Natural People and Spiritual People
Today’s scripture consists of two
parts and contrasts two different pairs of people. In part one, natural people versus spiritual people (2:6-16), and in part
two, spiritual Christians versus worldly Christians (3:1-23). We will
explore them one by one.
So first, natural people and spiritual people. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul says, “Those who are unspiritual (cf. “natural” – KJV, ESV, NASB) do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (NRSV). Then, what is a “natural” person? The word for “natural” is used only one other time in the New Testament, namely, in Jude 19, which says, “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (NASB). From the context, natural people are defined here as people who do not have God’s Spirit, namely, non-Christians. Natural people are simply ordinary people whose hearts and minds are not renewed by the Holy Spirit. Then, what is a “spiritual” person that Paul refers to in verse 15? “Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.” Spiritual people are the ones whose minds and hearts are renewed by the Spirit, namely, Christians.
Receiving the Gifts of God’s Spirit
Paul says, “Natural people do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them” (v. 14). What are “the gifts of God’s Spirit” here? “The gifts of God’s Spirit” refers to the heart of the Christian message – “the message of the cross”: we are so sinful, so helpless, so lost that Christ had to be crucified to save us. This message of the cross is an insult to natural people and their pride, and simply foolishness to them. Think about the time when you heard the gospel for the first time. Was it easily acceptable? Or were you offended? How were you? Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16). The word translated “ashamed” also means “offended.” When we take the gospel seriously to heart, it offends our natural human pride. How is the gospel offensive? Regarding this important question, Tim Keller rightly answers in four different ways:[1]
1. The gospel is insulting to moral and religious people who think their decency gives them an advantage over less moral people, because it tells us that our salvation is free and undeserved. It tells us that we are all such spiritual failures that the only way to gain salvation is for it to be a complete gift.
2. The gospel offends the modern cult of self-expression and the popular belief in the innate goodness of humanity, because it tells us that Jesus died for us. It tells us that we are so wicked that only the death of the Son of God could save us.
3. The gospel offends the modern notion that any nice person anywhere can find God “in his own way,” because it tells us that trying to be good and spiritual isn’t enough, thereby insists that no “good” person will be saved, but only those who come to God through Jesus.
4. The gospel offends people who want salvation to be an easy life; it also offends people who want their lives to be safe and comfortable, because it tells us that our salvation was accomplished by Jesus’ suffering and serving, and that following him means to suffer and serve with him.
If you are among those who believe in the message of the cross and who see God’s beauty, God’s glory, God’s wisdom in the cross of Christ, today’s scripture is given to encourage you to even more rely on Christ, savor him, love him and be thankful for the gift of salvation. But if you are still among those who do not embrace the cross as God’s wisdom and who do not accept the gifts of God’s Spirit, today’s scripture is an urgent invitation for you. Consider this morning what a hopeless condition you are in without Christ. Forsake pride. Look to Jesus, believe in the message of the cross, and be saved.
Spiritual Christians and Worldly Christians
If part one is about
Christians and non-Christians, part two is about spiritual (mature) Christians and worldly (infant) Christians. In 1 Corinthians 3:1 Paul says, “And
so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” When we believe in
the message of the cross, we are born anew – our hearts and minds are renewed
by the Holy Spirit. We become Christians. We have the Spirit living in us.
Indeed, when Corinthians heard Paul preaching the message of the cross, they
believed. They were born anew. They had the Holy Spirit living in them. But
sadly, they did not grow. They remained as infants in the Christian life. Why?
Because they followed their fallen human nature (selfishness, pride, jealousy,
quarreling) rather than followed the Spirit’s leading. The key point here is
that all Christians have the Holy Spirit living in them. But only when they yield
themselves to the Spirit, they continue to grow
and be transformed by the Spirit.
