For They are Folly to Him

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

So what is meant here by “the natural person”? It appears to have to do with the human nature, of the sin nature. So this has to do with those who are not of the Spirit of God, who are not in genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus, who have not died to sin and who are not living to God and to his righteousness. But they are still following the course of this world, and they are still living to please the flesh, and not God. And they may well be people who profess faith in Christ, but who are still living for self.

And there are many professers of faith in Jesus Christ here in America who are still following the course of this world and who are still living to please the flesh, and not God. And even if they know the truth intellectually, they don’t accept it into their lives. They don’t embrace the truth of the gospel. For the truth doesn’t fit with their lifestyles. The truth is in opposition to their lifestyles, in fact, and so they do not accept the truth, but they embrace the lies, for the lies make no demands of them for holy living.

So, it isn’t that they don’t know right from wrong. It isn’t as though they could not be spiritually discerning if only they would surrender their lives to Jesus Christ and submit to his will and purpose for their lives. It is that they choose to reject God and his ways and to go their own way instead (see Romans 1:18-32). They choose to reject his gospel and to follow a gospel of man, instead, which gives them permission to keep living in sin while promising them heaven as their eternal destiny.

So, they have not because they receive (accept) not. For they don’t want to give up their sins and their freedom to live however they want to live. They want to keep following the course of this world. They want to feed the flesh. For the things of God are folly to them because they are contrary to the flesh nature. And God demands death to sin and living in righteousness in obedience to his commands and in the forsaking of our sinful practices. And they don’t want to let go of their sins.

But we who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are not to be like them. If the Spirit of God is truly living within us, we should be people who want to do the will of God and who no longer desire to live in bondage to sin. We should not be people who are resting in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. We should be followers of Jesus Christ who seek to do his will, and not the will of the flesh. We should be people of God who hunger and thirst for righteousness and not for what is evil.

We should be people of faith and courage and determination who follow our Lord and who obey his will no matter who or what comes against us. And even if those around us continue in sin, we should not join them, but we should stand out as different, as those whose lives are committed to God and to his holiness and righteousness and who resist the devil and flee temptation and who follow the Lord Jesus wherever he leads us in doing what he wants us to do and in saying what he gives us to say, even if no one listens.

We should be those who stand up for what is right even if those around us do not, and even if they come against us, and even if others who call themselves Christians ignore us and want nothing to do with us because we are committed to following the Lord in obedience and to doing his will and to refuting the lies of the enemy and to getting the truth of God’s word out to all who will listen and to all who will turn and who will follow Jesus with their lives. For we need Christians on fire for the Lord in these troubled times.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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