Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | February 2, 2012

“speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Corinthians 10:1-6.
 
“1 Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!  2 I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.  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 of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”  2 Corinthians 10:1-6.
 
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What are the speculations and lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God?  Man speculates that he can know God through his own wisdom or through his own free-will.  But, God destroys those speculations.
 
“For it is written,
 
“I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”
                       

Where is the wise man?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the debater of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;  but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the 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 consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:19-31.  
                                          
We preach and teach Reformed Doctrine a/k/a Calvinism summarized by “TULIP”, the acronym for the Five Points of Calvinism.  The starting point of “TULIP” is “T” standing for “Total Depravity”, namely that man is dead in sin, hostile to God, enslaved to sin and Satan, and totally unable by himself to come to God and know God.  Man’s only chance to know God and to be saved is to be chosen by God, which is the second point of “TULIP”, the “U” standing for “Unconditional Election”. 
                                        

Christ died only for those whom God chose or elected to know God and to be saved, which is the third point of “TULIP”, the “L” standing for “Limited Atonement”.  The death of Christ on the cross provided all the saving benefits including saving knowledge of God which is also described as faith.  “For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.”  Article 8. of The Canons of Dordt.

“Irresistible Grace”, the “I” and fourth point of “TULIP”, is capable of destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ:  “even when we were dead in our transgressions, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”  Ephesians 2:5-6.

Because God is sovereign and totally in control, we can be assured that our obedience will be made complete.  “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.  This is “Perseverance of the Saints a/k/a Preservation of the Saints” which is the “P” and fifth and final point of “TULIP”.

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