We would like to read the whole chapter. It is a very short one.
As we read, let us look to the Lord that He will enlighten us with His Word.
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are full-grown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought:
but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory:
which none of the rulers of this world knoweth: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:
but as it is written,Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,
And which entered not into the heart of man,
Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love Him.But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
In the first chapter of this letter, Paul mentions the matter of divisions among God’s people. Why? Because some of the Corinthian believers said, “I am of Paul.” It is quite flattering, and yet it is damaging. Others said, “I am of Apollos,” and still others said, “I am of Cephas.”
Then the last party came out and said, “We are far superior to all of you. We are exclusively of Christ.”
Divisions among God’s people—this is a most serious problem, because it affects the very meaning and nature of the church. The church is the called-out ones, assembled together unto the name of the Lord Jesus. It is indivisible. Is Christ divided?
The reason for such party spirit is that the Corinthian believers lived and walked in the flesh. They did not hold fast the name of the Lord Jesus.
Aside from the name of the Lord Jesus, they went for other names—big names. They were not content just with the name of the Lord Jesus.
The reason they were living in the flesh was because they did not know the cross—the cross that sets aside the old creation and sets aside the flesh.
Oh, how we need to hold fast the name of the Lord Jesus, and how we need to accept the working of the cross in each of our lives. That will keep us one.
Now this morning, we would like to go into the second chapter.
As we mentioned last night, the city of Corinth at that time was a great metropolitan city in the Roman province of Achaia. It was a big city, highly cultured, very wealthy, but also the very center of wickedness.
When Paul was coming to that city, he must have been before the Lord. He was not a person who was so confident of himself that he could enter into any place sure of himself.
He was a person who had no confidence in the flesh. So he must have sought the Lord before he entered into that city—not in any sense because he was frightened by this sophisticated city.
No, because he himself was born in Tarsus, a big city, and was brought up in Jerusalem, another big city. But he must have been before the Lord, seeking the Lord’s face as to how he should confront these people and how he should bring them to Christ.
As he was considering before the Lord, he made a decision. The decision was that when he came into the city of Corinth, he would know nothing among them save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
Now, you know, it was a very hard decision so far as human feeling was concerned. Why? Because the inhabitants of Corinth were highly intellectual. They boasted of themselves as cultured, intellectual people. They longed for wisdom and for knowledge.
Paul was a person who had great learning. You remember, even his judge cried out and said, “Paul, is it because you are so learned that you have gone mad?” He was a man of great intellect.
He could easily have matched his intellect with their intellect. He could easily have conquered them with his intellect and with his arguments. He had the ability to do that.
But I wonder if he learned something when he was in Athens.
You know, when he was in Athens, another big city, the people in Athens did nothing but talk, gossip, and try to hear something new. Therefore, Paul tried to reach them through their philosophers.
And if we can say this—of course, we cannot judge Paul, and I will not come to any conclusion—but in one sense, some people say that of all Paul’s work in various places, he seems to have had very little success in Athens.
He seems to have failed in his efforts in Athens. Why? Probably because he was trying to match his intellect with their intellect. Instead of preaching the gospel in simplicity, he was trying to convince them through philosophy.
It might be so; I do not know. But if that was the case, probably he learned his lesson there.
So when he approached the city of Corinth, he was wondering how he should approach these people: whether he should approach them on their level or whether he should approach them with the simplicity which is in Christ. His experience in Athens might have affected him. I do not know.
But anyway, when he came to the city of Corinth, he was determined: “I will know nothing among them except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
He knew fully well that in preaching to them Jesus Christ and Him crucified, he would be considered by these Corinthians as a fool, as a person who knew nothing. Because the message of the cross is foolishness to men.
Who is Jesus? The very name Jesus is a humble name—Jesus of Nazareth. It is the name of a Person who was born in a manger, not in a palace; who was reared in Nazareth, and nothing good ever came out of Nazareth.
An unlearned Man, never having been to a rabbinical school, a carpenter’s son—looked down upon, uncultured. Jesus.
And yet this Jesus is Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed of God. All God’s purpose and all God’s work are to be fulfilled and realized in this Jesus. It is a paradox.
