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.
Heed the instruction of The Apostle Paul, dear ones. He declares by The Spirit that to the natural man, the things of The Spirit of God are foolishness. To the person who only possesses animal life, the things of God are silly, nonsense. The gospel is foolishness. The gifts and moving of The Spirit are foolishness. Because he is void of God’s Spirit, he is unable to perceive or understand the things of God. When James writes about earthly wisdom he declares that this kind of wisdom, “descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish.” (James 3:15) Jude writes: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” (Jude 1:19)
Oh how vital it is to possess The Spirit of God! For it is only by God’s Spirit that we can know The Lord and have real communion with Him. It is possible to have a book or head knowledge of Jesus Christ in the same way that you can know about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. But you cannot know God or the things of God apart from His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11b). The move of God’s Spirit and His ways are silly to those who are sensual and earthly. “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 8:9) Selah
This verse was so true then and is so true today. So many elite intellectuals, people in the entertainment business, media, academia, scientific fields, sports, and our own families today view faith in God as foolishness and total “hogwash”. The list of examples is long but we can all cite examples.
Tragically, many of these individuals have much clout in their fields. They reach millions through universities, books, and social media (at times antisocial media). They reach our kids through secular and “educational” channels- the enemy is busy at work.
It is so important as Christians that we reach others, not only through evangelism but through example. Whether it is with family, friends, or people we meet, what comes out of our mouths, keyboards, phones, writings and actions must be reflective of Jesus, not the world. We have to tell it like it is but not by emulating today’s “nastiness”, prevalent everywhere we look and hear.
We are children of God, created and adopted by Him not because of our merit, but because of His. Let us make HIS merit shine with conviction, love for our neighbors, and ultimately for the Lord.
God bless,
JoseM