“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
I Corinthians 2:7-12 NKJV
Freedom
When I was an unbeliever, I knew little of the ways of God. For me, and most others who do not have Jesus as Savior, the nature of God could not be deciphered, like it was some kind of coded message only certain people could understand. As a result I dismissed it as foolishness, as false, as fairy tales. The wisdom of God was hidden.
In the absence of knowledge, I like everyone else, sought to define God by my terms, as some cosmic killjoy who had confining rules that limited my freedom, taking away my pleasure. Looking back, what God had defined as sin was indeed destructive and His ways ultimately protect rather than harm.
In the passage in I Corinthians, Paul talks about the reason the wisdom was hidden from the heart of man. Before the cross, man was condemned without remedy. There was no payment for sin, and there was no hope before Jesus. No one could keep the law.
From the foundation of the world, Jesus was ordained to die for the sins of humanity. The plan of God was hidden in plain sight, in the Scriptures, invisible to reprobate minds. Not even Satan knew what would come about as Jesus laid down His life.
Satan thought he had defeated God by killing Jesus, only to find that God’s work was completed by what was intended for evil. If the devil had known, he would not have moved those he controlled to crucify the Lord.
When we became believers, all was revealed to us, as the pan of God became plain to see. The Scriptures become illuminated, suddenly making sense. We have understanding that Jesus came to pay the sin debt for all humanity. It is only by the Spirit of God, that the natural man can understand, and it is only by the move of God that someone is saved.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
John 16:7-11 NKJV
Te Holy Spirit is in the world convicting people of their sin, and God has placed us as examples of all that He can do. Each of us has a testimony as to the saving grace of God. We are his trophies, saved, being sanctified, and pressed into service to be that living proof for all to see.
We must remain intimate with the Lord, that His presence in us be magnified. For many people that we encounter, we are truly the only bible they may ever come in contact with. Those who knew us before Jesus, can see what we are like after He has done His work.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV
As those who have come to understanding of the nature of God, we have made ambassadors, to lead those who do not know Him into a saving knowledge of His great love and desire to save. We go and tell, offering a message of redemption against all the messages of damnation urging all to do as they please.
Where we were once enslaved to sin, we are now free, having liberty.
On this 4th of July, when the nation celebrates our freedom, let this be just one more Independence Day, amongst many, as we celebrate our independence from sin. I have not only been saved from hell, but I have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to live each day having the resources to resist. I also have the grace of God when I cannot.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1 NKJV
We have freedom in Christ, and we have freedom as Americans. The greatest celebration of both is to go an tell others about Jesus. Brothers and sisters, let us take what God has revealed to us to the unbelieving word, that we be the bridge that just might find the right heart that us open to the Gospel.
Happy Fourth of July!!!
Musings from an idle mind 
Yes! Please Lord, will you make me a blessing… With Your gospel?
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