The Deep Things of God
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
My Heart: - Several months ago a friend of mine I grew up with contacted me. His name is Bishop Neal Smith from Akron, Ohio. During our conversation and several conversations, we have had since literally re-connecting in over 30 years he stated something, and I know he may not even realize what he spoke in my life. He made a comment and invited me to be a part of a Council of Bishops that were available when needed to help instruct and encourage those that were coming along and deposit into them what we had to offer that would help them on their journey.
My prayer is and has always been that I am an instrument God can use that will cause other people to come to know the deep things of God. I want a successful ministry. Not one that is pleasing to man but will glorify God.
Now hear me and especially those that desire to Pastor, preach, are young in the ministry, pastorate, desire to stand behind the sacred pulpit or are looking for a title like Bishop. The world’s idea of a successful ministry is one that fills a stadium with people, sells countless books, cd’s, and has a television spot in prime time. However, God’s idea of a successful ministry, is one that according to Ephesians 3:19 fills you with the fullness of God, “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”.
Mahalia Jackson had a song called “If I can help Somebody” some of the lyrics were “If I can help somebody, as I pass along - If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song
If I can show somebody, that he's travelling wrong - Then my living shall not be in vain.
If I can do my duty, as a good man ought - If I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought
If I can spread love's message, as the Master taught - Then my living shall not be in vain”.
PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 2:1-11 says “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 anything 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 nought: 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 hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”.
OPENING: - Now that things are getting back to a form of normalcy, people are gathering in greater numbers, mask are coming off, people are beginning to go to sporting events, concerts, church and on vacation. Because things are moving in a so-called direction of normalcy people are making all kinds of plans. Going back into the office to work verses staying home. Kids being able to get vaccinated and schools being open in full swing this fall even my wife and I are looking forward to getting back on a cruise ship sometime in the not-so-distant future. Even though we are looking forward to being able to cruise again in the natural my deepest desire spiritually is to develop even a deeper relationship, deeper faith and deeper understanding of God and affect others to develop a deeper relationship and understanding of God.
There is a longing in my spirit and a desire to ensure I do no harm to the Word of God or to any induvial as I teach God’s unadulterated Word. I remember my father saying many times as I was coming up “A Lawyer’s mistake is in jail, A Doctor’s mistake is in the grave, but a Preacher mistake is in Hell”. It is with sincerity and compassion that I present this lesson unlike probably any other lesson I taught. The Bible says in Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments”.
UNDERSTAND: - The Bible is a complex book. In fact, it is sixty-six books, written on three different continents, in three different languages, by forty different authors, and over the period of some fifteen hundred years. Yet it is cohesive, unified, and a miracle of miracles. The Bible reveals a single, unifying, underlying, and overall story. It has been said, the waters of Scripture are shallow enough for a baby to play in and yet deep enough for an elephant to drown. The Bible is the most significant and important book in the history of the world and if you were to Google the number 1 best selling book of all time the Bible is it hands down.
The Bible is a book that must be revealed by the Spirit of God. Many people will read the Bible and receive knowledge of God but will not know God unless He reveals Himself unto you. That is a personal experience between you and God. You can’t go on what your mother said, you can’t go on what your father said that was good up to a point but to know Him for yourself requires a personal experience with Him.
I need to give you right here some foundational building blocks before we go any further. I want to give you 4 keys when it comes to understanding the Word of God the Bible.
1. Revelation – this is pure and is what God reveals of Himself.
2. Interpretation – is not as pure but is extremely important because it is what one perceives something to mean.
3. Application – how does this apply to me and the current situation.
4. Timing – when, what, and who does this apply to. Although everything in the Bible is written for us it is not necessarily written to us, so we must understand timing. Oftentimes a lot of scripture is misinterpreted because the timing is off. I once had a car where the timing chain went bad in it and as I was going down the road WATCH THIS although the car was running it was misfiring and not running properly because the timing was off. So, we need to make sure timing is correct especially when it comes to scripture.
As I stated the subject of this lesson is the Deep Things of God. UNDERSTANDING: - the deep things of God requires first that God touches the deep things in us. Psalm 42:7 says, “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” This is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Man communicating with each other.
Now I know there are those that say God speaks to me I hear His voice yada yada. I am not discrediting that, but the Bible says in Hebrews 1:1-2 “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds”. God speaks primarily through the Bible and the Holy Ghost reveals it unto to us.
Deep calleth unto deep is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Man communicating with each other.
WATCH THIS: - When we received Christ as our personal Lord and Savior there is a union of God’s divine Spirit with our human spirit.