Humanly speaking, we always look to the noble, to the learned, to those who have position, and to those who have good backgrounds, so to speak, to do great things in this world. That is natural.
How can you expect Jesus to be the Christ? How can you expect Someone who was born in a manger to be the Saviour?
Furthermore, it is Him crucified. The cross is a symbol of shame and curse.
Today we glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus. Today people hang a cross around their neck. But in the time of the Lord Jesus, the cross was a sign of shame, a curse, and death.
How can the crucified One on the cross save people? The throne is a sign of power and glory, not a cross.
So here you find a paradox. When Paul began to announce Jesus Christ and Him crucified, it was so paradoxical that it was considered utter foolishness to men.
But Paul considered the whole matter before the Lord. He knew that in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, there is salvation. These people at Corinth did not need another school of philosophical teaching. They had plenty of that.
What they needed was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That was salvation.
So he went into their midst, and for eighteen months he announced nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
If you had gone to hear Paul during his eighteen months in Corinth, he had only one message. Think of that. For eighteen months, he preached nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
He preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified in the synagogues, in homes, and on the streets. Day in and day out, he did nothing but announce Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
And God honored it. Many people were saved. The church in Corinth was raised up.
Paul not only announced this message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and nothing else; the way he preached was in perfect harmony with this message.
He said, “When I was with you, I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.”
To preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, you need the right attitude. It is more than the word. There must be an attitude in harmony with the word you announce.
Paul said, “I was in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.” It may be that he was weak physically, or it may be that he felt himself very weak before God spiritually.
In fear—he might have been afraid of all these sophisticated people. Or probably it was the fear that he might come out with his own wisdom and his own eloquence. In much trembling, because he had no confidence in himself.
Brothers and sisters, to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified requires a corresponding spirit and attitude.
How can a person preach the cross of the Lord Jesus without the cross being manifested in his life? That weakness, that fear, and that trembling are signs of the working of the cross in the very life of the apostle.
Why did he preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Why did he preach this message in such a fashion? He said, “That your faith may be in God’s power, and not in man’s wisdom.”
Dear brothers and sisters, today how different we are. When we present Jesus Christ and Him crucified to people, how we depend upon our eloquence. How we depend upon our persuasive words, as if the whole thing depends upon us.
The message may be right, and yet it seems as if it all depends upon us, whether it will be effective or ineffective. Oh, how we have confidence in ourselves. How we look for dynamic power and charisma in a person, as if everything depends upon that for the message to reach the people.
But you know, if we depend upon such things, the result is that their faith is in man’s wisdom, not in God’s power. The foundation is false.
Paul knew himself. He knew his flesh. How easy it would have been for Paul to come out and teach, instead of hiding behind the cross and letting the power of God reach the people. You know, that is a great temptation.
But Paul knew that if these people were converted through persuasive words, high-sounding words, and human wisdom, their faith would rest upon the foundation of man, not of God.
He would rather hide himself behind the cross and just let the Spirit of God reach the people, that it might be of God and not of man.
That was how Paul first came to Corinth and preached the gospel. Again, for eighteen months, he preached nothing else.
Actually, the word used there is kērussō, which means announcing, like a herald announcing the coming of the king. He was there just announcing the fact—the fact of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
There was no argument. He was not arguing with them. He was just announcing the fact, and the Spirit of God did the rest.
Thank God for people who say, “I know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
And yet there are people today who say, “I know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” boasting as if that is all they know and that is the best. Certainly, that is not Paul’s attitude.
On the one hand, we need to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Why? Because that is the very foundation of the gospel. If you do not know Jesus Christ and Him crucified, there is no foundation.
We need to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified, definitely. Yes, we have to lay a good foundation for brothers and sisters. But this is not all. This is not all that God has.
Paul said, “But we speak wisdom among the perfect.”
Who are the perfect? Why did Paul not speak wisdom—that is, God’s wisdom—with the people at Corinth? Why did Paul only speak of Jesus Christ and Him crucified?
