By: Christina Weidner
1 Corinthians 2: 9-13 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.[d]
I love 1 Corinthians 2:9: I have memorized it. I have written a song about it. But I have never connected it to relying on the Spirit, until now.
Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah from Isaiah 64:4. Isaiah is pointing out that our eyes, ears and heart which are the gates to our soul are fleshly and not spiritual. These soulish and fleshly members have their use but rarely are they in alignment with the Spirit. So much so that Isaiah declares that there is no eye, no ear and no heart that can perceive or conceive (imagine) what God has prepared for those who love him. If we rely upon what we see, we will be discouraged and limited in our faith. If we rely upon only what we hear and what our heart feels, we will equally be limited in our faith.
Oh! ….But the Psalmist David declares!…. There is place…… from which the Spirit of God operates!!!! It is in the deep places where heavenly truth dwells. Deep calls to Deep! The Spirit of God is that deep! It is the Spirit of God that sweeps over our natural, fleshy members and takes over. It causes us to rely upon Him!
Psalms 42:7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
“Deep calls to deep:” Hebrew word is : the deep, depths, with the associative meanings of darkness and secrecy, controlled or inhabited by mysterious powers; deep (17), depths (6), deep springs (4), deep waters
The mystery of God lies in the deep. It is the Spirit of God which searches out these mysteries and reveals them to us.
We can see this depth in 1 Corinthians 9:10 “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”
Greek words for Deep, Revealed, Searches, in this passage:
Deep (Depths) is bathos, n. [8] depth, deep thing; extreme:– deep (3), depth (2), extreme
Revealed: apokalyptō, v. [26] to reveal, disclose:– revealed (19), reveal (3), disclosed (2), make clear (1), revelation comes
Searches eraunaō, v. [6] to search, look into, try to find out:– searches (3), look into (1), study diligently (1), trying to find out
The triune God-head is working together: The Spirit has a job! Paul explains how we, being made in God’s image, have a spirit. Our spirit also has a job to search and reveal the deep things of our heart.
But as a new creation, we have received not the spirit of the world but the same spirit that is the Spirit of God that searches the depths of God. That same Spirit searches the depths of us. .
The Spirit of God then leads us and guides us, comforts and corrects, edifies and encourages. The Spirit instructs and explains the deep things of God to us.
Relying on the Spirit of God
What is doesn’t mean:
- Relying on the Spirit of God doesn’t mean you are some super spiritual weirdo that can’t hold a normal conversation with a real person living a normal life.
- It doesn’t mean you ignore facts and the reality of life and pretend things aren’t happening.
What it does mean:
You are operating from the Spirit of God who is searching out the truth and revealing the truth of God’s plan and purposes.
You are relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you instead of the spirit of this world to guide you.
You are relying on the Holy Spirit to instruct you instead of systems of this world which are contrary to the Spirit of God.
When we rely on the Spirit of God in us, we are not relying on our fleshly soul which is limited in every way to the truth of God’s reality. The Spirit of God only lives in the reality and realm of heaven. That is the only truth. There is no other.
Yes, there are facts, yes we have feelings, yes we have desires and temptations. But these aren’t usually in alignment with the truth. He is the Spirit of Truth.
Let the Spirit do His Job in your life!
- His job is to search out the truth in accordance with the perfect will of our Heavenly Father.
- His job is to reveal the truth that is accordance with the perfect will of our Heavenly Father.
- His job is to instruct us in the truth that is in accordance with the perfect will of our heavenly father.
- His job is to interpret or explain to us the deep things of God so we can experience God in truth.
