WEBVTT 00:00:00.940 --> 00:00:03.359 It is a joy and delight to come again to the 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:07.379 congregation today and to continue our study 00:00:07.379 --> 00:00:10.880 in the book of 1 Corinthians. I hope the study 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:15.779 thus far has been of interest to you and one 00:00:15.779 --> 00:00:19.359 of edification, where that you are growing from 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:22.679 it as you are hearing the word and reading this 00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:26.179 important book, very important book in the New 00:00:26.179 --> 00:00:30.190 Testament. Today we're going to go back. and 00:00:30.190 --> 00:00:33.590 review a few things from chapter 2, and then 00:00:33.590 --> 00:00:37.289 continue in chapter 3. So our passage today is 00:00:37.289 --> 00:00:42.689 from verse 14 of chapter 2 through verse 4 of 00:00:42.689 --> 00:00:45.689 chapter 3. I'm going to speak to you about the 00:00:45.689 --> 00:00:49.609 natural man, the spiritual person, and babes 00:00:49.609 --> 00:00:53.250 in Christ. The natural man, the spiritual person, 00:00:53.289 --> 00:00:56.750 and babes in Christ. Hear the word of the Lord, 00:00:56.810 --> 00:01:01.060 for these are the words of God. But the natural 00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:03.340 man does not receive the things of the Spirit 00:01:03.340 --> 00:01:06.500 of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor 00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:08.840 can he know them, because they are spiritually 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:13.540 discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:17.480 things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:20.900 one. For who has known the mind of the Lord that 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:24.420 he may instruct him? But we have the mind of 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:29.400 Christ, and I, brethren, could not speak to you 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:35.000 as to spiritual people, but as to carnal, as 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:41.079 to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:44.900 with solid food, for until now you were not able 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:49.519 to receive it, and even now you are still not 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:54.189 able, for you are still carnal. For where there 00:01:54.189 --> 00:01:58.609 are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are 00:01:58.609 --> 00:02:03.049 you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For 00:02:03.049 --> 00:02:07.390 when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am 00:02:07.390 --> 00:02:13.430 of Apollos, are you not carnal? Let's pray and 00:02:13.430 --> 00:02:16.449 ask God's blessing on this time. Father, we come 00:02:16.449 --> 00:02:19.050 to you today and we look to you, Father, for 00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:22.689 your grace and strength. As we seek to understand 00:02:22.689 --> 00:02:26.050 this word, I pray, Father, that you would open 00:02:26.050 --> 00:02:28.990 it up to us, Lord. We might see that we might 00:02:28.990 --> 00:02:31.710 profit from it. Please grant the Holy Spirit 00:02:31.710 --> 00:02:34.969 and illuminate this passage for us today so that 00:02:34.969 --> 00:02:38.270 we can take heed and be obedient to you. I pray, 00:02:38.330 --> 00:02:43.770 Lord, that we could grow, grow to a spiritual 00:02:43.770 --> 00:02:48.909 temple, the dwelling place of God. We ask all 00:02:48.909 --> 00:02:55.139 this, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. One of the 00:02:55.139 --> 00:02:57.919 great challenges in faithful ministry in preaching 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:02.139 and in teaching the word of God is to minister 00:03:02.139 --> 00:03:06.659 to all of the congregation, all of the flock, 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.500 to shepherd the congregation with God's word 00:03:09.500 --> 00:03:13.819 in a way that is accessible and meaningful to 00:03:13.819 --> 00:03:18.719 each one in the various stages of their life. 00:03:19.180 --> 00:03:21.620 and development in maturity and understanding. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.939 Now, God has given us this task, and we must 00:03:26.939 --> 00:03:31.620 have the ability to break down and to teach God's 00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:35.240 holy word to all of the different people in the 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:39.879 congregation. An overseer of a church must be 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:43.840 able to, as Paul describes to Titus, Hold fast 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:47.680 the faithful word as he has been taught that 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.060 he might be able by sound doctrine both to exhort 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:57.639 and convict those who contradict. It's in Titus 00:03:57.639 --> 00:04:01.419 chapter 1 and verse 9. He must declare the whole 00:04:01.419 --> 00:04:06.099 counsel of God and therefore take heed both to 00:04:06.099 --> 00:04:09.729 himself and to all the flock. among which the 00:04:09.729 --> 00:04:13.409 Holy Spirit has made us overseers to shepherd 00:04:13.409 --> 00:04:16.129 the church of God, which he purchased with his 00:04:16.129 --> 00:04:19.550 own blood. This is the charge given to the Ephesian 00:04:19.550 --> 00:04:23.290 elders as they thought it was the last time they 00:04:23.290 --> 00:04:25.870 would see Paul, and they knelt together on the 00:04:25.870 --> 00:04:31.970 shore of the sea, and he gives them this charge. 