It was not in any way minimizing the importance or significance of Christ crucified. No. He only spoke Jesus Christ and Him crucified to the Corinthians, but he said, “Among the perfect, we speak wisdom.”
In other words, aside from Jesus Christ and Him crucified, there is also wisdom. Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the kerygma, the announcement. It is a herald’s proclamation. It is the foundation. It is the basis of the gospel, and this we must announce.
On that foundation, God is to build something for Himself, and that is wisdom.
The announcing of the cross is considered the foolishness of God. Brothers and sisters, of course, God is never foolish. We are foolish, but God is never foolish. Yet sometimes we consider Him foolish—not that God is foolish, no, but we consider Him so.
The preaching of the cross to the world is the foolishness of God. God is willing to be considered foolish in order to confound the wise of this world. In other words, the foolishness of God is wiser than men.
But if the foolishness of God is so wise, how much wiser must the wisdom of God be?
Here you find that in the gospel there are two stages. The first stage of the gospel is called the foolishness of God. The second stage of the gospel is called the wisdom of God.
The first thing is Jesus Christ and Him crucified—announcing Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But the second stage is communicating spiritual things through spiritual means.
The first stage is for the babes; it is milk. The second thing is for the perfect; it is meat.
Now, the word perfect in Scripture never means perfection in the sense that we know it today. In other words, a man is perfect, with no more possibility of progress because he has reached perfection. Not so.
In Scripture, the word perfect simply means mature—mature, grown up.
When Jesus Christ and Him crucified is preached to us and we receive the gospel, we are born again. We become babies in Christ, and we feed upon the milk—the fact of Christ and the cross of Christ.
First, as we grow up, we need meat. We need something related to the purpose of God, not only to the act of God.
You see, Jesus Christ and Him crucified is an act of God. Everybody knows that Jesus Christ died on the cross. But God’s wisdom deals with His purpose, which is hidden in God and has to be revealed by His Spirit.
It is not for everybody; it is for the initiated—that is to say, for those who are grown up.
So, dear brothers and sisters, on the one hand, we need to thank God for the announcement of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, because that is the foundation.
You cannot leave the foundation and try to probe into the wisdom of God. You will never get there. It would just be vague, mystical, and theoretical—mere philosophizing. It is pseudo, not real.
We have to start with the foundation truth, which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified—nothing else.
But after we have laid the foundation, it does not mean that the foundation is everything. We have to build on that foundation, and that is the wisdom of God.
Thank God we have the foundation, too. But do we have the building truth—that which is built upon the foundation? But again, it is only for the mature, for the grown-up.
A crucified Christ—here is the foundation. To know Christ crucified is essential.
But, dear brothers and sisters, are we only to know a dead Christ? Thank God for His death, but are we only to know Christ as the dead One?
Are we like those women who went to the tomb on the day of resurrection, trying to find the living among the dead? The crucified One is already risen.
In other words, to know Christ crucified is the foundation, but we have to know more of Christ—not only Christ crucified, but Christ raised from the dead, Christ ascended, and Christ glorified.
That is the building truth. How much do we know of this wisdom of God?
Starting from verse 6, you find Paul beginning to tell the Corinthian believers, “We speak wisdom among the perfect.” Now, what is wisdom?
What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
Knowledge is something that you can gather externally. In other words, you can read books, do research, collect data, analyze it, come to a conclusion, and store the knowledge in your memory and mind. That is knowledge.
Knowledge is something that you can gather externally. But wisdom is different.
You get knowledge from books, but you do not get wisdom from books. You get knowledge from information, but you do not get wisdom from information. You get knowledge from collecting data, but you do not get wisdom from collecting data.
Wisdom is something different. What is wisdom?
So far as God’s wisdom is concerned, wisdom is that which is in God, waiting to be revealed to man. That is wisdom. In other words, wisdom is the substance of God’s revelation.
When God reveals something to us, what is revealed is wisdom.
In getting knowledge, you do not need revelation. You can go to a school and get knowledge. But to have wisdom, you must have revelation from God.
You may know, for instance, a certain passage in Scripture because you read commentaries, because you think, because you inquire, because you try to interpret it, and you think you know it all. But that is only knowledge.
