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
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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