Challenge 3

"...the world by wisdom knew not God"

The Mind of Christ in you, knowing His ways and thoughts.

"...the world by wisdom knew not God" 1 Corinthians 1:21

"Because of our lack of understanding, we have always viewed the spiritual world as that which is to come." Charles S. Price Two Worlds

All the while, the physical world, which is temporary, was created by the spiritual world, which is eternal.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Some say: "Men wrote the Scriptures" or "Everyone interprets Scriptures differently."
The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit reveals the "deep things of God."

Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6

"It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Jesus - John 6:63

• Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

• Why did God say: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Isaiah 29:14 & 1 Corinthians 1:19

• Why is the preaching of the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit hid from the "wise?" They do not come by education, they are revealed by the Holy Spirit. "...Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matthew 11:25-27

• Why did Jesus tell His disciples at Passover, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth."

• Why couldn't they "bear" to hear those things then?

• Why did Peter deny Jesus three times before Jesus was crucified, and then just 50 days later preach boldly Christ crucified unto thousands on the Day of Pentecost?

• Why did Jesus say concerning the Comforter: "...whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him, but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you."

• Do you do what is right or do you do according to feelings? Do you act according to being hurt, angry, fear, anxious, or envy? Or do you act worthy of Christ?

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord."

Revealed only by the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:1-16 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I  determined not to know any thing 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 was not with enticing words of man's 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 perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows 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 teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he knows them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Matthew 11:15-30 - He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Isaiah 55 - Ho, every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfies not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shall call a nation that thou knows not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Job 32:8-10 - But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will show mine opinion.

James 1:5-8 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Challenge 4

Can You Live The Sermon On The Mount?

"We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount....The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants."  5-Star General Omar Bradley

Can You Live The Sermon On The Mount? (Matthew 5-7) Excerpts From "Made Alive" by Charles S. Price - "When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, He was not a demagogue presenting specified standards of life to which they should struggle to attain....No man in history has ever been able to  live the Life of the Sermon on the Mount without the indwelling Life of the Man who preached it!...We do our best to do good. We battle every instinctive and natural force within us as we attempt to measure up to the Sermon on the Mount. But the end of that road is disillusionment and disappointment. We find we cannot do it! It is outside the boundaries of human capabilities; it is beyond the possibility of self attainment. We have not found out that what we call life in the Spirit is really the Spirit Life in us. Let the Words of Jesus in John 14:17 ring in your hearts: 'Even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it can't see Him, or know Him. But you know Him for he dwells with you and shall be in you.' And then later, 'In that day you shall know that I am in My Father and you in Me, and I in you.' And then again in John 16:12-13, 'I have yet many things to tell you, but you would not be able to comprehend them now. Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth;' Though we were to live ten million lives, we could never be like Jesus, but attempting to imitate Him. He does not ask us to, but He stands at the door and knocks and wants us to let Him enter so that He might live out His Life in us and through us. His work was made perfect and complete. You cannot add to perfection. As He did nothing without the Father, we are to do nothing without Him. Never mind your imperfections or shortcomings. They were nailed to the Cross with Him."

"...Can the Sermon on the Mount be lived by human life?
Can sinful man ascend so high, above his sin and strife?
Is there the possibility that he can strive and strain
Through a thousand consecrations that life to attain?
Forgive us, Lord, if such we think; for that is not Thy way.
Oh give us us ears to really hear what Thou didst say that day.
We want that life. Oh, Vision blessed, from us Lord never part
For we can only live it when, Thou livest in our hearts.
From a poem of Charles S. Price

For we were once foolish, disobedient, being deceived, serving various desires and pleasures, while we were living in wickedness and envy, hateful, hateful, hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of the Savior our God appeared, He saved us, but according to His mercy, not as the result of works of righteousness which we did, but through the washing of regeneration and of renewal by the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Messiah our Savior, so that since we have been made righteous by the grace of that One, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-8 (Power New Testament & v8 Footnote: Notice that this exhortation to be busy with good works comes just after a verse saying that we are saved by grace. We do not do good works in order to be saved, but we do them because we have been saved. Righteous behavior is the result of being saved.)

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6

So I find the Torah, in my wanting to do good things, that evil is present in me: for I rejoice together in the Torah of God with respect to the inner man, but I see another law in my members warring against the torah of my mind and taking me captive in the law of sin, the one which is in my members. Wretched man that I am: who will rescue me from this body of death? But thanks to God He will through Jesus Messiah our Lord. So then this - on the one hand in my mind I am serving the Torah of god, but on the other hand in the flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Messiah Jesus: for the torah of the spirit of life in Messiah Jesus set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 7:21-8:2  (Power New Testament)

For I died through Torah to legalistic tradition, so that I shall live for God. I have been crucified with Messiah: than I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me: but now although I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, the One Who loves me and has given Himself over on my behalf. I did not cancel the grace of God: for if I am in righteousness through legalism, then Messiah died in vain. O foolish Galatians, to whom before your eyes Jesus Messiah was clearly portrayed as crucified, who bewitched you? Only this one thing I wish to learn from you: did you take the Spirit from works of legalism or from hearing in faith? In this way you are foolish, although you began in the Spirit, will you now be made complete in the flesh? Galatians 2:19-3:3 (Power New Testament)

But we know that the Torah is good, if someone would use it lawfully for himself, as we know know this, that Torah is not given for a righteous one, but one heedless of Torah (intentionally sins) and with rebellious ones, impious and sinners, unholy and profane, who kill their fathers and mothers, murderers, fornicators, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and any other one who acts contrary to sound teaching according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 Power New Testament

Jesus demonstrated life in the Kingdom of God, filled with God the Holy Spirit, an extension of heaven on earth, what Adam and Eve lost in the fall.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. Genesis 1:26-28

Next Wisdom Challenge >>>

(Click here for the Christian's Challenge)