If a "natural" person (someone "without the Spirit") cannot understand the things of God as the Scripture says in the following verse, then how can he/she gain the necessary understanding?
1 Corinthians 2:14 says, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
2007-01-02 09:33:15 · 15 answers · asked by Kidd! 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In Ezek 36.26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. This is his covenant with His people.
This happens BEFORE repentance. No man can SEE the kingdom of God BEFORE he is born again.
Eph 2. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God
The gift is his grace AND the faith.
2007-01-02 09:48:18 · answer #1 · answered by ἡ ἐκλογὴ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's because the "natural" person is in a sinful state and his spiritual eyes are veiled. God, however, has always revealed himself to mankind in many ways such as nature, our conscience, and his Word which he first gave to Adam and Eve, then to Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, priests, the Jewish people, the Apostles, and believers in general. Man is able to understand the gospel, which simply says that all have sinned and come short to the glory of God and if any shall repent and accept the sacrifice that Jesus did on the cross for our sins and live an obedient life unto the Lord, he shall be saved.
There is so much more to know regarding God, spiritual things in general that the average person cannot understand or discern because they are only revealed to those who serve the Lord. God is a father and he speaks to those who are his. The invitation is to all to come to the Lord and have eternal life, but this entails a choice which many are unwilling to make since they love their sins more. God's spirit rests only on those who serve him diligently. This is how the Holy Spirit generates spiritually dead sinners to life.
That is the long and short of it.
Mr. M on "dead sinners."
2007-01-02 09:51:29 · answer #2 · answered by Humberto M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Shalom Tally,
The Holy Spirit simply is the divine awareness to be able to understand what appears to be mysteries of God to the carnal man. This is why Paul said the mysteries of God would be foolishness to the carnal man because they are spiritual disenfranchised. That is to say, that they are intoxicated with their carnal self i.e the five sense. And aren't able to comprehend anything else that operates outside of sensual things.
Everyone is dead until they become cognizant of the spirit behind things, to see the parable of God in motion. Those who say they have the Holy Spirit are in error. For they continue to have the mindset and lifestyle of the world. One can only receive they Holy Spirit(The divine awareness) when they live a consecrated life in thought, desire, word and deed. Or as Yeshua gave be in the world and not of it.
To gain the understanding of the spirit behind things you must make your mind into the good ground to prepare for heavenly things to grow. For you don't go into heaven you grow into heaven, just like the sower and the seed parable. Pick up your own cross and follow Yeshua's footsteps and you will begin to live.
Peace
Aza
2007-01-02 09:55:22 · answer #3 · answered by Aza 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord automatic receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, while a person who dosn"t will not have the Spirit of God and then not able to understand the the things of God.
2007-01-02 09:49:17 · answer #4 · answered by brother g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The filling of the Holy Spirit gives you wisdom and discernment that a mature Christian needs to walk with Christ. It is the gifts of the Spirit that give us a deeper relationship with the Father and a better understanding of what it expected of us as followers of Christ.
2007-01-02 09:43:00 · answer #5 · answered by heavnbound 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you come to the saving knowledge that Christ is our savior and receive his gift of eternal life you are new creation in the spirit. The old self is dead. Then the holy spirit resides in you and helps you to understand the things of God.
2007-01-02 09:42:07 · answer #6 · answered by B"Quotes 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was the way for me. A man without the Spirit might be holding on to his own will. It is the will of God that we must surrender too.
2007-01-02 09:43:00 · answer #7 · answered by rezany 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you are born again, you become a new creature. The book of Jeremiah says that a sinner saved by grace gets a new heart to know God. God puts it there at a sinner's conversion.
http://www.handlethetruth.net
2007-01-02 09:39:16 · answer #8 · answered by truthhandl3r 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I was one of the spiritually discerned until God got tired of nudging me and then He kicked me in the head. I finally woke up. Some people need more prompting than others.
The intercessory prayers of my Mother over the years was what finally did it.
2007-01-02 13:54:04 · answer #9 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Spirit of truth.
2007-01-02 09:39:24 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