The Wisdom of God Made Known
The Wisdom of God Made Known
What do you say to someone after the following exchange? “Good morning Sir. I have something to tell you. God loves you”. The man replies, “I also have something to tell you. There is no God”. This was the beginning of an encounter with a PhD Chemist I met at the park on Sunday morning. I was prompted to go to the park on Sunday morning and share the gospel instead of sitting in church just to soak. I thank God I obeyed. I met a lot of people who were glad to see that someone cared to tell them the good news of the gospel. I also met some who were very furiously angered to see that God will even pursue them to the park on Sunday morning to tell them about Jesus. Along the way, I met two atheists and one of them is the PhD Chemist.
I had a good cordial conversation with the atheist Chemist. His main argument is that there is no proof that there is God. He said Science is everything because it has evidence. He said that the Bible is a fairy tale and that there was no person that lived named Moses or Jesus. He was hung up on the fact that Christianity believes that God is all powerful and all knowing, so why did He not stop people like Hitler and many others from inhumanely kill so many millions. We spent over an hour in conversation. We agreed on one thing. Christianity is based on faith. I believe and trust and have faith that God exists and that He rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). The Chemist does not believe in faith but rather Science and empirical data and evidence. I left him with a challenge. I said to him to go home and say, “If there is a God, then show me who you are?” He was glad to hear that I was not anti-science. I told him that God gave us science and that science has benefited human kind. Also I told him that there are millions of scientists who believed and believe in God and Christ Jesus His Son as Lord and Savior.
Why did I have to tell you my experience? Not that I am a better evangelizing Christian but to show an example of what Apostle Paul writes in our study for today. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 3:8-13:
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship[a] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;[b] 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
First, it really hit me hard that it is only by God’s grace that I was preaching to the Chemist. Here I am talking to a man who is well more educated than me and much older in age. He is 69 and his name is Steve. I felt so sorry for him because he knows so much of things of this world but he lacks the Wisdom of God. He knows a lot but knows nothing. God gave me compassion for Steve as we spoke. I smiled at him and was very relaxed. I listened patiently when he spoke as he spoke more than me. At the end he acknowledged and said. “I see you are a very happy man and most of the Christians I have met are happy. It must be because you all believe in this fairy tale. I am not happy and I am often depressed”.
What is this “manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (verse 10)? Manifold meaning many and multifaceted. The wisdom of God is too many to fully comprehend and we have from now to eternity to know it fully and comprehend it. However, God is making His wisdom known through the Church. In other words, God is showing His wisdom in creating a new being called the Church. God is using His Church as a display of His love, mercy and grace and making it known to the principalities and powers (i.e. good and bad angels) in the heavenly places. The angels are envious and wondering what is God doing being so merciful to humans? The good angels rejoice but it is bad news for the bad angels (demons or devils) who rebelled with Lucifer, Satan.
The bad angels with their master Satan are bent on making sure (through blindness of the spiritual eyes, 2 Corinthians 4:4) that people will not see God and receive His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12. As I spoke to Steve the Chemist, I realized that I was not speaking just to a human being but the devil making arguments through Steve. This man was totally blinded. God through me was making His wisdom known to the principalities and powers.
In fact this is what was happening as I spoke to Steve and as Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10: “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled”. God was casting down every argument of Steve and pulling down the strongholds at work in his life. Please pray that Steve will come to the “obedience of Christ”.
The next time you approach anyone who does not believe in God and Christ Jesus, please know that there are forces working behind the scene in their lives. We used to be there ourselves. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” Ephesians 2:1-3. My encounter with Steve gave me more reason to thank God that He has written my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Jesus said to His disciples rejoice for this reason after they had had a successful evangelism (Luke 10:20): “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven”.
Let God show His wisdom through you and me. May the love, mercy and grace of God abound in your life so that the angels will envy you. You know we will together with Christ judge the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). “In Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (verse 11). You and I have boldness (freedom) and access with confidence to come to God at any time knowing that He loves us and forgives us and hears and answers our prayers. Let us not shrink back but forever diligently seek God our Father.
Have a grace-filled day and make God’s wisdom known to those who are perishing without knowledge of God. Let us approach them with compassion and with love of Christ. Amen.
Today, pray and speak to the Steves in your sphere of influence - home, work, school, neighborhood and community.
