Understanding the Things of God

I Corinthians 2:9-16

"I just don't understand women."

I suspect every guy feels that way sometimes. I would guess that women feel the same way about guys. One marriage counselor, speaking to a womens group, used the illustration of a man asking a woman to help him move a table. She smiled and nodded, but diddn't follow when he started toward the table. He asked repeatedly, with the same results and became quite angry after repeated attempts. Another person entered and began speaking to her in Japanese. After a few seconds, the newcomer asked the man what he had said, since the woman spoke no english. The man regretted his anger, but it was too late. The counselor said that many times it is that hard for a man and woman to understand each other, just using words.

They're both humans, and may both speak the same language. They have the same physical needs and probably share some of the same interests. They share some common experiences. Despite these things in common, they still have trouble fully understanding each other. How much harder for a person who speaks another language and is from a different culture? What about animals understanding humans? Imagine a domesticated cow trying to explain a human to a wild cow who had never seen a human, after the wild cow runs into a fence built by humans. The wild cow can definitely see something the human built, but could reject his very existence, as she could not picture the human. She could well decide the domestic cow was stupid for believing in such as creature.

We run into that very problem understanding God. He is even more different from us than a cow is. Cow and human both live on earth, require food, water and air. Both experience birth, and death. Both are bound by constraints of time, distance and strength. Natural laws such as gravity govern most of what we can do. God is bound by none of these things. As a result, it is impossible to truly understand him with a normal logical mind. As a result, people often reject the very existence of God. Our belief in his existence on nonexistence does not affect whether he exists any more than the cow's belief affects the human's existence.

Paul describes this in I Corinthians 2:9-16. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

God has given us his Holy Spirit to enable us to understand a little about God. Without his enabling, our picture is very distorted. This is why there are so many different religions in the world. Mankind tries to understand God by natural logic. As a result, he nearly alwasys pictures God as similar to something he is familiar with. What he pictures is as far from reality as what the wild cow might picture about humans. Even our imagination is limited to what he have some concept about.

I heard an "evangelist" describe how he wanted to run out and swing on those pearly gates of Heaven like he had swung on the corral gate as a child. Imagine a gate in a wall 1200 miles high and 1200 miles long which has only 3 gates. Each gate is made of a single pearl. How much will that gate weigh? He'll probably swing that gate about as much as a fly landing on the corral gate. His picture is based on a description, but it is implausible. As Paul says, we can't even begin to imagine the things of God, except therough his Spirit's power.

When we begin to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal God to us, there will be consistency between our understanding and that of others who have allowed the Spirit to teach them regardless of their background. To simply empty our mind and just accept whatever comes in as truly picturing God leaves us exposed to lies as well as truth. We must check if we want a valid view and belief. Start by comparing your understanding with that of the men who wrote the Bible.