Knowledge puffs up, but it does not build up.
You know, some of the views are very impressive, but some are empty. If it is touched, it will burst. It may be beautiful, but it is not solid.
But one day, when God begins to open up that passage to you in your spirit, there may not be much explanation. Sometimes when revelation comes, you are confused. You may even be blinded, like Paul. Yet you know—you know—you know. That is wisdom.
Brothers and sisters, what we need is wisdom, not just knowledge. What we need is not knowledge in our mind, mental knowledge. What we need is wisdom in our spirit.
As in the Old Testament, it is called an understanding heart—a heart that hears. Literally, a heart that can hear God.
In other words, wisdom is the substance of revelation—that which is in God as reality. Now that is wisdom.
And because there is such a foundation, therefore the wisdom of God is open to us. Oh, that we may know the wisdom of God, that we may know what is in God.
Knowing what God wants by His Spirit, we can convert it into reality, into life. Thank You.
“We speak wisdom among the perfect, but wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought; but we speak God’s wisdom.”
Now, number one: this wisdom is God’s wisdom. There are two kinds of wisdom. One is man’s wisdom; the other is God’s wisdom. One is the wisdom from beneath; the other is the wisdom from above, as you find in the book of James.
The wisdom that comes from beneath is earthly, soulish, and even devilish. The more you think you are wise humanly, the more earthly you become, the more soulish you become, and it is really devilish.
How we are afraid of those clever people in this world. They are so clever, they are almost devilish. When you deal with such people, it is really devilish, you know. That is the wisdom from below.
But the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits.
How we need to seek this wisdom. It is the wisdom of God—not the foolishness of God, but the wisdom of God.
Number two: this wisdom is in a mystery.
Now, the word mystery does not mean something mysterious. You know, when we think of something mysterious, it is a little bit frightening, you know, weird. But no.
The word mystery simply means something hidden in God. Unless God reveals it, nobody will ever know it. Now that is a mystery.
There may be something in the mind of God—something very, very precious—and yet because God has never spoken about it, God has never shown it to anybody else, therefore it is a mystery.
But one day, when God begins to speak and He begins to unveil it, then it is an open secret. Now that is a mystery.
God has a mystery, something hidden in Him that He is going to reveal.
Number three: this wisdom God has foreordained before the ages.
This mystery was predestined before the ages. To put it another way, this mystery is the eternal purpose of God.
It is not a passing thought. It is not something that will affect only one age, as it were. But it is a mystery that has been foreordained before the ages in God, even before God created the world, even before God created time and the ages.
In eternity past, God had determined it. So this is the eternal purpose of God.
Now, brothers and sisters, if you see this—the eternal purpose of God—it must be of tremendous value and glory. We can never neglect that. How can you overlook that?
Number four: it is not only predetermined before the ages, but it is for our glory. Think of that.
This eternal purpose of God is for our glory. God is the God of glory, but He made up this plan even before He created us, that He wanted us to have a part in His glory.
Christ is to lead many sons into glory. It is for our glory.
Brothers and sisters, what is glory?
Thank God, you find in the Bible many terms and very few definitions.
Now, it is very different from our way of learning. When you read a book—I remember when I was in school, that was many years ago—the first thing, when it mentioned something new, was a definition. You have to define something first before you learn it.
But the Bible gives us many, many terms without definitions. If you try to find definitions for the terms used in the Bible, you will not find many—almost none.
Well, definitions always have a problem, and that is: they limit. Because the truth of God is so rich, it cannot be defined. If you define it, you limit it. That is why there are no definitions.
But, brothers and sisters, of all the terms used, the most difficult term to define is glory. How can you define glory?
You can define righteousness to your satisfaction. You can define holiness to your satisfaction. But how do you define glory?
Well, I remember what Brother Nee said concerning glory. He said, “Glory is satisfaction. When God is satisfied, then glory appears.”
That is true. When the temple was built to God’s satisfaction, then glory appeared in the temple.
Glory is the satisfaction of God.
Brothers and sisters, one day you will find that this mystery is for our glory. In other words, we are to share in this satisfaction. That is excellent.
