Spirit of Man—The Natural Man

Spirit of Man—The Natural Man 1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The natural’s man relationship is with the world, sin and satan. His chief motivating force is “I.” All of his existence is centered on himself. He is the result of Adam’s fall and therefore, has all of Adam’s fallen nature. He is alienated from the presence of God and until his soul is awakened to his lost condition, he has no desire to be reinstated with his Maker The Greek word PSUCHIKOS, used is 1 Cornithians 2:14, means sensual. This best describes the natural man. He lives under the control of his bodily or fleshly appetites. The order of his total man is first body, then soul, then spirit. This is exactly the reverse sequence of what God intended. The natural man has no spiritual values. Spiritually he walks in utter darkness. He cannot know God, for God is Light. When this man reads the Bible with his natural eyes, he receives only natural knowledge. The deep things of the Scriptures are hid from him, for his spirit is dead and only through the spirit, can a man really come into a knowledge of God. The natural man has no knowledge of God. He is, in fact, an enemy of God and has no love for Him. He will not worship God because he lacks fear and faith in the Supreme Ruler. He refuses to receive God’s truth or obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James lists the characteristics of the natural man and this man's wisdom. When Jesus accussed the Jews of His day of being liars, He said they were of their father, the devil. Verse 16 of James summarizes the natural man's wisdom in resulting in confusion and every evil work. Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Paul here contrasts the natural man (here called flesh) and the spiritual man. He says among many other things, that the flesh is carnally minded , at enemity with God and completely dominated by the sin principle. Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Galatians 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Galatians 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Note: In verse 21 pay close attention, as it says they which do such things will not enter the kingdom of God. Romans 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Romans 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Romans 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: Romans 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? This sums up the plight of the natural man as a wretched man in a body of death, one in definite need of Deliverance. To summarize: we return to our original thoughts that the natural man is one whose spirit is dead to God and his soul has taken the place of the spirit in his body as supreme ruler of the total man’s earthly and Eternal destiny. Now lets us take a close look at the spiritual man. 1 Corinthians 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. As the spirit of man is the antithesis of the body, so the spiritual man is antithesis of the natural man. The spiritual man is living under the subjection of the human spirit controlled by the Holy Spirit. In this man’s life the spirit is first, then the soul and last the body. This is the perfect sequence. God intended in His eternal plan for man. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Adam was orginally created a perfect spiritual being. He enjoyed direct communication with God and had a perfect standing before Him. Spirit, soul and body were completely pure. We all know of the test God gave Adam. Hoe he had the choice of obeying God or disobeying God’s command. Adam failed and his sin not only drove him from the garden, but reduced his posterity to the state and fate of the natural man, eternally separated from God. If he had not partaken of the forbidden fruit, there is no telling what heights, width, and depths this first spiritual man could have attained. The spiritual man could only have received Christ as His Saviour, but he also made Him the Sole Master of his life. Christ Jesus is his all in all. In opposition to the natural man where “I” or "self” is the chief motivation factor, the spiritual man’s only motivation is Jesus Christ. In world colloquialism: he sleeps, eats, drinks, breathes and talks Jesus Christ. Everything he does for Christ is out of a spirit of love. He detests the world, sin and the devil. In fact, he reckons himself dead to these. James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Here we discover the wisdom of the natural man; as we read on, here we also find the characteristics of spiritual wisdom. James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. The spiritual life is one of purity, chasity, holiness and cleanliness. This man is peaceable, gentle. meek. modest, and kind. He is spiritually cooperative and full of mercy. He is not hypocritical: but is open, honest, genuine, and true. He is the branch on the Vine, Jesus Christ that is producing fruit and needs not be cut off. Everything the Spiritual man does, whether speaking, making decisions or just plain everyday living, he does only after first seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The spiritual man is then characterized by right relationship with God. He is Christ centered and all his motivations are for the lifting up of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Where are you in your walk with God? Agape Zelma