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:35.660 Shepherd yourself, take heed to yourself and 00:04:35.660 --> 00:04:39.100 to all the flock to shepherd the church of God. 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:42.800 It's in Acts chapter 20, verse 27 through 28. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:47.339 Now, in order to do this well, we must understand 00:04:47.339 --> 00:04:52.040 and recognize that people are in various stages 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:56.259 and conditions of life. God has gifted men to 00:04:56.259 --> 00:04:59.100 shepherd and teach so that everyone comes. to 00:04:59.100 --> 00:05:02.339 a place of unity, of the faith and the knowledge 00:05:02.339 --> 00:05:07.300 of Jesus, and so that everyone, every person 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:12.120 would grow to be mature in Christ. That is the 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:17.329 goal, to be mature in Christ. Paul expounds on 00:05:17.329 --> 00:05:20.149 this in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11. He says, 00:05:20.250 --> 00:05:24.430 and he himself gave some to be apostles and some 00:05:24.430 --> 00:05:27.629 prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and 00:05:27.629 --> 00:05:32.970 teachers for the equipping of the saints, for 00:05:32.970 --> 00:05:36.089 the work of ministry, for the edifying of the 00:05:36.089 --> 00:05:43.069 body of Christ, till we all come to the unity 00:05:43.069 --> 00:05:46.180 of the faith. And the knowledge of the son of 00:05:46.180 --> 00:05:51.379 God. To a perfect man. To the measure of the 00:05:51.379 --> 00:05:54.980 stature of the fullness of Christ. So that we 00:05:54.980 --> 00:05:59.100 are no longer children. Tossed to and fro. And 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:02.259 carried about with every wind of doctrine. By 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:05.860 the trickery of men. In the cunning craftiness 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:09.899 and deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth 00:06:09.899 --> 00:06:14.500 in love. May grow up. in all things into him 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:18.480 who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:22.079 body joined and knit together by that which every 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.860 joint supplies according to the effective working 00:06:25.860 --> 00:06:30.899 by which every part does its share, causes growth 00:06:30.899 --> 00:06:34.259 of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 00:06:35.529 --> 00:06:38.050 is the goal. This is the task that is set before 00:06:38.050 --> 00:06:41.129 us, that everyone would grow up into Christ, 00:06:41.230 --> 00:06:44.110 that everyone would become mature, and that this 00:06:44.110 --> 00:06:47.149 beautiful temple that God is erecting would be 00:06:47.149 --> 00:06:50.790 a glorious one, that it would be wonderful and 00:06:50.790 --> 00:06:54.910 pleasing to him, and that each would edify the 00:06:54.910 --> 00:06:59.269 other. Now today, in the passage, Paul speaks 00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:04.100 of three different categories of people. The 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:07.680 first is the natural man. That's in verse 14. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:12.639 Then he speaks to those who are spiritual. Verse 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:17.079 15 and 16 of chapter 2. And then thirdly those 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:21.560 who are carnal. That is babes in Christ. Who 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:24.579 though having been Christians for a number of 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:30.000 years. Are still people being held back. Drawn 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:35.500 back by the flesh. immature. In other words, 00:07:35.540 --> 00:07:38.019 they are carnal is the word or of the flesh. 