" Beloved, this is the life of faithlessness. There is no exercising of faith in your own thoughts, plans and direction. God tells us this is foolishness. He tells us in his word that the end of these ways leads to death and destruction. I know I was on that path. All my great plans and success lead me to want to commit suicide, and I almost did! My end would have been destruction because I rested my whole life, my family on the “wisdom of man” and not the “wisdom of God.” I was wise in my own eyes, and noble in my own heart, so I was disqualified from a life of faith.
The tragedy is even worse if we become a Christian and continue to live “according to the flesh.” It is the highest insult to God that as believers we would live our lives as if we owned them still. It is an insult to God who saved us if we don’t consult Him, listen to His voice and find His will for our lives, yet so many Christians still live like that. They will get into heaven for trusting Jesus to save them and repenting from their sins, but the “LIFE OF THE FAITH OF GOD”, they will never know.
God’s thoughts are “above” ours thought, and His ways are “above” our ways! This “ABOVE OURS” is called the “things which are not!” We have read in 1st Corinthians that “did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not,” Yes the selection from God are HIS WAYS, HIS THOUGHTS AND HIS PLANS FOR OUR LIVES! These thoughts and plans are the “mind of the Holy Spirit.” and they are "above us" where He is! These thoughts are the purposes, directions and plans that God has created for us. Each thought God has for us is full of the active faith of God himself if we open our hearts to hear His voice. The words that God speaks are full of the life of faith if we allow Him to quicken them in our spirit until they become our only true direction.
Yes, beloved we now “live by faith and not by sight.” We become “just” and “live by faith.” A living faith that God has prepared in a heart of humility and brokenness. A heart willing to trust God in every word that He speaks to us. Now the “things which are not,” the things we can not see with the natural eye or hear with the natural ear are more real than the world around us. The invisible things of God become a living reality in our heart and we begin to look for a “heavenly” city like Abraham and not an earthly one.
We become citizen’s of “another” world, “another kingdom.” We live in the “faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me!” So with Paul we can say, “ I have been crucified with Christ to all the “human wisdom and logic of this world,” NEVERTHELESS I LIVE!, and the LIFE I KNOW LIVE, I LIVE BY FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD!”
Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for He that comes to God, must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Romans 8:8 say, “that those who live in the flesh (the thoughts and plans without the Holy Spirit) CANNOT PLEASE GOD!
No Beloved, without the mind of the Holy Spirit, the thoughts, word, plans and directions of God we can not live by faith. It is impossible and we can never please Him, the Word says so! We must live in the “things that are not.” The “things which are not” are hidden in God and they must be sought out daily by prayer, study of His word and in sweet living communion with the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. This is the true life of faith we are called to.
I will close with scriptures from Proverbs that is to be a guide to all of us. May this be your heartfelt cry to the Lord today, that He would make these verses alive in your heart. Proverbs 3:5-6, “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”
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