And I remember Brother Watchman Nee had another definition of glory. His definition was: “Whenever God comes out, that is glory.”
Nobody has ever seen God, but when God appears, you see glory.
Oh, brothers and sisters, one day glory shall be seen in you.
The Apostle John says at the end of the book of Revelation, “I saw the holy city, having the glory of God.”
God has finally appeared corporately. Oh, that is glory—tremendous.
Number five: verse 9 says, “Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man.”
In other words, it is something totally beyond human understanding. It is inconceivable to the human mind. It is beyond human thought and word. It is completely divine.
Eye has never seen, ear has never heard, and it has never come into the human heart. It is just beyond human—beyond human because it is of divine origin, completely divine.
Number six: God has prepared these things for those who love Him. It is something that God has prepared.
It is a labor of love on God’s part, and He prepared it for those who love Him. You find the whole atmosphere is an atmosphere of love. Because God so loves us, He prepares something for us.
He is the Builder of the city with foundations, to which Abraham looked forward and to which we all look forward. He prepared it as His expression of love, and He prepared it for those who love Him.
Then you find, “But God revealed them unto us through the Spirit.” It is not only something God has prepared for us in the future, but it has now been revealed to us already.
It is both in the future and in the present. The final fulfillment will be in the future, but even today it is here, revealed by the Spirit.
Why? Because it is the deep things of God. It is not merely something on the surface; it is the deep things of God. It is related to His purpose.
Therefore, only the Holy Spirit can reveal it. Now, who knows what is in your heart? Only your own spirit. Other people may know you outwardly, by appearance, but only the spirit of man knows what is in man.
Only the Spirit of God knows what is in God. Therefore, we need revelation. Do not think that you know what is in God. You do not. You do not. It is beyond your capability.
It wholly depends upon the Holy Spirit to reveal the deep things of God.
Then, at the end of verse 12, we have “the things which have been freely given to us of God.” It is the gift of God. Thank God. Such a tremendous thing is a free gift of God.
Freely given—not because you are worthy, not because you deserve it more than anybody else. It is freely given, the gift of God.
Finally, even in communicating this mystery, it needs spiritual means—not by human words, but by utterance given by the Holy Spirit. In other words, it is completely spiritual.
The natural man would never know it. Even if they hear it, they will not understand it. They will consider it folly, as foolishness. But only the spiritual can see.
Therefore, we speak wisdom among the perfect, because the perfect are the spiritual. It is not for babes; it is for the grown-up.
If you speak this to babes, they will misunderstand you completely. They will turn against you. But the spiritual understand.
Now, how many descriptions have already been covered? Nine or ten, is it? Here you find, in these few verses, Paul is trying to describe something of tremendous meaning—how tremendous it is.
Paul could only describe it, surrounding it with descriptions. So Paul never told the believers in Corinth what it was—never.
For eighteen months, he walked among them and taught nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He did not tell them anything about this mystery, this wisdom of God.
Even after several years, when he was writing to them, he described it to them, yet he never pointed out to them what it was, because they were not ready for it. They were not ready.
Oh, brothers and sisters, Paul knew it all the time. Oh, how he longed to pour out what he knew, because that was the purpose of God.
The cross is not the end. The cross is a means to the end. Christ crucified is the way, but the goal is Christ glorified in the church.
How Paul must have been yearning, if I may use that word, in his heart. How he longed that he might pour this out to the church at Corinth. But for eighteen months he was withheld; he was restrained. He could not.
For eighteen months, he knew nothing among them but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Why? He wanted to be sure that a good foundation was laid.
Because he knew that if he prematurely communicated the wisdom of God to them before they knew the foolishness of God, they would be turned upside down. They would enter into a stage of pseudo-spirituality, but not real spirituality. He knew that.
Brothers and sisters, that is God’s principle. That is where Christ crucified leads us to.
Oh, how can we stop at the foundation? No, it is essential and it is basic. But how can we just stop at the foundation and not move on to the superstructure?
How can we just extend the means and not reach the end? How can we just walk in the way and not arrive at the goal?
Brothers and sisters, this wisdom of God in mystery is tremendous.