00:07:38.860 --> 00:07:41.379 Now, I spoke briefly of the natural man last 00:07:41.379 --> 00:07:45.379 Sunday, but I want to take a closer look at each 00:07:45.379 --> 00:07:48.540 of these. My hope and prayer is that each of 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:52.459 you would not be stagnant, that you would not 00:07:52.459 --> 00:07:56.300 just sit there and not be doing anything, not 00:07:56.300 --> 00:07:58.980 growing and growing in grace and in the knowledge 00:07:58.980 --> 00:08:02.300 of Jesus and building up this holy temple of 00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:06.050 the Lord. My desire is that you would not be 00:08:06.050 --> 00:08:09.009 stagnant, but that you would become a perfect 00:08:09.009 --> 00:08:12.350 person. That's the word the scripture uses, but 00:08:12.350 --> 00:08:15.709 it's in the sense of being full grown, of full 00:08:15.709 --> 00:08:19.449 age and mature. I want to see you grow, grow 00:08:19.449 --> 00:08:21.990 in faithfulness, grow in knowledge and in wisdom 00:08:21.990 --> 00:08:25.050 and in stature as good and wise and faithful 00:08:25.050 --> 00:08:28.529 men and women understanding your calling so that 00:08:28.529 --> 00:08:32.440 you will finish the race well. That at the end 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:35.519 of your life, you can be like Paul who has said, 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.480 I have fought the good fight. I have finished 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:42.440 the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:44.580 is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:47.240 which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:50.460 to me on that day. And not to me only, but also 00:08:50.460 --> 00:08:54.559 to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:59.549 4, verse 7 and 8. My desire, this I desire for 00:08:59.549 --> 00:09:02.370 each and every one of you. So let's now look 00:09:02.370 --> 00:09:05.570 deeper at these three categories. Let's turn 00:09:05.570 --> 00:09:08.750 to the word, understand these, and profit from 00:09:08.750 --> 00:09:11.210 the exhortation that Paul wrote to the Corinthian 00:09:11.210 --> 00:09:14.049 church. The first one, he is dealing with the 00:09:14.049 --> 00:09:19.110 natural man. But the natural man does not receive 00:09:19.110 --> 00:09:21.750 the things of the Spirit of God, for they are 00:09:21.750 --> 00:09:26.850 foolishness to him, nor can he know them because 00:09:26.850 --> 00:09:31.649 they are spiritually discerned. The natural man 00:09:31.649 --> 00:09:37.389 is the man or the one who is the unrenewed person. 00:09:37.610 --> 00:09:42.190 He is in his natural state. This is the one described 00:09:42.190 --> 00:09:45.539 in the scriptures as one who is dead. In sins 00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:48.580 and trespasses. Which describes fallen mankind. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:51.919 It is the state of every person born until they 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.220 are made alive and renewed by the Holy Spirit. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.740 They are governed and influenced by their basic 00:09:57.740 --> 00:10:01.639 passions. As opposed to those who are influenced. 00:10:01.740 --> 00:10:05.000 Those who are illuminated and filled with the 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:08.899 Spirit of God. It's the contrast. Now some might 00:10:08.899 --> 00:10:12.009 think of this. The natural man is speaking to 00:10:12.009 --> 00:10:14.669 the one who's like a brute or maybe a caveman 00:10:14.669 --> 00:10:18.590 and very primitive. And that intellectual man, 00:10:18.830 --> 00:10:22.830 thinking man, can receive the things of the spirit. 00:10:23.389 --> 00:10:27.769 But Paul goes to great lengths to show that the 00:10:27.769 --> 00:10:31.490 natural man equally extends, yes, to the primitive 00:10:31.490 --> 00:10:33.750 and to like what we think of as the caveman, 00:10:33.950 --> 00:10:37.789 but also to the worldly wise man. The word that 00:10:37.789 --> 00:10:40.529 John Bunyan used in his great book, The Pilgrim's 00:10:40.529 --> 00:10:43.710 Progress. The worldly, my wise man. This is the 00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:46.830 sophisticated and the urbane. The one filled 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:50.950 with wisdom, so -called, that is actually foolishness 00:10:50.950 --> 00:10:54.230 and rebellion against a holy and a righteous 00:10:54.230 --> 00:10:59.330 God. After all, some of the most noted and notable 00:10:59.330 --> 00:11:03.009 intellectuals have been the most hypocritical, 00:11:03.029 --> 00:11:06.850 cruel, selfish, dishonest, irresponsible, and 00:11:06.850 --> 00:11:10.669 vain people. Paul Johnson describes this in his 00:11:10.669 --> 00:11:15.070 book entitled Intellectuals. And he gives examples 00:11:15.070 --> 00:11:19.350 such as Jean -Jacques Rousseau, who has had incredible 00:11:19.350 --> 00:11:22.269 impact even on our day. He was the French philosopher 00:11:22.269 --> 00:11:24.429 a couple of hundred years ago. I don't have the 00:11:24.429 --> 00:11:28.470 exact date in my head here. But he was supposed 00:11:28.470 --> 00:11:30.970 to be speaking all these wise and wonderful words 00:11:30.970 --> 00:11:34.149 and changing so much in the world. And in fact, 00:11:34.149 --> 00:11:37.389 he had an incredible impact on them. A lot of 00:11:37.389 --> 00:11:41.299 it for not for good. And yet he... Abandoned 00:11:41.299 --> 00:11:43.679 his children to an orphanage and treated women 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:48.519 