-September 28, 2021-
Good morning, happy Tuesday,
“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.”
(1 Corinthians 2:14).
Those who are unsaved are called the natural man. They are born from Adam, and are still in their sins. They are guided by their carnal desires, and are under bondage of sin, self, the world, and the devil. They see things totally opposite from a believer in Christ.
It is important for us as believers to understand where the unsaved are coming from. Because they don’t have the Holy Spirit, they can’t understand or appreciate the things of the Lord. Paul wrote, “But the natural man does to receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
We may ask if this is true, how then is possible for a person to get saved? The answer is by the Spirit of God. It is a miracle for anyone unregenerated soul to be born again. The Holy Spirit convicts a person of their sins, shows them their need of Christ, and brings them to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Seldom is a person saved after hearing the gospel for the first time. It often takes time, sometimes years. Therefore we need to pray for them, love them, and not force them. It is an individual decision.
Not only do the unsaved not understand the gospel, they can’t understand it. In fact, it is foolishness to them. It makes no sense to the natural mind. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
We should always remember how we were saved, where we were at, and what the Lord did in us. We can’t expect unbelievers to think like believers or to understand Christian terms. When we share with them, we must do so by putting things in terms they can understand and trusting the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to bring them to Christ.
I like the analogy of art and how people understand it. If you don’t know or understand art, you won’t appreciate it. The same can be true of sports, politics, music, food, or any of a number of things. When something is unknown, it will be unappreciated, and where it is unknown and unappreciated, it will be unaccepted.
It is hard for to hear the language they use, see the things that they do, or understand why they “just don’t get it.” Unbelievers have to get to that place where, “the light switch comes on,” and they start to understand it and things make sense from a spiritual perspective.
Pilate didn’t understand Jesus. John 18:37-38 says, “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are you a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ‘I find no fault in Him at all.’”
Praise God that when we are saved we know the truth about God, ourselves, and eternity. It is all by God’s grace. Spiritual things make sense to us for we have the in dwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Have a blessed day understanding where the unsaved are coming from so we can deal with them with love and patience. Stay safe and healthy.
In His grace,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 