Proverbs 2:1-11 “My
son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that
you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes,
if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If
you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then
you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For
the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come
knowledge and
understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield
to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves
the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and
knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding
will keep you.”
Michael continues that Jesus
knew Judas' heart was the heart of a traitor. What the devil and his
minions meant for evil, God meant for
good. Judas himself was part of God's plan of redemption for all
mankind. God's ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher
than our thoughts. How do you get understanding? Understanding is found in the
presence of God listening to His Word. Nicodemus had no understanding, even
though he had been educated in the Old Testament law as a good Pharisee. God
said in Proverbs 2:2, "Make
your ear attentive to wisdom." True understanding is knowing
"what would Jesus do?" The wisdom of God gives knowledge of the
"remarkable" and understanding of the truth of the Word of God. As
Paul said, "I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me."
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "You must be born of water and of the spirit
to enter into the kingdom of God." The first birth is a physical birth, when
the mother's water breaks, but the second birth is a spiritual new birth. There
are many "cant’s" in the scripture. They that are in the sinful flesh
cannot please God. Regardless of a person's performance, works cannot produce
good fruit. The good fruit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Don't be amazed that I said that you must be
born again.” When you're born again, then you can discern truth from
a spiritual perspective. According to 1 Corinthians 2:14, “the natural man (of body and soul) receives
not the things of the spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.”
Truth is discerned and perceived through the eyes of the spirit. When Jesus
taught, He did not appeal to the natural senses. Until we can see from the
spiritual eyes of Christ in us, the hope of Glory, we cannot understand the
truth of the Word of God.
Jesus said that the spirit
is like the wind that you can't see but you can see the effects of its
invisible power. Lew Wallace set out to prove that there is no God.
When he searched the scriptures, he became a “born again” believer in Jesus.
He wrote the book Ben Hur to show the power of God's love, grace, mercy and
deliverance. The theme of this book is that “Reconciliation with God is at
the foot of the cross of Christ.”
The first birth is
painful. You inherit your parents' nature when you're born the first time
in natural childbirth. When we're “born again” of the Spirit, we inherit the
nature of our Heavenly Father. The nature of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:18, we no longer regard people from a natural point
of view; We see them as God sees them. For
I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in
me, and the life that I now live, I live by faith in the one who loved me and
gave himself for me. We no longer see him in the flesh but we discern him
according to the spirit of life in Christ.
Jesus said in John
14:6, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man cometh to the father except by me. Salvation
is on God's terms not ours. Jesus' way is the exclusive way to heaven. He
is the only way whereby we must be saved. If you know Jesus Christ then
you know the truth. Jesus Christ is the truth of the Word of God. He is
the message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
May we ever live to the
praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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