Natural to Spiritual

NATURAL TO SPIRITUAL

NB: (I use the term ‘man’ in the sense of mankind)

We must understand something. Many do not.

There is the natural man and there is the spiritual man.

The spiritual man is firstly – one who has accepted Christ Jesus into his life.

This happens when we respond to God’s message. Yes – He has left a message for man to hear or read.

This is the most important ‘message’ in the form of ‘messages’ that exist on the planet.

Stop and think it over (Selah) – how God has chosen this means.

Written words that are more than written words. Words that are ‘spirit and life’.

John 6/63: Jesus says:

…The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

And now the words He spoke, are recorded for all to see. These words must travel to all the world, down through the ages – before the end of this present age, will come.

It is the duty and privilege of every Christian to proclaim these words – often to an uninterested, bewildered or belligerent public.

Part of the multi-faceted message is the fact that all are natural beings.

And all need to become spiritual beings.

Jesus spoke to a ‘religious’ person and said: (John 3)

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

He was referring to the new birth – the natural man – born natural – must be born again and become spiritual through encountering Christ by encountering the Holy Spirit in a born again experience – available to all who will seek it 100%.

First we are natural. Then we become spiritual.

The person Jesus said these words to was religious. Yet he had no idea about this truth – that all are natural beings and need to become spiritual beings.

So like this man Nicodemus we need more than religion.

In the context of this truth – what good was his religion, when he missed the only way to become spiritual?

You see your spirit is dead because of your natural sinful fallen nature, the nature that dominates mankind, the nature you and I inhabit. The one we were born with.

So your dead or insensitive spirit needs to become ‘born again’. Rising from the prison of your sinful nature.

Coming alive to the reality of Christ and His Presence waiting to come into your spirit.

Jesus said: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

It’s all about ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – acknowledging that Jesus Christ is God who inhabited the body of a man.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – Acknowledgement of this untamed and often out of control sinful nature that is running rampant across the world expressed in all sorts of diabolical acts.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – on a deeply personal level that we too are indeed trapped by this sinful/selfish nature.

Turning to God in prayer and ACKNOWLEDGING OUR state of sinfulness and apologising for living by its dictates and ignoring Christ.

ACKNOWLEDGING that we need Him to come  into our lives permanently, and show us His divine nature within our beings.

How should we pray?

Something like this:

Lord Jesus I see clearly that I am sinful, I sin in small ways and big ways. I confess my sins to you. Please forgive me. I realise that my punishment for sin is gone if I acknowledge you took my sin and it’s punishment on the cross. Come to me today and make yourself known by the Holy Spirit coming to me. I put my faith in you. Come into my spirit and ‘cause me to be born again.

Thank you that you will. (So be it).

Emotion

EMOTION

The emotional side of life is common to all.

But it must be said that we all differ in how we express emotion, and whether we are easily ‘moved’ emotionally or not.

Some are moved at the drop of a hat – others not so much.

Some bottle things up inside and rarely show their mad – glad or sad –ness (emotion).

Some are all-out-there – gushing in their emotional delivery of whatever is going on inside.

Others – the odd hint of inner emotion of whatever kind – is shown by a gesture or a small ripple of facial expression.

We normally sum this up in the words introvert or extrovert.

There are those who rarely cry. While others never seem to stop.

You will usually find that our emotions are the result of our thoughts. Often – sort your thoughts out – and you will get your emotions back on track – if they have become melancholic, for example.

I’ve noticed that different nations, different people groups, are either demonstrative emotionally or subdued and outwardly carry stoic expressions.

There must be (often over the top) emotional content in entertainment – all loud and expressive – to please some folks.

As we get older we desire a more subdued – certainly quieter – engagement in offered communication as in likes and dislikes that come under this entertainment heading.

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The Lord Jesus wept. He wept at the death of Lazarus. Many interpreted this as an expression of His love for Lazarus.

But, in my view,  there is more involved in this show of emotion. John 11/

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

The above in bold (my highlight) – shows us that this was a deep spiritual experience He was having. Followed by the release of His divine power  and the resultant raising of Lazarus from the dead.

There could also have been an element of yet again, His incredulity, at mankind’s lack of pure faith. (?)

There seems to have been a kind of travailing here, the depth of which only God knows and only God can give.

Paul knew of this deep working – when he confessed. Galatians 4:

19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you…

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There is, we could say, natural emotion, and spiritual emotion.

Emotion that is the result of associating with e.g. another’s expression of emotion where we empathise.

A poem, a piece of art, a drama, an event, all these can stir an emotional response. This is natural emotion.

Then there is emotion that is the result of the work of The Holy Spirit within the human spirit.

This is spiritual emotion.

Whether The Holy Spirit is in/on or isn’t – regarding some outward happening(s), can only be determined by God-given discernment within the believer.

As for example in church gatherings and their expression of worship.

Some are quick to put down what they have determined is hype when it comes to Christian gatherings. “It’s all hype…” they are heard to say.

This can be true. However sometimes The Holy Spirit is moving – and the result is deeply emotional, which some, observing in others, can’t handle, and reach for the ‘hype’ expression.

They too-quickly jump to conclusions and enter into a dangerous place in mis-judging the work of The Holy Spirit as being something else. (cpr. Matthew 12/31)

Maybe they are the stoic ones, mentioned before?

Stay neutral if you are not sure if an outward manifestation is of God or not – is my advice. Stay neutral until you know that you know that you know…

Know also that when God moves – the flesh can’t handle it. And immaturity will sometimes respond inappropriately, just as a child would to given situations. When trying to spiritually discern, don’t therefore, through the baby out with the bath water. James 1/

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath…

Jesus was often moved with compassion.

This is/was spiritual emotion, but it was always accompanied by action – in providing/meeting the people’s needs, through the release of His virtuous power.

He will provide our need: Philippines 4/

9 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The many ways God ministers to us, and the wonderful forgiveness He gives us, plus the other blessed workings of God in our hearts – you can be sure – will produce in us the divine (or divinely given) spiritual emotion of which I speak.

Emotion that is in response to His wonderful Grace.

To God be the glory.