News and Updates
August 1, 2020
David Copeland · August 1, 2020
Newsletter · Volume: 20 Issue: 8
In understanding how to be led by the Spirit we must also understand there are three types of believers in the church. Paul describes this in 1 Corinthians 2 & 3…
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
He goes on to say in Chapter 3…
3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
First there are the natural men (natural man).
A natural man is one who is not born again. They may come to church often. They may even volunteer for service in the church. They even support the church financially. But they can’t understand spiritual reasoning, forgiveness, agape love, giving or faith. It is all like speaking in an unknown tongue to them. Paul was clear when he said the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because it’s all foolishness to him. So, this natural man is one who is unsaved, one that does not know God and the freedom from the slavery of sin. Until he/she is born again, they will never be in a position to renew their minds to escape the cycle of unbelief because unbelief is directly connected to a natural mind.
The second group of people Paul describes are the carnal people. Someone who is carnal is one that is controlled by and governed by mere human nature. They are born of the Spirit, but they are baby Christians. They have a very low maturity level. There are still some things they are overcoming. They haven’t completely learned to crucify the flesh man and all his voices and appetites.
This is illustrated when he tells them how he knows they are carnal. Look again at vs 3
For ye are as yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying & strife, and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men?
Then he goes on to tell them “some of you say, I follow Paul, another says, I follow Apollos, another one says I follow Peter! It would be like us saying, “I am a Baptist, or I am a Methodist, or, I am Pentecostal or Charismatic.”
When the first words out of our mouths are where we go to church, who are pastor is or what our church or what our pastor believes, we are showing that we have not grown much in maturity with Jesus. We are still operating as a carnal man. Sure, if we die, we will go to heaven because you will go to heaven by knowing Jesus as your personal savior. Your carnality or maturity level shows through by who you quote more: your pastor, your church belief system, or the Word of God.
The third group of people Paul mentions are the spiritual people. You are not being spiritual by showing how many verses you have memorized, or how many times you have been to church in the last six months. A spiritual person as Paul uses the word here in 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 according to Thayer Concordance is “one who is led by and governed by The Spirit of God.”
Think about that. One who is led by AND governed by the Spirit of God. Learning to be led by the Spirit can be easy; it’s being given governed by the Spirit, now that can be challenging. And if we are not allowing Holy Spirit to govern our lives, then all our revelation is simply “a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.”
I look back over my life and can see where God was trying to teach me how to hear the voice of God & live by being led by the Spirit, but I allowed religious people to talk me out of many things God was trying to teach me. Now I am having to catch back up to where I should be. But I AM determined to catch up in Jesus name!!