Recently, my children watched the Walt Disney film, tilted Ratatouille. It’s a story about Remy, a young rat who is dying to become a chef, and the restaurant’s new garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini. Remy has cooking talents, and Linguini works at the restaurant. They team up with each other to achieve their goals. The two learn that Remy can guide Linguini's movements like a marionette by pulling on his hair while hiding under his toque. Together they are able to make excellent dishes. I share this because many Christians think that is how the Holy Spirit works in our lives – guiding us like a marionette by whispering in our ear what to do. But Paul says to Corinthians, “No, that is not how the Holy Spirit helps us!” Corinthians wanted to have milk, “soft food,” but not ready for solid food. They wanted to have a quick fix for their problems. But in our Christian life the Holy Spirit does not spare us the hard work of rigorous reflection and discernment. As we pray, the Holy Spirit doesn’t speak to us in an audible voice. Instead, he would make us humble enough to be formed and shaped by God’s word rather than twisting it and using it to justify our agenda. It’s a process – a process of how “solid food” is taken into our Christian life.
Spiritual Disciplines: APTAT
By God’s grace we are
saved. By God’s grace we grow. It’s all God’s grace from beginning to end. We
cannot add anything to our salvation. But in order to grow spiritually, we must
be willing. We must say “yes” to the Spirit. In that respect, it’s God’s work
and ours. Here our part is called “spiritual disciplines.” This morning I would
like to share one of the spiritual disciplines I have learned from John Piper.
It’s called A.P.T.A.T.:
A is admit you can do nothing.
P is pray for the help you need.
T is trust the promise of God to give you what you need in the
moment of crisis, or whatever else.
A is act in that faith.
T is, when you’re done, thank him.
I am going to walk through A.P.T.A.T. in relation to my preaching life. But I believe you can easily apply the same principle to your daily unique challenges (ex. Raising strong-willed children, or helping with a family member with mental illness, etc.). A.P.T.A.T. is not a mechanical formula. Rather, it is a lifestyle – all of life. The goal of the A.P.T.A.T. is to cultivate a surrendered heart and mind and will, that we may live by the Spirit and grow until we become like Christ.
Admit. The chief end of preaching is to help people to see Jesus for who he really is and to bring them to Christ. The aim of preaching is humanly impossible. They are only possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. Before I start my sermon preparation, before I step into this pulpit, I admit, “Father, I can’t do any of that.” And I embrace the word of Jesus from John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Lord, I can’t do it. That’s a starting point.
Pray. I come to Jesus and cry out to him, “Lord, help me!” Most of the time I
feel some particular burden or challenge or weakness or need at that moment. So
I pray for those specific needs and ask for help with that. I pray for
self-forgetfulness and humility. I pray for the right words. I pray for joy and
boldness. I pray for compassion. I plead, “Lord, give me your heart. Help me to
love these people. Help me care about their marriages and their parenting and
their jobs and their daily struggles and sufferings. Give me the right words.”
Trust. As I pray, I trust the promises of God to give me what I need, in
this case – preaching. One of the habits to help us trust is to draw from a
pool of promises and stick with them. So it’s very important to have in our minds
Bible verses memorized. In my case there are many times when I feel very
unworthy. I feel emotionally distracted. I feel depressed and discouraged
before I come into this pulpit. What should I do? I go to God’s promises, and
dwell in them. This past week I recited Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the
LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” I admit. I pray. I
trust.
Act. Then, I act in that
faith. I preach in the power of the Holy Spirit. When I am done, I rejoice, I
rest, I leave it up to God.
Thank. When I go down out of the pulpit, I say, “Thank you for your lifegiving
work. Thank you for giving me a heart to preach your word today. Thank you for
strengthening, helping, sustaining your people with your promises.” I thank
him.
I exhort you to join me in this very precious walk. Let us admit we can do nothing apart from Christ, come to Jesus and pray for help, trust his specific promises in our daily challenges. And let us act in that faith and thank him when we are done. “The one who calls us is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Th 5:24). Amen.
[1]
Timothy Keller, Romans 1-7 For You: For reading, for
feeding, for leading (The Good Book Company. 2014), Kindle Locations
217-227 of 2850.
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