The natural mind vs. the Spiritual mind

[Stewardofthemystery]

We are told in scripture, that which is first is not spiritual, but is natural. We are also told, the first man is of the earth and is earthly. And this first man speaks of the earth, only knowing what he knows naturally.
 

This also speaks to the carnal mind verses the spiritual mind, and the spirit that is in the world verses the Spirit of God. Just as it is written, man knows the things of man by the spirit of man that is in him. Even so the things of God no man knows, but the Spirit of God.

So in order to know and understand the spiritual things of God, we need to have the Spirit of God working in us, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in God’s written words.

We are told the natural man receives not the the things of the Spirit of God, and neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

So those who are of the world, and those who are of the spirit of this world, will not receive the spiritual things of God because they are yet carnally minded. It is written, to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is Life and peace.

So the spirit that is in the world works death in them, but the Holy Spirit works Life in us. Just as it is written, greater is He who is in you, than he that is in the world.

The natural man only knows what he can see, hear, and feel in the natural world, and often judges by outward appearances. But the invisible spiritual things of God he cannot see, nor can he understand, neither will he believe them being blinded by the spirit that is in him.

Like worldly men of science, who the world holds in high regard as wise men; these are really nothing more than fools in God’s eyes, because they do not believe in the invisible God. 

A good example of how the natural man sees things, and how God sees things is shown in the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus.

When Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God, Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Nicodemus knew nothing of a spiritual birth from above, he only knew of natural child birth. It is much the same with those who are of the spirit of this world, they only know what they know naturally.

So this carnal mindset is not limited to the secular world, as many who claim to be born again Christians are still under this carnal condition, being yet in the flesh and unable to receive the spiritual things of God.

These carnal Christians have often been taught by other carnally minded men, therefore having been taught by the wisdom of this world, and not by the Wisdom that only comes from God; they also remain brutish in their understanding into the spiritual things of God. 

God made foolish the wisdom of this world. In order to understand the many mysteries found in God’s written words, you need to receive the Wisdom that only comes from God.

And this Wisdom is not achieved by going to schools and Universities, or Bible college, or church services, or watching videos. This Wisdom cannot be taught by carnally minded men, neither can it be learned by carnally minded men.

This Wisdom is a gift from God given to His elect saints who believe in His Word Jesus Christ and are born again of His Spirit. It is only by the Spirit of God that a man can receive understanding into the deep spiritual things of God. 

If any man lacks Wisdom let him ask of God in faith. Peace and God bless

[Anne2]

2 hours ago, Stewardofthemystery said:

We are told in scripture, that which is first is not spiritual, but is natural. We are also told, the first man is of the earth and is earthly. And this first man speaks of the earth, only knowing what he knows naturally.
 

This also speaks to the carnal mind verses the spiritual mind, and the spirit that is in the world verses the Spirit of God. Just as it is written, man knows the things of man by the spirit of man that is in him. Even so the things of God no man knows, but the Spirit of God.

So in order to know and understand the spiritual things of God, we need to have the Spirit of God working in us, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in God’s written words.

We are told the natural man receives not the the things of the Spirit of God, and neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

So those who are of the world, and those who are of the spirit of this world, will not receive the spiritual things of God because they are yet carnally minded. It is written, to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is Life and peace.

So the spirit that is in the world works death in them, but the Holy Spirit works Life in us. Just as it is written, greater is He who is in you, than he that is in the world.

The natural man only knows what he can see, hear, and feel in the natural world, and often judges by outward appearances. But the invisible spiritual things of God he cannot see, nor can he understand, neither will he believe them being blinded by the spirit that is in him.

Like worldly men of science, who the world holds in high regard as wise men; these are really nothing more than fools in God’s eyes, because they do not believe in the invisible God. 

A good example of how the natural man sees things, and how God sees things is shown in the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus.

When Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God, Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Nicodemus knew nothing of a spiritual birth from above, he only knew of natural child birth. It is much the same with those who are of the spirit of this world, they only know what they know naturally.

So this carnal mindset is not limited to the secular world, as many who claim to be born again Christians are still under this carnal condition, being yet in the flesh and unable to receive the spiritual things of God.

These carnal Christians have often been taught by other carnally minded men, therefore having been taught by the wisdom of this world, and not by the Wisdom that only comes from God; they also remain brutish in their understanding into the spiritual things of God. 

God made foolish the wisdom of this world. In order to understand the many mysteries found in God’s written words, you need to receive the Wisdom that only comes from God.

And this Wisdom is not achieved by going to schools and Universities, or Bible college, or church services, or watching videos. This Wisdom cannot be taught by carnally minded men, neither can it be learned by carnally minded men.

