THE WISDOM OF GOD

Pastor Bill Marks, Christian Fellowship, Potchefstroom, Tel: (018) 293 1608 or 082 260 5965 During the school holidays, I was walking with my two grandsons when the one said to the other, "My father bought me a ball". He also mentioned several other things about his father. My other grandson then said, "I haven’t got a father." As we were playing soccer, I noticed that he just suddenly sat down on the grass with his head bowed down. I bent down to see why he had stopped playing and asked him, "Are you alright, my boy?" He burst out crying and said, "I miss my father." I gathered him in my arms and comforted him. Only then could I see the Bigger Picture of what was in his heart. Jesus was CONFRONTED with every possible kind of CHALLENGE, but He was able to RETAIN PERSPECTIVE at all times, because He always saw the BIGGER PICTURE! John 6:60 - "Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’" The Jewish followers found it difficult to accept what Jesus had said in verse 53: "...‘Most assuredly I say unto you; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.’" Verse 61: "Jesus KNEW within Himself that His disciples were complaining. So He said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’" Many of the disciples were not prepared to sacrifice their entire lives like Jesus would. Verse 64: "‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus KNEW from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him." John 2:23-25 - "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He KNEW all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for He KNEW what was in man." John 13:11 - "For He KNEW who should betray Him; therefore said He, ‘Ye are not all clean.’" Jesus is able to identify the true essence of every situation. He has the supernatural insight of every situation you may be in now. People fall into 3 SPIRITUAL CATEGORIES: 1) THE NATURAL MAN is unregenerate (i.e. not born again of the Spirit of God), and has no appreciation for the Gospel. How does regeneration work in the individual? When a person believes in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) or accepts Christ as his Saviour (John 1:12), he becomes a child of God. He was dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), but in a divine experience, the Holy Spirit gives new life to the individual, a new nature to serve God. 2) THE CARNAL MAN is regenerate, a believer, but lives in childish ways. An immature Christian lives more for human opinion and self-satisfaction of the flesh than for Christ. 1 Cor. 3:3 - "For you are still carnal…" This was the state of the Church in Corinth. 3) THE SPIRITUAL MAN is regenerate and possesses maturity to understand and love God and others. 1 Cor. 2:6 - "However we speak wisdom among those who are mature." 1 Cor. 2:16 - "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." Paul elaborates our need of the Holy Spirit Who interprets spiritual things to spiritual people. It is the Holy Spirit Who releases the mind of Christ within us. John 14:26 - "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Pray that God might reveal the Bigger Picture to you! SPONSORED BY TG TRADERS