November 2

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. But he that is Spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. - 1 Corinthians 2:14-15.

THERE is a vast difference between the Christian and a “natural man.” By a natural man the Apostle means a man under the influence of principles and affections which are altogether natural to him. By a “Spiritual man” he means an individual who is renewed in the Spirit of his mind by the operation of the Holy Spirit, by whom he has been made a partaker of the divine nature.

According to the promise, “A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them;” and therefore we find it stated of Christians that they are “born of the Spirit,” and “live in the Spirit,” and are being “led by the Spirit,” and being “filled with the Spirit.” It is from these circumstances they derive their new and distinguishing characteristics as being Spiritual, and possessed of Spiritual discernment.

The natural man, being altogether under the predominating influence of natural principles and passions, is altogether ignorant of Spiritual things, and with whom there is an absolute inability to judge respecting them. They cannot possibly know what a Christian is, either as to his principles, his conduct, or his resources. Here is the difference between a Christian and a natural man. The Christian knows the natural man, but the natural man does not know the Christian. The natural man has never been in the Spiritual man’s condition; but the Christian has been in that of the natural man. The natural man does not know what the service of God is; but the spiritual man knows what the service of the world is, and he knows it is not pleasantness nor peace, that it is not liberty but bondage: he knows that there is no peace to the wicked. The natural man thinks it strange that Christians do not run with them into the same excesses, that they should turn their backs upon scenes of dissipation and worldly pleasure; that they are tranquil under losses, and are comforted under tribulation. They see their burdens and their afflictions; but they do not see the everlasting arms beneath them, nor do they understand how they have access to the throne of the heavenly grace, or the enjoyments and comforts they receive from the Holy Ghost. They see not the principles by which the Christian is influenced, either in reference to their conduct in suffering or serving. And then this non-discernment of Christians by natural men is often aided by their external circumstances.

“The king’s daughter is all glorious within,” but not without; that is, in the estimation of natural men. Had we seen the tabernacle in the wilderness, we should have seen a common tent covered with badgers’ skins dyed red; but if we had entered in, there was Deity upon the mercy-seat, between the cherubims. It is the same with Christians. The life of the Christian is hid, and it is hid not only in his principles, in his resources, in his experience, but it is hid in the obscurity of his condition, in his penury, in the reproach thrown upon him. The principle by which some men judge of others is external circumstances, worldly power, authority, rank; but if a Christian is to be judged by this standard, “not many wise, not many mighty are called.”