The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him… (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Here truly will be found such as are sinners manifest to all;
here heathens who are often referred to by the "civilized" (?) as "sitting in
darkness" (what a false comparison!), but here also are included the most
enlightened by the light of civilization as such. Here are some of the greatest
brains the world has known. Here are multitudes of the most scholarly and
learned. Here are even many whose researches have led them far into the realms
of theology and theosophy. Yes, they include many who have held place in
ministry and office in what is called "The Church." Many of these live lives
which from man's point of view are morally almost flawless. And yet, and yet,
with all they do not know in that realm and in that vital way which is "life,"
eternal life, because Divine and not human life. Look again! What is their
description? "The natural man receiveth not... neither can he know the
things of the Spirit of God."
It should be well known by now that that word "natural" in
the Greek is psychical. Perhaps the faulty translation is not altogether
unfortunate for the natural man is the psychical man, and the psychical man is
the natural man. He is a different species — so to speak — from the spiritual
man. As the word implies the psychical man is entirely governed and bound by
reason, feeling, volition, within a world of sense. But the things of the Spirit
of God are not in that realm in the first instance. True, spiritual forces can
and do register themselves upon psychical apparatus, but the psychical apparatus
does not know them (hence the delusion and deception of spiritism), and
this is true to the absolute in the matter of the things of God. Not only the
delusion of spiritism has its ground in the psychical as a registering
apparatus, but the entire counterfeit of the truly spiritual or divinely
spiritual is in this realm. Evangelism, "Apostolic" teaching and practice (?),
"Pentecostal" experience (?), prayer force, and even exorcism can all be
merely psychical. Signs, sensations, impacts, can be psychically produced by the
use of the most orthodox New Testament language and doctrine, even the Name and
the Blood of Jesus may be employed in terms and language. There is only one sure
safeguard against the colossal delusion by which multitudes will be
carried away in the latter days, and that is a clear apprehension of the
teaching of the Holy Spirit concerning soul and spirit and the continual
operation of the Cross in the realm of the "natural" man. No, the
natural man CANNOT! He may be full of religious knowledge, emotions or
feelings, and activities, but if the Bible thunders more than speaks on any
matter, it is this: that such can be the most mistaken and deceived. The highest
reach of genius comes far short of the lowest degree of Divine inspiration and
revelation.