“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NASB1995)
Who is “a natural man”? They are all humans who are still living according to their human flesh, in accord with their fleshly desires, who have not, by faith in Jesus Christ, been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as servants of God and of his righteousness. They are still the “gods” over their own lives, still doing what their natural instincts desire, without regard for God and for his commands, even if they give lip service to the Lord.
And, again, I will point out that this includes many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips but who do not honor him by how they live. For many give lip service only to God, convinced that all their sins are forgiven, and that heaven awaits them when they die, but while they still live for the sinful pleasures of the flesh, in practice, and not to honor God in obedience to his commands in holy living. For, in truth, they do not accept the things which are truly of God, for their faith and trust are still in human flesh.
So, what are the things of God which are foolishness to them? Mainly, I believe, it is the gospel of our salvation taught by Jesus Christ and by his New Testament apostles, as taught in their original biblical context. For it appears that the majority of those calling themselves “Christians,” at least here in the USA where I live, have largely adopted an altered and cheapened form of the gospel of Christ in order to appease human flesh and to make no requirements for us to die to sin and to obey our Lord in daily practice.
But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And, God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
Yet these truths are largely being rejected in today’s American church culture which is being led by human flesh, and not by Jesus Christ. For so much of what is called “church” is not the biblical body of believers in Christ at all, but they are businesses created in the minds of humans which are being marketed to the ungodly of the world who they want to attract to their gatherings. And so they have changed the meaning of “church” and of “the gospel” in order to appease human flesh and to attract the world.
However, if our faith in Jesus Christ is biblical faith, we should be those who have, by the grace of God, denied self, died with Christ to sin, and been raised with Christ to walk now in obedience to his commands in holy living. For we should now have the Spirit of God living within us leading us in the ways of righteousness and holiness. And because we are now in Christ, by faith in him, we have the mind of Christ living within us, too, showing us the way that we should go. And so we want to obey our Lord, to do his will.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18]
Willing
An Original Work / August 17, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
I am willing to obey You;
Have Your Spirit live within me;
Know Your power; be Your witness
To a world who needs You greatly.
Love within me spread to all men,
So that they might come to know Him;
Know His power; His forgiveness;
Be transformed into His likeness.
Holy Spirit, come in power,
Change our hearts within this hour.
May we be like Jesus always;
Be a light that shines in darkness.
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The Natural vs The Spiritual
An Original Work / February 2, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
