Bible Studies for Life, Oct. 27: God’s will and the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Brian Parker, senior pastor
Kingsland First Baptist Church
He was the grossest guide ever.
Ten years ago, I went on an anniversary trip with my wife and our best friends. We decided to do a hike-and-float excursion in Alaska. My wife and I thought it was amazing; the scenery was beautiful and – as I said – we were with our best friends.
Our guide’s name was Bob. He was a skinny, long-bearded man from the Adirondacks. He only came into the city during the summer to lead trips, earning enough money to live off of during the winters.
About halfway through the trip, he stood on a rock directly in front of me and about two feet over me. I could see directly up his nose and into his beard. What I saw wasn’t pleasant! At that point, I did not want to follow him anywhere.
There is, however, someone I would follow anywhere. He guides me through His Holy Spirit. I would follow Him anywhere, and I am confident He is able to guide me during every situation and season of life.
God leads His people, through His Holy Spirit, to know his will. When God leads us through His Spirit, He leads us to the right wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 2, we see a contrast between two kinds of wisdom. The first wisdom, which comes from an eternal ruler, is mature, hidden, predestined, and understood. The second wisdom, which comes from the rulers of this age, is immature, changes, and misunderstood. Because the Holy Spirit is God, He is able to direct us to the right wisdom.
This wisdom will always lead a person to grow and become mature. God‘s wisdom develops a person into a better individual. In contrast, the wisdom of this world is an empty wisdom. It comes from human ingenuity and changes almost daily. This worldly wisdom never brings about development and improvement, only immaturity and misunderstanding.
God directs us to His wisdom so that we would know the things He gives us and that we might have the mind of Christ. Jesus teaches a believer that when he prays, God desires to give us His gifts. It is this divine wisdom that guides our prayers so that we pray in line with God’s will for the purpose of receiving what God wants to give us.
The Holy Spirit also leads us to have the mind of Christ. Our goal as Christians is to conform to the image of Christ. The only way for our actions to reflect Jesus is to maintain a mind focused on His word, His work, and His desires.
I can remember several times in my life when I have lost my keys. After looking and not being able to find them, I turn to God in prayer asking Him to guide me to the keys. Without exception, He has guided me to where they are. God seeks to guide us even in the small things of life.
I also remember how deeply I wanted to find the woman who would love me and who I could marry and love also. At times, I took finding that person into my own hands. Those times never ended well. Then, while in college, I turned to God and began praying to God for Him to guide me to the woman He wanted me to marry and with whom I would spend my life.
Now, after 21 years of wonderful, happy marriage, I am so glad I let Him guide me to her. God wants to guide us in the big things of life. He has a will for our lives and, if we let Him, He will guide us to it.
In John 14, Jesus tells us that He will provide his Holy Spirit to teach us and help us remember what He has taught in the past. Jesus desires to teach us what we need today and to use what is happened in our past to bring us to maturity. The wisdom of God always develops a person into a better version.
In contrast, the wisdom of this world leaves us empty and shallow. The wisdom of this world leads us to arrogance and argument. And this is not where a believer should ever want to go.
On that day in Alaska, our guide led us deep into the forest. Freezing rain began to fall and bone-chilling wind began to blow. Although the scenery was beautiful, it was a miserable experience. The Holy Spirit guides us into the warmth of God’s love and into the heat of His light and will.
Brian Parker is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Kingsland. He has served churches in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. He has been happily married to his wife Kristi for over 21 years and has six children.
