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The Interrogator

The Interrogator
Words of Faith 5-1-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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1 Corinthians 2
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. [11] For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. [13] This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. [14] The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
[16] "For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.

Paul had not come to the Corinthians with fancy words or persuasive eloquence. These are the ways of the world-- philosophy and rhetoric. God does not depend at all upon the slickness of our seminars or the poignancy of presentations. Alliteration is nice but God does not need a Thesaurus.
The power of the Gospel is not the least bit dependent upon the cleverness of a speaker or writer. In fact, the Gospel will operate in spite of a "poor speaker", and sometimes a "great speaker" will bring deception. We cannot judge as the world judges. In fact, the Gospel of Christ comes to us as a secret wisdom that only God reveals by His Spirit.
What Paul has called "the secret wisdom" is the message of the salvation of God through the cross of Jesus. The blessings of salvation were prepared by the Father, carried out by the Son, and applied by the Spirit to all believers who as a result love God. The only way the Corinthians could know any of this was by the Spirit, who knows and reveals these deep things of God about salvation.
So the Spirit is not some optional peripheral of life in God. The Spirit is not an add-on option. We do not order up the "Holy Spirit package" as part of our spiritual transportation. It is the Spirit that applies the work of Jesus in our lives. Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:5-6).
It is the Spirit that searches all things, even the deep things of God. The word used here for "search" means, to investigate or interrogate-- to seek through inquiry. The Holy Spirit of God is the Counselor of God but He is also our chief interrogator.
Jesus said: When He (the Counselor) comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned" (John 16:8-11).
The Spirit is a person who is at work in our lives to develop His fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23) and to conform us to the image of Christ. But He does this through a thorough investigation of our soul and spirit-- our mind, thoughts, and motivations.
He is the One who carefully inventories our lives, confronts us with sin, and moves us to repentance. He is the One who forms righteousness in us. He is the One who applies the blood of Jesus that cleanses us. He is the One who gives us discernment and power to live rightly.
In our daily lives, it is the Spirit who gives us ears to hear God and eyes to see His plan. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We may think that we are "led" or "directed" but it is only the Spirit that can separate our own fleshly desires from the true leading of God.
As believers, Paul reminded the Corinthians that we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God. We do not understand the things of God through the lens of worldly logic or thought-- rather; we begin to understand what is going on in the world because of the illumination of the Spirit. Without the Spirit we are not able to see the truth in Scripture. Without the Spirit, our eyes are not open to the working of God in any situation. Without the Spirit, we cannot accept any of the things of God.
As spiritual people, who have the Spirit of God, we are able to make judgments about all sorts of things. We are able to discern the presence, leading, direction and anointing of God. We are able to understand, interpret, and apply Scripture. With the Spirit, we are guided by Him and we are able to evaluate and apply all things the Spirit reveals. Because of this, the spiritual person can be judged only by God, not by unregenerate people or by worldly Christians.
This does not mean that we have no accountability to leaders who are spiritual. We do not become "loose cannons" of the Spirit. The Bible is very clear: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17). "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Hebrews 13:17).
Our daily task and invitation is to surrender to the Spirit. Our flesh continues to want to get in the way and rule our lives, but as we surrender to the Spirit, He gives us the mind of Christ. To have the mind of Christ is to be obedient to God's revelation, as were the spiritual people in the Corinthian church.

Father, make me a person of the Spirit. Holy Spirit, take over my life. Apply the truths of salvation in me! Interrogate me as to the things that need confession and repentance. Cleanse me of the things that are not of You. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Open Your Word to me. Guide me into all Truth. In Jesus' name.