Deeper Things: 1 Corinthians 2:10

 1 Corinthians 2:10: "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."

Several years ago my wife surprised me with an adventure she had planned for both of us. She had signed us up for scuba diving lessons! While I am very comfortable in water, I have never entertained the thought of breathing while underwater. After the lesson, I admitted to my wife that I had more fun than I thought I would. 

I had an interesting observation when I was scuba diving. I saw the surface of the water from a different vantage point. The surface looked different. It was safer. The surface was where I normally wanted to be, but once I went deeper, I wanted to stay there. There was a feeling of mystery and wonder in the depths. 

Surface Level Christianity vs. Christianity in the Depths

The Bible distinguishes between what I call surface level Christianity and Christianity in the depths.
Notice 1 Corinthians 2:10 again: "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." Surface level Christianity reflects the "all things" of our common experiences and knowledge of God. Surface level Christianity stays in the shallow end where you can stand on your own two feet. Christianity at the surface stays safe. It rehashes old truths because they are familiar and more comfortable without ever venturing into new Biblical truth.

However, Christianity in the deeper things probes uncharted territory. The depths of Christianity hold on to established truth even as new truth is discovered. The depths of Christ prove rarely safe because they require faith without sight and trust without understanding. Christianity in the deeper things will consistently stretch your understanding of God, transform how you think, and change how you live. 

Thoughts About the Deeper Things of God

Here are a few thoughts from 1 Corinthians 2 about the deeper things of God. 

First, the Spirit of God plays an active part even at the surface because there is a time and place for our common experiences and surface-level understanding of God. However, Christ-followers who stay on the level of "all things" can become hazardous to you and the church. 

This occurred to a group of early believers. Hebrews 5 described them this way: "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food" (vv. 11-12)! Staying at Christianity's surface not only robs you of a growing understanding of God and His Word, but it also prevents others from benefitting from your growth. In fact, if you're not careful you could actually regress into the elementary things of God all over again (Hebrews 6:1). Christianity at the surface may be where you started, but God expects us to probe the deeper things to understand fully who He is and what He has said. 

Second, the person who searches the deeper things of God is never satisfied with the "all things" of the Christian life. The "all things" of the Christian life represent our common experiences and basic knowledge of God's Nature and Word. First Corinthians 2:15 describes a person who probes the deeper things of God as someone who "judges" the all things. This means the Christ-follower who actively seeks the deeper things of God discerns, investigates, and evaluates "all things" of surface level Christianity (this is the same word for "all things" as verse 10). This investigative questioning of your present knowledge of God and His Word is not to question its relevance, but rather to search for new depths of understanding of who God is and what He has said for your life. A follower of Jesus who seeks to probe the deeper things of God is never satisfied at the surface of "all things." 

Third, Christianity at the depths will lead you to the mystery and wonder of the Mind of Christ. Notice 1 Corinthians 2:16: "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." I have heard so many times and said it myself that we want to live and love like Jesus. A lifestyle like Jesus is not possible when you live at the surface never venturing into the depths beyond your current understanding of God's Word and Nature. But notice, we already have His Mind. We just don't live that way most of the time. We stay at the surface where it is natural for us to live. To live in the Spirit we have to go deeper where only through the Spirit of God may we have understanding of His deeper things.

Life Application

That is the reason why I started this devotional blog. I want to give followers of Jesus Christ a simple resource to probe the deeper things of God. I will present a key scripture in every post by considering its context to gain a more complete understanding of its meaning and relevance for our lives. We will also apply scripture's truth to our lives through life application points. Jesus prayed in John 17:17, "Make them holy by your truth; teach them your Word, which is truth" (NLT). 

Toward that end, I have a few suggestions as you study God's Word with me through these devotional thoughts: 

1. Take the time to read the key scripture. Ponder it in the context of the passage in which it falls. Ask, "what does this scripture teach me about who God is and what He is saying for my life in this moment?"

2. Most of the devotions will suggest scriptures for further study. I recommend you explore the suggested scriptures each week until the next devotional is posted by using this website: https://biblehub.com/. This resource will help you conduct word studies, explore commentaries on the suggested passages, and compare how different Bible translations interpret key scriptures. Please subscribe to Deeper Things so you can know when the new devotional is posted. 

Scriptures for further study

1 Corinthians 2
Hebrews 5:11-6:1