Of course, in the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians, Paul was able to point out what this wisdom is.
Especially if you read the third chapter of Ephesians, he uses almost similar descriptions. Compare 1 Corinthians 2 with Ephesians 3, and you find the descriptions are almost similar.
But in Corinthians, he only surrounded it without entering into it; in Ephesians, he entered into it. Why? Because they were mature. They were mature.
Oh, brothers and sisters, what is this wisdom of God? It is Christ glorified, King in and through His church. That is the wisdom of God.
I wonder how much we have been shown of God’s purpose. I wonder how much we know of Christ as having the first place in all things.
I wonder how much we know that He is Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who filleth all in all.
I wonder how much God is glorified in the church in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, this is the wisdom of God.
We do not talk about the wisdom of this world. God forbid.
We should preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, because without it no one can be saved. But among the perfect, we should speak wisdom. We should know God’s purpose. We should know where the cross leads us to. We should not stop just at the foundation.
Brothers and sisters, these people at Corinth, after they received the proclamation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, were saved. There was the church which was at Corinth.
Those people who were sanctified in Christ Jesus composed the church in Corinth. And yet they did not know what they were. Is that not strange?
Not because they did not know what they were was there no church in Corinth. The church in Corinth was there, because Paul wrote to the church which was at Corinth.
And yet they did not know what they were. They did not know their meaning. They did not know their purpose. They did not know what God was doing with them. Because of that, you find confusion.
They thought that God had saved them and put them together in order that they might have a good time, in order that they might display their gifts, glorifying themselves.
They even formed parties: “I belong to one group. You belong to another group.” In other words, they were totally ignorant of the very meaning and the very purpose of their calling and assembly.
Brothers and sisters, this is possible today.
God’s people may know Jesus Christ and Him crucified and may come together, assembled together. But, dear brothers and sisters, what is the purpose? Why?
That Christ may be glorified in His body—glorified in the church. That is God’s purpose.
Oh, how we need to enter into that. If we do not enter into that, dear brothers and sisters, we miss God’s purpose. We may be brought into the church, and yet we may miss the whole meaning of it.
They did not know how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Why? They did not know the wisdom. They did not have the wisdom of God.
They considered themselves probably just a religious organization or a religious club. But that is not what the church is.
Remember, God called us out of this world and gathered us together to be a testimony to Him, to declare His glory.
Oh, the glory fills His house, that He may be satisfied and we may be satisfied, that this purpose of glory may be fulfilled.
Christ may be glorified as the Head in the body. Now, brothers and sisters, this is tremendous.
I do thank the Lord because in recent years, God’s Spirit is moving. Many people today are saved. The foundation is laid.
But more and more, you can see God’s people everywhere are longing, more hungry, for more than just the foundation truth. Thank God for the foundation truth. You can never leave the foundation.
And yet many are longing for something more—longing for glory, longing to know Christ not only crucified, but living, glorified, in the church among God’s people.
Brothers and sisters, this is the truth for which we should really seek the Lord, that we may receive such wisdom and that God’s purpose may be fulfilled.
So I think probably this morning we will fellowship this much. I do believe that the Spirit of God will reveal much more to you, because that touches the very depths of God, the very heart of God.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank Thee because Thou hast revealed Thy Son to us. Oh, we praise and thank Thee for Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
But, Lord, Thou dost desire that we may grow in Thy grace and Thy truth. Thou dost want us to be joined to Thee in Thy purpose.
We do pray that we may not be contented to remain in babyhood. But, Lord, since Thou hast brought us into light, we ask Thee that we may grow, that we may be perfect, that we may be able to feed on meat, not just milk.
That we may know Thy purpose and give ourselves to Thee for Thy purpose. Oh, how we desire that we may be like Thy servant David, who served Thy purpose in his generation.
Now, Lord, help us that we may serve Thy purpose in our generation. Oh, that Christ may be glorified in the church, that the church may be brought into glory.
Lord, there is so much that only Thy Holy Spirit can speak and reveal to us. We just humble ourselves before Thee and say, “Lord, perfect Thy work in us.”
In the name of our Lord Jesus, and for Thy glory. Amen.