Sunday, August 6, 2023

Weekly Message: the Spiritual man makes judgments about all things By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly Message:  the Spiritual man makes judgments about all things?

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries; Biblical precepts & Gospel music;

Pastoral ministry & counseling  

 

Scriptures reading 1Cor.2:4-16

         My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power. (1 Cor.2:4). No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1Cor.2:9-10) No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1Cor.2:11-12) This what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 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. (1Cor.2:13-14) The Spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1Cor.15-16)

          Apostle Paul pointed out the man without the spirit of God, as an unsaved man cannot understand Spiritual things, the spiritual man, the mature Christian who is led and taught by the Spirit, makes judgments about all things. He can scrutinize, examine, inspect carefully, sift, and thereby understand all things; but unbelievers and even carnally –minded Christians cannot appraise (understand) him.

Jesus’ Sermon and the statements seem wonderfully simple and unstartling, and they sink unobserved into our unconscious minds. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven….Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God…Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God…” (Matthew5:11) We do not need to be born again to apply the Sermon on the Mount literally. The literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is child’s play; the interpretation by the Spirit of God as he applies our Lord’s statements to our circumstances is the stern, and strict work of a saint. 

The teaching of Jesus is out of all proportion to our natural way of looking at things and it comes with astonishing discomfort to begin with. We have slowly to form our walk and conversation on the line of the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations: it is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us.

Apostle Peter with all disciples received and were filled the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost. Apostle Paul received the Spirit of Christ when Jesus unveiled Himself to him, and spoke to him in the power of Spirit. Apostle Paul received the highest vision and understood Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount requires the Spirit of God’s interpretation. If we apply Sermon of Jesus on the Mount literally, without Spirit of God, it just like a child read literal interpretation and does not need to be born again. Jesus indicated that a man needs to be born again spiritually, not physically in order to understand and discern Spiritual things.

          Apostle Paul’s letter to Corinthians emphasized that “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.” (1 Cor.2:4).  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1Cor.2:9-10) No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1Cor.2:11-12) This what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 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. (1Cor.2:13-14) The Spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1Cor.15-16)

Apostle Paul again expressed the contrast between a life dominated by the flesh and one controlled by the Holy Spirit. Those who belong to Christ have the Holy Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans8:4-6). And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet, your spirit alive because of righteousness. (Romans8:9-10) Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.(Rom.8:14)  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear. But you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry “Abba, Father.” the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Then, we are heirs –heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. (Romans8:15-17).

My friends, do you receive the Holy Spirit? Do you have Spirit of God in you? Do you fill with Spirit of Christ? Do not believe every spirit, but exam the spirit whether it comes from Christ Jesus our Lord God?  Apostle John said, “Who is the liar? The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ such a man is the antichrist; he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1John2:22-23).

As Christians we need to declare every day that we received the Spirit of sonship, and by him we cry “Abba, Father.” The Spirit of himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. And set our mind in Spirit for the life and peace result from setting our mind on the Spirit. When our mind is set on the spirit, our outward actions are in agreement with our inner man and there is no discrepancy between us and God. He and we are at peace, not at enmity. The result is that we feel peaceful within. The Sermon and statements of Jesus on Mount, it is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us. It’s only the Spiritual man understand it, live for it and makes judgments about all things. 

 

Bibliography,

Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1985.                   

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His highest. N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

 Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

 

 

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