In the last BLOG we ended looking at I Corinthians 2:10-14 in an effort to show that all spiritual understanding comes from the Spirit of God and is therefore by grace. Only the humble can receive grace. A spiritual wisdom and understanding, therefore, always comes by grace and grace alone and can only be received by the humble. This is disputed and fought by many, but it is a certainty from Scripture that this is true. It is said that academic degrees and human knowledge can bring a great understanding of the Bible, but the Bible itself militates against that. The Bible teaches us that human intellect and wisdom can give a great understanding about the Bible but it is impossible for anything but the Spirit of God to give spiritual understanding of the Bible. If a spiritual understanding of Scripture is beyond the human ability, then it can only come to the soul by the grace of God and it is only the humble who can receive grace.
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:9-13).
This text is simply full of spiritual truth. It is being filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (versus human wisdom and understanding) that one may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and please Him in all respects. It is also in view of those things that a person can bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God. It is only in spiritual wisdom that a person can bear fruit. That should be obvious since it would require a spiritual wisdom and understanding in order to bear spiritual fruit and to increased in the knowledge (or personal knowing) God. Clearly, and most likely without any real disagreement, there is no spiritual fruit that comes to the soul that is not by grace. Believers bear spiritual fruit by grace and not because of works. True good works come from grace rather than grace by good works. This is hard for many to hear, but it is music to the ear that is in tune with the Divine symphony.
The Divine symphony is the love that the triune God has for Himself and His own glory and He shares that with believers. In Ephesians 1:17 Paul prays that the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” We know that it is the Spirit of the living God that brings enlightenment and so God gives this by the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed for God to give this spirit of wisdom and revelation (enlightenment) to sinners but not because they deserve it. He wants the eyes of the hearts of sinners to be enlightened, but not because they deserve it. The text goes on and it is to show forth the greatness and glory of God. Sinners are not enlightened to the truth so they can feel better about themselves, but this happens so that they can know God and may be used by Him to manifest His glory. After all, sinners are saved according to His good pleasure, to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph 1:6-7). Sinners are saved so that they would be “to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:12) and “to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:14). It is in this light that Paul prays to “the Father of glory” (Eph 1:17) so that sinners would be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. He wanted them to know this “so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Eph 1:18). It is all about His glory and His glory only comes to the humble.
The prayers of Paul are utterly dependent on the Spirit giving understanding to people. His prayers for people are utterly dependent on the people being humble before the Lord or they could not even understand what he was praying much less receive that he prayed for. Perhaps we should learn to pray that the Lord would teach others humility so that they could receive the spiritual things that we pray for them. Without denying the sovereignty of God, it almost seems that we would waste spiritual prayers if the people are not humble to begin with. We do not pray for unbelievers to be sanctified, so perhaps we should not pray for spiritual things for people who are not humble and instead trust in their own powers. Nevertheless, we can see once again how the knowledge of God and spiritual wisdom go hand in hand. For sinners to receive those, they must be seeking humility and have some degree of it. God opposes the proud and will not give Himself to them. He will give Himself to the humble alone.
God Loves... Himself 
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