Life in the Shadow.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God." -1 Corinthians 2:6-16

One cannot help but be impacted by the Trinitarian thoughts that these passages put forth. What makes us unique among people is not our actions but our connection with God through his Spirit. To live in light of this truth moves me to live in the shadow of the Trinity. The revelation of the Spirit leads me to the reality of the Son, Jesus Christ, which then leads me to a reliance on the Father of all creation. The truth of the Trinity is this: I cannot know truth without the Trinity.

The wisdom of Paul’s discussion here is one of maturity. Once you have the Spirit of God in you then you will see the world differently. You will see the world the way God sees the world. You will find yourself connected with fellow believers, you will live differently in light of this reality of regeneration, and you will proclaim the wisdom of the Gospel that you possess in a way that is consistent with the revelation of the Gospel that you have received.

This reality is not just a cultural alternative to the secular world we live in. As if it is enough for me to refrain from watching one kind of movie and replace it with another, to refrain from watching four hours of secular television in order to watch four hours of Christian television, or to put down the secular fiction in order to read Christian fiction. The Christian life has been reduced to a cheap alternative to the secular life. It is no longer a life that ceases to focus on oneself but rather one that tries to focus on oneself with the “right” stuff. The Christian life, as we know it, is rarely lived in stark contrast to the world. This wisdom, however, demands that we think theologically and understand life biblically not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others.

Paul’s gospel is not intending to show the Corinthians the “right” way to live the Christian life but rather that the Christian life is altogether different than the world around them. The motivation to live a crucified life cannot be communicated from the pulpit or coerced from a tract but must be compelled by the Spirit of God. This is not a “better way” to live life but the only way to live life in the shadow of a crucified Christ.