What do you say to someone after the following exchange? “Good morning Sir. I have something to tell you. God loves you”. The man replies, “I also have something to tell you. There is no God”. This was the beginning of an encounter with a PhD Chemist I met at the park on Sunday morning. I was prompted to go to the park on Sunday morning and share the gospel instead of sitting in church just to soak. I thank God I obeyed. I met a lot of people who were glad to see that someone cared to tell them the good news of the gospel. I also met some who were very furiously angered to see that God will even pursue them to the park on Sunday morning to tell them about Jesus. Along the way, I met two atheists and one of them is the PhD Chemist.
I had a good cordial conversation with the atheist Chemist. His main argument is that there is no proof that there is God. He said Science is everything because it has evidence. He said that the Bible is a fairy tale and that there was no person that lived named Moses or Jesus. He was hung up on the fact that Christianity believes that God is all powerful and all knowing, so why did He not stop people like Hitler and many others from inhumanely kill so many millions. We spent over an hour in conversation. We agreed on one thing. Christianity is based on faith. I believe and trust and have faith that God exists and that He rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). The Chemist does not believe in faith but rather Science and empirical data and evidence. I left him with a challenge. I said to him to go home and say, “If there is a God, then show me who you are?” He was glad to hear that I was not anti-science. I told him that God gave us science and that science has benefited human kind. Also I told him that there are millions of scientists who believed and believe in God and Christ Jesus His Son as Lord and Savior.
Why did I have to tell you my experience? Not that I am a better evangelizing Christian but to show an example of what Apostle Paul writes in our study for today. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 3:8-13:
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship[a] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;[b] 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
First, it really hit me hard that it is only by God’s grace that I was preaching to the Chemist. Here I am talking to a man who is well more educated than me and much older in age. He is 69 and his name is Steve. I felt so sorry for him because he knows so much of things of this world but he lacks the Wisdom of God. He knows a lot but knows nothing. God gave me compassion for Steve as we spoke. I smiled at him and was very relaxed. I listened patiently when he spoke as he spoke more than me. At the end he acknowledged and said. “I see you are a very happy man and most of the Christians I have met are happy. It must be because you all believe in this fairy tale. I am not happy and I am often depressed”.
What is this “manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (verse 10)? Manifold meaning many and multifaceted. The wisdom of God is too many to fully comprehend and we have from now to eternity to know it fully and comprehend it. However, God is making His wisdom known through the Church. In other words, God is showing His wisdom in creating a new being called the Church. God is using His Church as a display of His love, mercy and grace and making it known to the principalities and powers (i.e. good and bad angels) in the heavenly places. The angels are envious and wondering what is God doing being so merciful to humans? The good angels rejoice but it is bad news for the bad angels (demons or devils) who rebelled with Lucifer, Satan.
The bad angels with their master Satan are bent on making sure (through blindness of the spiritual eyes, 2 Corinthians 4:4) that people will not see God and receive His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12. As I spoke to Steve the Chemist, I realized that I was not speaking just to a human being but the devil making arguments through Steve. This man was totally blinded. God through me was making His wisdom known to the principalities and powers.
In fact this is what was happening as I spoke to Steve and as Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10: “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled”. God was casting down every argument of Steve and pulling down the strongholds at work in his life. Please pray that Steve will come to the “obedience of Christ”.
The next time you approach anyone who does not believe in God and Christ Jesus, please know that there are forces working behind the scene in their lives. We used to be there ourselves. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” Ephesians 2:1-3. My encounter with Steve gave me more reason to thank God that He has written my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Jesus said to His disciples rejoice for this reason after they had had a successful evangelism (Luke 10:20): “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven”.
Let God show His wisdom through you and me. May the love, mercy and grace of God abound in your life so that the angels will envy you. You know we will together with Christ judge the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). “In Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (verse 11). You and I have boldness (freedom) and access with confidence to come to God at any time knowing that He loves us and forgives us and hears and answers our prayers. Let us not shrink back but forever diligently seek God our Father.
Have a grace-filled day and make God’s wisdom known to those who are perishing without knowledge of God. Let us approach them with compassion and with love of Christ. Amen.
Today, pray and speak to the Steves in your sphere of influence - home, work, school, neighborhood and community.
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