Embracing the Mystery of God's Wisdom and Grace
Summary
In the book of Isaiah, we are reminded of the profound nature of God's wisdom and the inscrutability of His ways. The prophet Isaiah challenges us to consider who has ever directed the Spirit of the Lord or served as His counselor. This rhetorical question underscores the vastness of God's wisdom, which is beyond human comprehension. The message is clear: our struggles with faith often stem from our ignorance of God's greatness and majesty. We are reminded that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians, emphasizing that God's wisdom is a mystery, hidden from the natural man and only revealed through the Spirit. The Greeks, known for their pursuit of wisdom, found the message of the cross to be foolishness because it did not conform to their philosophical ideals. Yet, Paul insists that the gospel is the true wisdom of God, a wisdom that transcends human understanding.
This divine wisdom is most profoundly demonstrated in the incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Lord of Glory, crucified in apparent weakness, is the ultimate paradox that defies human logic. It is a mystery that the innocent would die for the guilty, that God Himself would take on human form to reconcile us to Himself. This is the hidden wisdom of God, ordained before the foundation of the world, and it is freely given to us.
The challenge for us is to set aside our pride and intellectual arrogance, to approach God with the humility of a child, and to receive the revelation of His Spirit. It is only through the Spirit that we can truly understand and embrace the gospel. This is the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom that calls us to trust in His plan and to find salvation in His grace.
Key Takeaways:
- The greatness and majesty of God are beyond human comprehension, and our struggles with faith often arise from our ignorance of His true nature. Recognizing God's infinite power and glory is essential to understanding the Christian message. [03:32]
- God's wisdom is a mystery, hidden from the natural man and only revealed through the Spirit. The gospel is not irrational; rather, it is a higher wisdom that transcends human understanding. [18:00]
- The incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ are the ultimate expressions of God's wisdom. The Lord of Glory, crucified in weakness, is a paradox that defies human logic but reveals the depth of God's love and plan for salvation. [42:11]
- True understanding of the gospel requires humility and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must set aside our pride and approach God with the openness of a child to receive His revelation. [38:07]
- Salvation is a gift freely given by God, not earned by human effort. This grace is the ultimate expression of God's wisdom and love, calling us to trust in His plan and find peace in His provision. [49:57]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:18] - Introduction to Isaiah 40:13-14
- [01:15] - The Greatness of God's Salvation
- [02:05] - The Staggering Message of God's Glory
- [03:14] - Ignorance of God's Majesty
- [04:58] - The Glory of God
- [06:30] - The Inscrutability of God's Ways
- [09:20] - New Testament References
- [12:44] - The Wisdom of God vs. Human Wisdom
- [18:00] - God's Wisdom as a Mystery
- [22:28] - The Gospel as God's Wisdom
- [29:18] - The Hidden Wisdom of God
- [37:38] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
- [42:11] - The Mystery of the Incarnation
- [49:57] - Salvation Freely Given
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Isaiah 40:13-14
2. Romans 11:33-36
3. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
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Observation Questions:
1. In Isaiah 40:13-14, what rhetorical questions does the prophet use to emphasize the greatness of God's wisdom? How do these questions highlight the difference between God's understanding and human understanding? [00:39]
2. According to Romans 11:33-36, how does Paul describe the wisdom and knowledge of God? What does he say about the ability of humans to comprehend God's judgments and ways? [10:05]
3. In 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, what does Paul mean when he refers to God's wisdom as a "mystery"? How is this wisdom revealed to believers? [20:22]
4. How does the sermon describe the reaction of the Greeks to the message of the cross, and what does this reveal about their understanding of wisdom? [13:50]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of God's wisdom being a mystery challenge our modern understanding of knowledge and wisdom? In what ways might this affect a believer's approach to faith? [18:00]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the role of the Holy Spirit in understanding the gospel? How does this relate to the idea of approaching God with the humility of a child? [38:07]
3. How does the paradox of the incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ serve as the ultimate expression of God's wisdom? What does this reveal about God's plan for salvation? [42:11]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that human pride and intellectual arrogance can hinder one's ability to receive God's revelation? How can believers overcome these obstacles? [27:07]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to understand God's plan in your life. How can the reminder of God's inscrutable wisdom provide comfort and guidance in such situations? [08:07]
2. The sermon emphasizes the need for humility in approaching God. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a childlike humility in your spiritual journey? [38:07]
3. Consider the ways in which you might rely on your own understanding rather than seeking God's wisdom. How can you intentionally seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your daily decisions? [35:05]
4. The message of the cross was seen as foolishness by the Greeks. Are there aspects of your faith that you find difficult to explain to others? How can you prepare to share the gospel with those who may not understand it? [13:50]
5. Salvation is described as a gift freely given by God. How does this understanding of grace impact your view of your relationship with God and your actions towards others? [49:57]
6. Identify an area in your life where you may be holding onto pride or intellectual arrogance. What steps can you take to surrender this to God and seek His wisdom instead? [27:07]
7. How can you actively remind yourself of the greatness and majesty of God in your daily life? What practices or habits can help you maintain a sense of awe and reverence for His infinite power and glory? [04:38]
Devotional
Day 1: The Majesty of God's Wisdom
God's wisdom is vast and beyond human comprehension. Isaiah challenges us to recognize that no one has ever directed the Spirit of the Lord or served as His counselor. This highlights the greatness and majesty of God, which often eludes our understanding. Our struggles with faith frequently arise from our ignorance of His true nature. By acknowledging God's infinite power and glory, we can begin to grasp the essence of the Christian message. [03:32]
Isaiah 40:13-14 (ESV): "Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?"
