Saturday, February 25th, 2023.
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” – 1 Corinthians 1:26
You say you don’t have the pedigree, credentials, or wisdom to understand the Bible?
Good. You are on the right track, and you are not alone.
Not many in the Body of Christ can boast of such things. Neither does having those things bring advantage or privilege in the Body of Christ. Paul calls them all dung.
We tend to think the greatest saints are those who have natural capabilities, strengths, and academic credentials. They must be the special ones called by God.
In truth, most of the saved are ignorant, common, despicable nobodies, but they are saved because they trusted the power of God in the cross of Christ.
God wrote the Bible to be believed, and that not only by wise men after the flesh.
In truth, it is harder for those wise and mighty after the flesh to believe the Bible because they have pride in their flesh and so will not deign to admit their folly or error or to know the truth by faith.
Faith is treasured by the weak because we have nothing else to boast about except for what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf. (Hint: he did it all.)
This was by God’s design so that “no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Cor 1:29).
The word of God cures our ignorance, makes wise the simple, sanctifies the common, justifies sinners, and redeems the weak, but it must be believed.
The most important thing needed to bring spiritual understanding is faith, faith in Christ. In other words, your glory and boast should be in the Lord, let God be true, and acknowledge your own foolishness, ignorance, and incapability.
If this is your approach to the Bible, then you have the advantage when it comes to understanding the gospel over the wise, well-raised, and well-known after the flesh.
For your encouragement,
Justin “insufficient” Johnson