THE LIFE OF FAITH AND THE GLORIOUS CHURCH - 2009
                                                       FEBRUARY 20th

           THE WISDOM OF GOD HAS CHOSEN THE "CROSS"


        ...."For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God"....
                                                                                                                                                                                                             1 Corinthians 1:18-24 NASB

          The wisdom of God has chosen the Cross [and the "foolishness" of that Cross] to destroy the impact that Satan has had upon mankind throughout the ages - and to redeem us entirely from all of the manifestations of the law of sin and death. As we learn to "rest" in God and, also, learn to bring every thought captive to His Word, THEN our mind comes into that place where we no longer have to strive and strive to come up with an answer or a solution in our own strength - but rather, we simply "allow" the Holy Spirit to reveal the wisdom of God to us in our inner man [spirit]. It is as we "allow" this constant renewing process to take place that we shall truly understand the simplicity and the absoluteness of the true Christian life. Because of this deeper understanding [revelation] all of the thoughts that were a product of fellowship with the world shall dissipate and our thoughts shall become clear and concise - always being conformed to the perfect will of God. We have talked about the need to separate ourselves from any heart-fellowship with the world - that is, anything in our heart that is more toward the world and its system than it is toward God - for this constitutes "idolatry". We have talked about the fact that the "whole world" lies in the power of the Evil One, and that we are not to love or cherish the world and the things therein. We know that all those things that are of the spirit of anti-Christ are confined to this world and to the "heavens" just above the physical earth, and we also know that many imposters have gone out into the world in an attempt to deceive us. We know that there is no truth in Satan, and we know that we need to have our minds renewed, in order that we come into perfect conformity with the will of God and the mind of Christ. Therefore, in having a revelation of these things let us be found faithful to set ourselves to a perfect obedience - for in this way we will surely be found to be living the life of the Cross [obedience unto the death of the self-life] to the greatest glory of God in all things.

Related Scriptures: Romans 8:1-2; Hebrews 3:11-19; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Romans 12:1-2; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 5:21; 1 John 5:19;


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