The Bible reveals two spirits. Let everything be established by two or three witnesses. Matthew 18:16 says “… that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established”.
Here are - Three Bible verses put the divine Spirit and the human spirit together, and each for a particular reason.
1. For our being born again. John 3:6 says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”. The first Spirit mentioned here is the divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God and is identified with a capital S, and the second spirit is the human spirit, or rather the regenerated spirit of man identified with little s.
WATCH THIS: - Regeneration is accomplished in the human spirit by the Holy Spirit of God. Regeneration (noun) the entering into a new spiritual life; the act of becoming, or of being made, Christ Like - Christian; it is that change by which Holy affections and purposes are substituted for the opposite and negative motives in the heart – 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. Regeneration is the sovereign work of God through the Holy Spirit of granting spiritual life to each and every believer. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”, raising us from the dead Ephesians 2:1 says “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” so that they are now able to repent and trust in Christ as a new creation. This is not a work in which we humans contribute but is the work of God alone. Because we need a grace with resurrection power, then any willful activity on our own part, including faith itself, cannot be the cause but the effect of the new birth. The grace of regeneration is the power of God that grants humans the ability to exercise faith in and towards God. So, our two spirits begins when we believe in Christ and are Born Again. Now let me add this right here we are spiritual beings having a natural experience. We are not body soul and spirit but Spirit Soul and Body.
2. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God”. This verse shows us something very comforting in our experience of the two spirits and that is at the moment we believe, the Spirit of God enters into our spirit and witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. This witnessing is an inward assurance of our salvation letting us know without a shadow of a doubt that we are truly saved. There is a old Sunday school song that says it’s a bubbling it’s a bubbling down in my soul that is my spirit and the Holy Spirit communicating with eachother.
3. John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Sure, there are different styles of worship music and worship services, but this verse ultimately tells us that TRUE WORSHIP involves our spirit.
For the believer in Christ, these two spirits are not separate, but are united and mingled together as one. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit”. This does not mean a loss of distinction occurs between the two. The Spirit is still the Divine Spirit, and our human spirit is still our human spirit, but they are united as one. WATCH THIS: - I like coffee like I am sure many of you do as well. Coffee is a mingling of two distinct ingredients Coffee grounds and hot water. When I brew coffee with water, neither the coffee nor the water loses its distinct identity; however, brewed together, the two are mingled together as one. This portrays the mingling of the Spirit of God with our spirit. Our spirit, the old nature has been regenerated, made new or born again by the Spirit of God John 3:6 born of the Spirit, who is now in us Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
Now let me get into this lesson.
My focus verse for this lesson is 1 Corinthians 2:10 which says, “For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God”.
1 Corinthians chapter 1 is the foundation which our focus verse 1 Corinthians 2:10 draws its substance. As we read the verses in that chapter, we discover in 1 Corinthians 2:2 that “Christ and Him crucified” is the subject of the deep things of God.
Now let me get to what God has been dealing with me on as we go a little deeper in this lesson. Verse 9 has been misapplied and misunderstood. We have and even I have based upon interpretation, which is what one perceives scripture to say instead of Revelation what God has revealed have preached and taught this verse incorrectly. Verse 9 says “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. This verse is usually presented as Heaven. We preach that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no heart can imagine, all the beautiful things that are stored up in Heaven.
It makes for great preaching, and we know how to preach it, but it is weak Theology – Theos = God, ology = study, Theology is the study of God. We teach and preach that God has prepared a beautiful place and I am sure it is, yet we really don’t know anything about Heaven it is interpretation at best. Remember interpretation is what one perceives something to be.
May I submit to you today that Heaven was not what Paul was talking about when he wrote this verse verse 9. The 10th verse continues with “But - God has revealed them”. But is a conjunction it connects the previous thought to what is about to be said. But also negates what comes before it and in this case Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepare – BUT. Because of that word BUT it negates that statement and what follows explains why it is negated, God has revealed them. Therefore, they cannot be things in heaven as interpretation has it. They were revealed by God to the Church many years ago.
Understand mere worldly wisdom can never understand spiritual teaching; there must be a Revelation made by God. Interpretation, which is literally one’s own mental perception, is not enough; you cannot fathom the eternal realities of God in our finite carnal minds.
WATCH THIS: - Millions of eyes can see God's work but they never see the God; millions of ears can hear the voice of God, but they never recognize that His voice. God must be revealed to us in order to be known. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”. True understanding is REVELATION.
