Good afternoon, welcome to another episode of Logan's Devotions. Great to be together, wonderful to open up God's word for another day and see what he has to say. We're going to be turning through to the letter to the Corinthians again as we continue our way and pick up where we left off in chapter 2. But before I read our text for us, let's pray. Father in heaven, We thank you for the way that you continue to open up your word and feed us by your Holy Spirit through the bread of life. And we just pray that as we consider another few verses here, that you would encourage our hearts immensely. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 1 Corinthians chapter two, and we're picking up at verse nine. But as it is written, what no one has seen, nor, sorry, what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts, except the spirit of that person which is in him? So also, no one comprehends the thoughts of God, except the Spirit of God. I wonder if you've ever heard this passage, particularly this little quotation from Isaiah, we think Isaiah 64, I think it's verse 4 off the top of my head. What no eye has seen nor ear heard nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. I wonder if you've ever heard someone quote that to you. And to quote it to you in the sense of appreciating the amazing things that God is doing for you, the incredible things that God is doing for you. And they'll often say things like, ah, don't forget that no one can imagine what God is doing for you. Isn't it amazing? Isn't it incredible? And they read this, they read this from the perspective of the believer. They read this from the perspective of the believer saying, oh, I just can't imagine the incredible things that God is doing for me right now. Now, even though it's true that God is doing amazing things that you cannot comprehend, Ephesians tells us, things far greater than anything we could ask for, that's not primarily what Paul is addressing right now. We remember the verse that goes just before this, where Paul says, none of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. So the context of this verse is the ignorance or folly of the world, the folly of those who oppose Christ. And then Paul introduces this verse here. So what is it that Paul's saying here? Now let me read it again, but let me ask you, do this. Hear these words from the perspective of the unbeliever, from the perspective of those who killed Jesus Christ. What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, that God has prepared for those who love him. or sorry, should I say what, not that, what God has prepared for those who love him. I wonder if you heard a slightly different way of understanding that. I think Paul's major point here, and I'm going to show you why Paul's major point here is not so much God is doing amazing things for you and me, though that's true, but rather that the evil wicked people of the world who killed Jesus, and those who oppose the church of Jesus Christ, those who hate the work of God, they can't see, they can't imagine, they can't comprehend, they can't even understand in their hearts or dream of the possibility of what God can do. Or to put it another way, they're spiritually blind. and spiritually dead and have no appreciation for the work of God. How do we know that's what he's talking about? Because that's exactly what he goes on to point towards. Have a look. Verse 10, these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. Or you could just say, maybe the Greek says that there's not really these things in the Greek, but God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except for the Spirit of that person who is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What's Paul stressing here? Paul is stressing that the world is blind to the works of God. No one can comprehend it. No one can see it. No one can hear it. No one can believe it, except those to whom the Spirit has revealed it. And Paul's point, he's revealed it to us. He's revealed it to the apostles, and we have declared it for you, O Corinthians. Put it in the context of the Corinthians, remember. The Corinthians, they're looking to special things. They're looking to miracles and tongues and prophecies, and they're looking for big and fancy and shiny. They're tempted to look at the world with its shininess and want to find it there. And Paul is reminding them that the truth, the glory of what God is doing, is revealed by the Spirit of God through His people, through His spokesman, through His Word. The wisdom of God is not found in the world, or in the hearts of man, or in the ears of man, or in the eyes of man. The wisdom of God is found in the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God speaks through the Word. You see, we are so very frequently tempted, aren't we, to think, to think that we will find the mysteries of God in isolation. away from, in separation from, the Spirit of God. But the important point that Paul is making here for us is that we cannot know the mysteries of God in separation from the Spirit of God. We remain blind in death. So that's why he says, who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person? In other words, who knows my inner thoughts? Well, it's only me, unless I what? Unless I reveal them. So also, no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Why? Because you cannot know the inner mysteries of God unless God reveals them. And that's what the Spirit of God does. What's Paul highlighting here? The world is ignorant. The world is dead. The world is blind. The world is death, and the only way that anyone can know of the mysterious goodness and infinite mercies and grace of God is if the Holy Spirit gives them eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to believe. Let me just highlight one, just one little way that this helps us in our understanding of different things. Just this past week, I had a discussion with someone about what comes first, faith or regeneration? Well, in order to place faith in something, to believe in something, I need to be able to do that. Now, if the spirit of God has not revealed to me the mysteries of God and given me a heart to believe in that, there's no way I can. And so I would remain blind and deaf to the mysteries and the wonders of God. The only way that your loved ones and your friends and family can believe in Christ is if the spirit of the living God gives them eyes to see and ears to hear. So let us be busy. Let us be busy telling people of the mysteries of God, but recognizing that ultimately their only hope is that God would give them eyes to see. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for another day in your word today. We just pray that you would bless it to us and encourage our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for joining me for another day and I'll see you back here tomorrow afternoon.