By Barnabas Piper
God the Father, God the Son, and that other guy who does some stuff… If we’re honest, that’s often how we think of the Holy Spirit. We don’t understand the Spirit’s work, so we don’t consider His work often enough. Oh, how misguided we are in this. Consider first what we see of the Spirit in these verses, keeping in mind that this is but a fragment of who He is and what He does.
The Spirit searches the depths of God and knows the thoughts of God—the same God of whom the Bible says His knowledge is too wonderful for us and no one can be His counselor. But the Spirit knows the wisdom and complexity and infinity of God’s mind, motives, movements.
Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything,
even the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).
This same Spirit is the power and clarity of God’s Word. The reason Scripture is living and active is because the Spirit communicates it to a believer’s soul. The spiritual person, the one who is in Christ and in whom the Spirit dwells, can “evaluate everything” (v.15). That means, in part, that we have eyes to see and ears to hear what Scripture says, and also a mind to understand it. Through this knowledge we can evaluate everything else we see and hear according to what the Spirit has spoken to us.
Lest you think the Spirit offers only distant knowledge or impersonal communication, consider what Romans tells us: He helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (8:26). This means when we are unable to pray, lacking words to communicate with God, the Spirit who knows the mind of God takes our yearnings and carries them to God on our behalf.
The Spirit is more, even, than what we have seen in these verses. Ephesians 1 tells us that we are “sealed by the Holy Spirit” in Christ, and that the Spirit is a “down payment of our inheritance” (vv.13-14). This is what every believer in Christ Jesus is because we have the Spirit dwelling within us: We are sealed and guaranteed. Our place as firstborn in God’s family is guaranteed. The promise of glory is locked in because we carry the Spirit within us.
In these four truths (and there are so many more throughout God’s Word) we see the Spirit woven into every aspect of our faith and Christian life, imparting to us the wisdom of God, and interceding on our behalf before the Father. He is God indwelling us, sealing our faith, and guaranteeing the promise of eternal life with Jesus. No longer can we overlook or underplay the Holy Spirit.
Written by Barnabas Piper
7 thoughts on "Spiritual Wisdom"
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Nick Crawford says:
God shows us so much love and grace in giving us His Holy Spirit. When my mind and body fail me and I can not find the words to pray to God, the Holy Spirit prays on my behalf to my Father, and gives me His strength in my weakness. When I doubt my salvation, the Holy Spirit reminds me that my salvation is sealed and guaranteed because of what Jesus did for me. God lovingly gives us the Holy Spirit to understand and comprehend His Holy Word so that we can live and be guided by it. This has really opened my eyes as to what the Holy Spirit does on my behalf and for the glory of God. Thank you Jesus.
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Justin Pierce says:
I often ponder on the Miracle of the universe God created. That all things exist at God’s discretion and ultimately for His purpose. In this, I can’t help but feel privileged and in awe that I would be a part of God’s creation. Genesis reads, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” Now, not only do I exist in His creation. But i exist on the singularly set apart object within all the heavens, the Earth. Genesis goes on to reveal the even greater position in the Earth. Man is the keeper of this particularly special piece of the cosmos.
Despite the fallen state of the world in which I live, I still cannot help but feel deep gratitude toward my Creator for placing me in this part of His creation. Then greater still, is the concept of the Holy Spirit. The creator of all, would dwell within the smallest piece of all He created in a unique way, through the indwelling spirit.
This is the only paradox I know to be a real part of existence; existence within the creation of God while God also exists within me. I have a grand gift in the Spirit which is truly greater than any understanding I could fully muster. Yet even at this understanding, it’s just as Paul suggests; only a taste of the inheritance to come!
How great the day when my contact with God becomes face to face and all Providence comes to me in direct and constant view of my Creator!
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Emmett Bryant says:
I, as a sinner, was dead in my sins. And then the Gospel entered my life. I heard of Christ and His workings for His people. I saw the pursuit of Him in His own servants. And then, with no warning, the Spirit moved upon me. It brought down the weight of my depravity on top of me. Crushed me until there was nothing left but my soul, thirsting for God and His grace. Only by the power of the Spirit am I able to come to God and accurately relay my great gratitude and worship for Him.
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Travis Carbone says:
I am guilty of overlooking the Holy Spirit often because I don’t fully understand it, but these versus and this devotional really brought it to light. The Spirit is our connection with God. It is absolutely vital. It is how God communicates with us and how we communicate with Him. Thank you Jesus for giving us your spirit.
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James says:
We don’t often spend time truly thinking about the Holy Spirit, although it is that that fills us and allows full communication with god. Then promise of our heavenly reward eternally secured by the Holy Spirit.
I love the way it’s put, as a down payment. I pray that the spirit would communicate more to me, to further understand the word of god, and come closer to him.
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Kevin says:
Day 2
The Holy Spirit is on the move! It’s so Brad that the same spirit that is in our father, also dwells in us. We are one with the father. Not only is he watching out for us, but we get his wisdom and power as well. Daily I need to tap into that more. Acknowledge it more and use it to further his kingdom. We have the power, might as well use it! ⚒ -
Avery Chestnut says:
I want to encourage anyone looking to learn more about the Holy Spirit to read two books that really helped me out on this subject: ‘Forgotten God’ by Francis Chan and ‘The Wonderful, Spirit Filled Life’ by Charles Stanley. Of course these are not the end all be all on the theology of the Holy Spirit, but they definitely help to grasp His work and purpose more clearly!
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