The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God
1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
God is love, He loves us, and He sent Jesus Christ to save us from ourselves and the sinful system of the world.
We as natural-born people are made in His image, but the Word of God says sin has subtly corrupted humans who apart from Christ are spiritually cut off from Him. Until a person truly comes to Jesus and receives His life, His indwelling Holy Spirit, they are functioning from the basis of who they are in their independent minds.
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
In 1 Corinthians 2 is probably the clearest exposition of the understanding that God stands to reveal His truth by His Spirit to the new, made-alive spirits (Eph. 2) of those in Christ to keep us on this “narrow way.” He makes known to the yielded sheep the truths of God, and it is abundantly clear true knowledge goes far deeper than an intellectual comprehension.
This statement should be self evident, for while God does not contradict Himself imparting mutually opposing viewpoints to His children, do we not have thousands of disagreements in the world of Christians? And among the broad population of all humanity, there is only a measured peace, a surface harmony if that, held under law, but people may look at the same set of facts and come to fundamentally different conclusions on any topic under the sun.
Why is this? We can point to the fact different people have differing levels of intelligence, knowledge, critical thinking ability, experience, fair-mindedness, integrity, honesty of heart, etc. The Bible cuts to the root and says we are born sinners, and are as lost sheep until we come to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
1 Peter 2:21-25 – 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Think of a sheep. What is it? It is a vulnerable being. It is not a lion or a wolf. It is dependent. It must be protected, led and fed. It does not make its way in the world autonomously, and is not called to hold to such notions as the world teaches are desirable.
To such people who have discovered this, and who seek first God’s kingdom, desire relationship with Him, He calls to calm and quiet their souls – their earthly mind, will, and emotions (Ps. 131).
So, coming back to 1 Corinthians and rightly knowing the truth and all things:
1 Corinthians 2:9-16
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is given on condition. God requires us to hold to a good-faith relationship and indeed He initiated it by giving His best º His Son, and the New Covenant – and needs us to respond in kind.
Acts 5:32 – And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
The “mind of Christ” is having God’s own Spirit in us guiding us, steering us, enabling us to see in His light. Apart from the Holy Spirit, people may superimpose their intellectual and subjective filters of understanding, but God is calling us to peace and unity with Himself.
It takes devotion, and spending time in prayer, emptying yourself from the cares of the world, and desire for anything more than God and to know Him.
This is true Christianity: Ceasing from our own agenda, and being about the Master’s business.
Aside from this, all bets are off. Look at the divisions, and confusion on so many matters. None of this is God’s doing, for He is one, and always advocates unity among His people.
The root of such variances is the independent, natural, fleshly mind of humans which assumes the words of the Bible are mere letters on a page they may presumptuously delve into without their heart being fully given to God in absolute surrender.
The Word of God is spiritual truths that are spiritually discerned as it says in 1 Cor. 2, and this ought to cause reverence, and holy fear. God also is free to impart understandings of His will, and these harmonize with the spirit of the Word.
Almighty God does communicate, and He may be known, but we by faith must align ourselves fully with Him. This is the meaning of “Jesus is Lord.”
1 Cor 15:20-28 – But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
God’s end goal is that He be “all in all.” If we are aligned with the head and not “vainly puffed up” in our “fleshly minds” we will seek this reality now to the degree that His grace allows.
Col 2:18,19 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
To you who are wise, hold fast to the Head!
Lord bless you!