This leads us right into the focus of this lesson, that the Spirit searches all things; those things which the eye cannot see, or the ear hear or the has entered into the heart of man God has revealed unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
In the Old Testament people could not search the deep things of God. Job 11:7 says, “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection”. This was a rebuke by one of Job’s friends, because man cannot know the deep things of God, but God has revealed them unto us.
OK Bishop you keep saying God has revealed the deep things unto us but what are the deep things He has revealed. Well, I am glad you asked that question.
From the 9th verse to the close of the chapter you have the word “things” over and over again I counted them and there are 8 times in the last 8 verses, the word things is mentioned. The Biblical meaning of the number 8 is new beginning. On the 8th day a male child was circumcised, on the 8th day the name of the male child was given, there were 8 souls in the Ark the were saved from the flood. So I submit to you that the 8 things mentioned here that are revealed to us are a new beginning Old things are passed away and behold all things have become new 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The 9th verse says, “The things which God has prepared for them that love Him”. Notice this isn’t for the world, this is for those that have made a choice to follow Him. Those that love Him and keep His commandments. The 10th verse: “The Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” There is no shallowness in God, neither will the deep things of God are never found in the shallowness of man. The shallowest place found on earth literally is in the minds of mankind. The 11th verse says, “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”. Verse 12 says “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”.
Verse 13 says “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual 14th verse But the natural man receives not the things of God. 15th verse But he who is spiritual discerns all things — yet he himself is discerned of no man”.
WATCH THIS: - When we read this, we understand that it is not dealing with an isolated verse as in verse 9. The deep things are referred to all the way through these verses therefore, if they are referred to through the end of the chapter then to limit it just verse 9 and say in the middle of the chapter this is talking about heaven is weak Theology, misinterpretation and the lack of understanding.
I submit to you that the things here the deep things are God’s thoughts. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end”. Realize this, saying things a way of saying thoughts. We say things but when we say things, they are really the thoughts that we had in the first place, because everything was first a thought.
Every house, building, car, ship, plane and etc. that has ever been built was a thought in the mind of someone before it became a thing in the hands of the one building it. Before I put on these clothes this morning, I first thought about what I am going to wear. Before this shirt became this shirt with this design on it someone had to first have the thought before it actually became a thing.
So, the things here the deep things are God's thoughts and God’s thought are manifested realities; they are not myths or ideas only they are things!
UNDERSTAND: - Everything that has to do with God is deep; God has no shallow parts but God himself is the greatest depth. Job 11:7-8 says “Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as Heaven; what can you do? deeper than Sheol; what can you know”?
The deep things of God are given different names. They are called, 1 Corinthians 2:1 says, “The testimony of God” while verse 7 says “The secret and hidden wisdom of God”.
WATCH THIS: - The deep things of God have been personified in Christ who is now wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption”.
Jesus Christ is “the deep things of God”. 1 Peter 1:20 says “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for your sake”. 1 Corinthians 2:10 also states that these things have been revealed - “But God hath revealed unto us by His Spirit."
Now get this – the word REVEALED is past tense which signifies it is already done. Ecclesiastes 1 says “There is nothing new under the sun”. Remember the Bible is united it does not contradict itself. So, if something has been revealed WATCH THIS and there is nothing new under the sun the deep things of God are no longer secret or hidden but are all revealed now to the people of faith those that believe in and on Christ and have been regenerated BORN AGAIN. So, if the Holy Spirit has already revealed it and future something it can be. It is not heaven being talked about here.
Within scripture there are awesome realities some deep things, but we must search them out Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter”. The Holy Spirit will bring out and teach us the mysteries of the deep things freely given to us.
Now I said that the deep things are God’s thoughts and Jesus Christ was thought in the mind of God before the foundation of the world we established that with 1 Peter 1:20. In the beginning of this message, I stated 4 keys in understanding scripture, they were Revelation, Interpretation, Application, and Timing. Revelation is what God reveals or makes know to us, Interpretation is how we perceive scripture, Application is how can we apply this to us and the situation, Timing is everything.
There is the Old Testament and The New Testament. In the Old Testament the mysteries or the deep things, the thoughts of God could not be understood because Jesus was not made manifest yet so they fully couldn’t comprehend what was being stated. Everything was a type or a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ and could not be comprehended. So, it would have been a true statement in the Old Testament Times of verse 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
However, when Paul was writing this to the Corinthians Jesus had been born, crucified, and risen from the dead some 20 years earlier. That’s why in verses 7 & 8 he said “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”.
So, the deep things of God, the thoughts of God, is Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh. He is what God had prepared but eyes had not seen ear hath not heard neither had it entered the heart of man until the fulness of time had come. Now that he (Jesus) had come been crucified buried, resurrected and received up into glory the spirit reveals unto us all the things Jesus Christ.