This Wisdom is a gift from God given to His elect saints who believe in His Word Jesus Christ and are born again of His Spirit. It is only by the Spirit of God that a man can receive understanding into the deep spiritual things of God. 

If any man lacks Wisdom let him ask of God in faith. Peace and God bless

Joh 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Natural man IMO, can know certain things. Which also have spiritual  application.

As shadows and patterns. Which Israel as a light to the nations had. 

Worldly, 

Heb 9;1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
These earthly worldly things were known and seen. If you cannot believe what is said concerning those things, Holy, ministration of cleansing, purging, how can you believe the reality of their spiritual application in Christ? Men are without EXCUSE. They believe neither. It is God Which gives us faith, to believe in either case, new or old. 

Significations, figures of spiritual things in Christ Jesus

7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
 

[Stewardofthemystery]

Many in Israel then, (as it is today with many of the Gentiles) were unable to perceive or understand the spiritual things of God because God had not given them a heart to perceive, or eyes to see, and ears to hear what the Spirit was signifying in the types and shadows.

 

Deuteronomy 29

 

King James Version

 

 

29 These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

² And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;

³ The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:

⁴ Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.”

[Anne2]

34 minutes ago, Stewardofthemystery said:

Many in Israel then, (as it is today with many of the Gentiles) were unable to perceive or understand the spiritual things of God because God had not given them a heart to perceive, or eyes to see, and ears to hear what the Spirit was signifying in the types and shadows.

 

Deuteronomy 29

 

King James Version

 

 

29 These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

² And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;

³ The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:

⁴ Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.”

Yes, that is why they reject the Gospel. Which is the spiritual reality, of the worldly things. God gives us faith for that.

Mt 9:21  For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22  But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Mt 14;35  And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36  And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

The hem of his garment did not make her whole...

Do you suppose the same was true of sacrifices for sin brought to the temple?

Edited June 12, 2023 by Anne2

[farouk]

2 hours ago, Anne2 said:

Yes, that is why they reject the Gospel. Which is the spiritual reality, of the worldly things. God gives us faith for that.

Mt 9:21  For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22  But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Mt 14;35  And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36  And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

The hem of his garment did not make her whole...

Do you suppose the same was true of sacrifices for sin brought to the temple?

@Anne2 It was trust, symbolized by her touching the hem of the Lord Jesus' garment.

[Anne2]

6 minutes ago, farouk said:

@Anne2 It was trust, symbolized by her touching the hem of the Lord Jesus' garment.

Do you think it was the same thing with the temple offerings/ministrations under the law?

Edited June 13, 2023 by Anne2

[farouk]

1 minute ago, Anne2 said:

Do you think it was the same thing with the temple offering under the law?

@Anne2 Well, her knowledge of the Lord Jesus presumably superseded what happened under the OT temple arrangements.....(if this makes sense?)

[farouk]

3 hours ago, Stewardofthemystery said:

Many in Israel then, (as it is today with many of the Gentiles) were unable to perceive or understand the spiritual things of God because God had not given them a heart to perceive, or eyes to see, and ears to hear what the Spirit was signifying in the types and shadows.

 

Deuteronomy 29

 

King James Version

 

 

29 These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

² And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;

³ The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:

⁴ Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.”

Ephesians 1 indeed speaks of 'spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus'.

It's hard to want to go back under the OT, when the NT privileges in Christ are truly understood.....

[Anne2]

11 minutes ago, farouk said:

@Anne2 Well, her knowledge of the Lord Jesus presumably superseded what happened under the OT temple arrangements.....(if this makes sense?)

Well, the reason I ask is because of the book of Hebrews. Those sacrifices could never take away sin. And we see the faithful listed as examples clear from Able on in an unbroken chain. and this which I quoted earlier.

Joh 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
God told the Isrealites to bring their sacrifes for the forgiveness of their sin, they were for cleansings and so forth. The priest announced them clean etc. Was it their faith in what God told them?

Edited June 13, 2023 by Anne2

[farouk]

1 minute ago, Anne2 said:

Well, the reason I ask is because of the book of Hebrews. Those sacrifices could never take away sin. And we see the faithful listed as examples clear from Able on in an unbroken chain. and this which I quoted earlier.

Joh 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
God told the Isrealites to bring their sacrifes for the forgiveness of their sin, they were for cleansings and so forth. The priest announced them clean etc. Was it their fath in what god told them?

@Anne2 It all hinges anyway on the one, finished sacrifice in Hebrews 9 and 10; the sins of the Old Testament saints were never permanently put away until the finished sacrifice of the Cross had occurred; but God had established something provisional until the fulness of revelation in the Person and Work of Christ had been revealed.