You are a spiritual man
Of the three types of man, God has only one type for you in mind
Some time ago we discussed the three types of man Paul addresses in his letter to the Corinthians: the natural, spiritual, and carnal man:
14But 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. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 31And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:14-1 Corinthians 3:1
We discussed all three and asked if you really walk like a spiritual man, or whether you are just like everyone else around you. Let us look this week at what it is to be a spiritual man. We need to go back a couple of verses to pick up the narrative about why the spiritual man is so important:
9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him cannot be understood by human intellect (verse 9). It is the Holy Spirit that reveals these things to us, (verse 10) and He alone knows the way we operate (verse 11). Paul then states that we have received the Spirit, which is of God, so that we may know the things that are given to us freely (verse 12). Next, he states that the Holy Spirit compares spiritual things to spiritual things, which the natural man cannot do (verse 14) because he lacks the Holy Spirit operating in his life. Paul then makes this statement:
15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
This is the focus of this week’s lesson. Look at this carefully. If you are a spiritually mature person, then you can judge others, but unless they are spiritually mature as well, they cannot judge you. The Greek word used for “judge” is anakrino (ἀνακρίνω), which means to examine or investigate. This means the spiritual man can assess the natural man (or even an immature believer) because they are empowered by the Holy Spirit, but the natural man cannot assess the spiritual man as they lack the discernment of the Holy Spirit to do so. This does not mean that you should boast about it, but you have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to discern right from wrong, firstly in yourself, then in others. Paul addresses those that live Spirit-filled lives, and includes himself, as having the mind of Christ.
What is the mind of Christ? While on the Earth, Jesus had only one mindset – to get people to glorify God the Father in everything that they did. He set the example by doing the same. If we have the mind of Christ, then we think and operate the way He did. If your focus is on doing the right thing because the Word of God commands it, you are living a Spirit-filled life and you are a spiritual man. In this, you stand out and nobody else can judge you.
A person becomes Spirit-filled at the process of rebirth:
17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
This means the natural man has given way to the spiritual man and he has become new. However, there is an amount of spiritual growth that must take place before the new creature becomes what God has always destined him to be. Yet, the new believer can now pray and display faith, which are not possible without the leading of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual growth is a life-long process. In the case of the Corinthians, Paul laments that they did not grow spiritually as he had hoped. They were no longer natural (unregenerated) people but had not yet advanced to a level of spiritual maturity and were caught up in the worldly traits as shown in verse three – envying, strife, and divisions.
Spiritual man, you are blessed! You carry God’s Spirit in you. He has already given you the areas where the Spirit in you will bear fruit – Galatians 5:22. Live out all nine of them, wherever and whenever the situation requires it, and best of all, even if the situation does not require it. Paul states that when we belong to Christ, we have crucified the flesh with its desires. You, spiritual man, must walk in the Spirit:
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16
Every day of our lives we are tempted to veer off the path God has chosen for us. If we continue to walk in the Spirit, and live by God’s Word, we will not fall prey to the traps the devil sets for us. Paul makes it clear that if we belong to Christ, then we have crucified the flesh and its desires:
24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. – Galatians 5:24-25
Conclusion
Th question is whether you are truly born again by the Spirit and thus belong to Christ. There are many people right now who claim that they are Christians, for all the wrong reasons. You can belong to a church – that does not mean you belong to Jesus. You can “do the right things” – that does not make you a Christian. In fact, “doing the right things” merely points out that you still belong to the law of works, not to Jesus. Being a Christian is not about what we do, but how we live. If we live according to the invitation given by God through His Son and accept that as the path for our lives, then we are truly a spiritual man.
9But 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
We either have the Spirit of Christ, belong to Him, and live the way He directs us through His Word, or we do not belong to Him at all. It is that simple. You are a spiritual man.