WATCH THIS: - Verse 7 says “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory”.
Let’s look at this 1 Corinthians 1:24 says “But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God”. Christ as the wisdom of God gives a different understanding. First, as the wisdom of God, omnipotence is His. He is “the power of God”. The dynamics of history are totally in His power John 1:3; nothing exists apart from Him, nor can exist. For Him, there is no possible knowledge, but only certain knowledge. He knows the beginning and the ending absolutely, because He is “the Almighty” Revelation 1:8. There is thus no power nor future outside of Christ. He is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending”. From before the foundation of the world to the Last Judgment, Christ is not only the determiner of history but the central person therein. Jesus Christ is the savior and redeemer of the world John 3:16, so that His wisdom is manifested not only in His determination and government of history but in His redemptive work therein.
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. We can never truly understand the depth of God so Loved other than in the Death. Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Regardless of what man says or tries to do you cannot learn God's love from nature. Sure, you can see God's goodness you can witness God's beauty and you can marvel at God's wisdom but when you want to see God's love which is a deep thing the Holy Spirit reveals God's love by the incarnation of Christ. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. 1 John 4:9-10 shows us the depth of God’s love for it say “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins”. To understand God’s love the deep thing the Holy Spirit points us to Calvary and standing at the foot of the cross, we learn the deep love of God as it can be learned in no other spot. The nails in His hands and in His feet, the crown of thorns on His head, the beatings, the scourging, the humiliation, the suffering, the blood -That’s Love. John 15:13 says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”.
As I stated Jesus Christ is “the deep things of God”. The deep things of God are no longer secret or hidden but are all revealed now to the people of faith. They can't be things in heaven because they have been revealed by God. The deep things of God are personified in Christ who is now wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30 says “And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption”.
Here Paul took wisdom from a philosophical and rhetorical term to a historical one. He states that the gospel he preaches is in fact the wisdom of God. But it can only be perceived or understood by those who are pursuing a true relationship with God and worship Him in spirit and in truth and not a mystical, naturalistic, or self-achieved form of spiritual enlightenment; it is recognized only by those who have the Spirit. Paul is telling the Corinthians not to seek mystical knowledge but to seek Christ the power and wisdom of God not to hope for a future Heaven that is prepare but the wisdom and power of God that is revealed.
1 Corinthians 1:24 says “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God”. This exactly what the Corinthians needed, and we today need the same thing a Savior who was both the power of God and the wisdom of God and that is Jesus Christ. To the Jewish believers who loved signs and wonders Christ was the “power of God”. To the Greeks who loved knowledge and wisdom Christ was the “wisdom of God”. To us today Jesus Christ is whatever we nee him to be Wisdom, Power, Sanctification, Redemption, Righteousness
For the Corinthians this was a deep and life changing message. Their minds were directed to Christ who was above human wisdom and mystical knowledge. Jesus Christ was and still is the solution to everything thing in our lives today.
UNDERSTAND: Christ is the complete manifestation of God. You don’t have to call the psychic network or anybody else Jesus contains the whole of God’s revelation in Himself. He is the consummation of all that went before, and the principle of all that is to follow. It is through Christ alone we are able to enter into the knowledge of the saving purpose and grace of God.
Jesus Christ is the consummation of the whole counsel and revelation of God. Christ is the deep things of God.
Just like the Corinthians, our faith is always in danger of being consumed by the world. We live in a world where the opinions and views of men openly compete and contradict those of God. In our quest for relevance and acceptance by the world, we end up embracing worldly methods and approaches which are contrary to the faith we profess. We put our trust in everything instead of God.
What we need is an understanding of who Christ is, what He has done, what He is doing right now, and what He will do for us in the future. The knowledge of God is sufficient spiritual knowledge, which is the essential ingredient we need to as positive influences at the home, in the workplace, and everywhere. Our salvation is hinged on this knowledge.
John 17:3 says “And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”. Christ and Him crucified must be our all absorbing subject. We must share Christ's love and make Him known to the world.
Closing: - You cannot study your way to knowing God deeper you must have a personal revelation. The reason so few have a deep intimate knowledge of God is because they try to know Him with their head instead of with their heart.
You cannot take hold of heavenly truths so long as you are firmly planted in the things of man. The Lord Jesus taught, John 3:12 says “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things”.
You cannot reach the depths of God using the natural tools of man. Knowledge comes through study, but revelation only comes by the Spirit of God.
Remember - Nobody stumbles on their knees. Nobody falls lying prostrate on the floor.
The Deep Things of God.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