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God's wisdom? How can you remind yourself of His greatness and majesty today?
Day 2: The Mystery of God's Wisdom
God's wisdom is a mystery, hidden from the natural man and only revealed through the Spirit. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that the gospel is not irrational but a higher wisdom that transcends human understanding. The Greeks, known for their pursuit of wisdom, found the message of the cross to be foolishness because it did not align with their philosophical ideals. Yet, the gospel is the true wisdom of God, a wisdom that surpasses human logic. [18:00]
1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (ESV): "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
Reflection: How can you open yourself to the Spirit's revelation of God's wisdom in your life today? What steps can you take to seek this higher wisdom?
Day 3: The Paradox of the Cross
The incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ are the ultimate expressions of God's wisdom. The Lord of Glory, crucified in weakness, presents a paradox that defies human logic but reveals the depth of God's love and plan for salvation. It is a mystery that the innocent would die for the guilty, that God Himself would take on human form to reconcile us to Himself. This hidden wisdom of God was ordained before the foundation of the world and is freely given to us. [42:11]
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (ESV): "But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
Reflection: How does the paradox of the cross challenge your understanding of God's love and wisdom? In what ways can you embrace this mystery in your daily life?
Day 4: Humility and the Spirit's Guidance
True understanding of the gospel requires humility and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must set aside our pride and approach God with the openness of a child to receive His revelation. It is only through the Spirit that we can truly understand and embrace the gospel. This wisdom of God in a mystery calls us to trust in His plan and find salvation in His grace. [38:07]
Matthew 11:25 (ESV): "At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.'"
Reflection: What areas of pride or intellectual arrogance do you need to surrender to God? How can you cultivate a childlike openness to the Spirit's guidance today?
Day 5: The Gift of Salvation
Salvation is a gift freely given by God, not earned by human effort. This grace is the ultimate expression of God's wisdom and love, calling us to trust in His plan and find peace in His provision. The challenge is to set aside our pride and intellectual arrogance, to approach God with the humility of a child, and to receive the revelation of His Spirit. [49:57]
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Reflection: How can you embrace the gift of salvation more fully in your life today? What practical steps can you take to live in gratitude for God's grace?
Quotes
The prophet as he comes to our Aid starts by telling us something about God and I suggested that he said three things about God in this one paragraph the first thing he emphasizes is the greatness and the might and the Majesty of God. [00:03:36]
Our real trouble, my friends, is we have no conception of the greatness and the Majesty of God. God the Creator, the maker, the artificer, the sustainer of everything that is the Everlasting almighty God. [00:04:41]
The ways of God are beyond our understanding. They're inscrutable. They're Eternal like his power and like his glory. Well, now that I say is the thing to which I'm anxious to call attention tonight. [00:07:55]
The Apostle Paul arrived in that country and began to preach his message and we've got a graphic description of him doing so in Athens, the great Metropolis of all this kind of activity. [00:14:09]
The Apostle says the position is in reality the exact reverse. He says you don't realize it, but I was offering in you and preaching to you the only true wisdom, but you know, says Paul, it isn't the sort of wisdom that you know and can understand. [00:17:55]
The wisdom I presented to you isn't men's wisdom but God's wisdom. So you see the trouble is, says the Apostle, not that I'm not preaching wisdom, but that my wisdom is so exalted because it is from God that you don't understand it and you think it's fly. [00:18:25]
The gospel is nothing if you like but God's revealed plan and way of dealing with the problem of men in sin, of dealing with the problem of the world gone lost and gone astray which all human Ingenuity and ability cannot store. [00:39:37]
The gospel is unlike everything the world has ever known. The offended God pardons freely. Oh, isn't this incredible that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us while we were yet enemies if we were reconciled if while we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his son. [00:50:36]
God has done it all while you and I were still in enmity not merely not suggesting it to him but utterly opposed to him and hating him he did it all then and he's done it perfectly and he gives it to us freely. [00:51:57]
The world has thrown up its Great Men. Christ came down from heaven. That's it and that's true of the whole of the Gospel. Are you convinced, my friend, do you see at the very outset and at the very beginning that you must put aside all your ordinary Cannons of thought? [00:26:00]
The wisdom of God is indeed a hidden wisdom. It's a mystery. Don't be surprised therefore that all the Great Men perhaps in the world are rejecting it. You see your calling, Brethren, says Paul, not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called. [00:37:36]
The spirit of God has enlightened him, his mind has been open to the truth, the mystery has been revealed, the spirit is essential. Listen to the apostles we have putting all this he says None of the princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord Of Glory. [00:35:25]
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