and benefactors in a most cruel manner. Or Karl 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:52.379 Marx. Karl Marx who raged against capitalism 00:11:52.379 --> 00:11:55.460 while living off of another man's money that 00:11:55.460 --> 00:11:59.860 he had made. How inconsistent. Or others like 00:11:59.860 --> 00:12:02.840 them who believed that their cleverness or their 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:06.679 insight exempted them from ordinary moral rules 00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:11.590 while their ideas proved destructive, absolutely 00:12:11.590 --> 00:12:15.889 destructive when applied in reality. You take 00:12:15.889 --> 00:12:18.549 what Jean -Jacques Rousseau did and what Karl 00:12:18.549 --> 00:12:22.169 Marx did and others of their ilk and how many 00:12:22.169 --> 00:12:24.830 hundreds of thousands and thousands and thousands 00:12:24.830 --> 00:12:27.610 of people have died because of their teachings. 00:12:28.350 --> 00:12:32.990 And great poverty and great ruin across the world. 00:12:33.210 --> 00:12:38.370 Oh, it's incredible. And yet, They were the worldly 00:12:38.370 --> 00:12:41.929 wise. They were supposed to have such great wisdom. 00:12:43.509 --> 00:12:46.990 But to the natural person, the things of the 00:12:46.990 --> 00:12:49.629 Spirit of God are folly, Paul says. They are 00:12:49.629 --> 00:12:52.529 foolishness. They are silly. They are worthless. 00:12:52.730 --> 00:12:56.370 To him, as Charles Hodge puts it, the things 00:12:56.370 --> 00:13:00.490 of the Spirit are absurd, insipid, and distasteful. 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:03.779 They do not receive the things of the Spirit 00:13:03.779 --> 00:13:06.139 of God. They do not give favorable reception 00:13:06.139 --> 00:13:08.580 to the Word of God as revealed by the Spirit. 00:13:08.740 --> 00:13:11.980 They do not embrace it, approve of it, obey it, 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.179 or take it to themselves. The natural man rejects 00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:17.799 the truth, the authority, and the excellence 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:22.539 of Jesus and of God's Word. Now the natural man 00:13:22.539 --> 00:13:26.519 is also called the old man in Scripture. To newborn 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:30.179 believers, Paul exhorts them to put off the old 00:13:30.179 --> 00:13:32.919 man in a number of places in the New Testament. 00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:36.080 The old man, he says, lives against the law of 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.820 God, living in sins like fornication and uncleanness 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:43.259 and passion, evil desire and covetousness, which 00:13:43.259 --> 00:13:46.360 is idolatry. They live in anger and wrath and 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:49.440 malice and blasphemy with filthy language coming 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:52.840 out of their mouths. Colossians 3. In Titus 3, 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.679 verse 3, he describes the former state like this. 00:13:55.799 --> 00:14:00.629 For we ourselves were also once foolish. disobedient 00:14:00.629 --> 00:14:04.090 deceived serving various lusts and pleasures 00:14:04.090 --> 00:14:08.490 living in malice and envy hateful and hating 00:14:08.490 --> 00:14:12.769 one another this is the natural man the old man 00:14:12.769 --> 00:14:16.889 the unregenerate person furthermore he goes on 00:14:16.889 --> 00:14:22.110 to say in verse 14 neither can he know them he 00:14:22.110 --> 00:14:27.240 cannot know the things of the spirit of god Having 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:30.779 judged it to be folly, he is unable to see the 00:14:30.779 --> 00:14:34.820 truth, the beauty, and the goodness of God, and 00:14:34.820 --> 00:14:38.059 of the word of God, and of the things of the 00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:40.879 Spirit. Let me illustrate this in three different 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:47.399 ways. The natural man is like a blind man. He 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:50.200 cannot see the beauty that God has created in 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:53.600 the world. The blind man is completely oblivious 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:56.679 to the stunning landscapes or to the myriad of 00:14:56.679 --> 00:15:00.679 stars on a dark night or the glories of the Milky 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:04.840 Way or the moonrise at full moon or the grace 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:09.120 displayed by a magnificent bull elk sporting 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:14.779 its grand antlers. The blind man cannot see any 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:18.889 of this. so the natural man cannot perceive the 00:15:18.889 --> 00:15:24.129 things of God. The natural man is like a lost 00:15:24.129 --> 00:15:27.769 man, deep in the heart of a thick jungle that 00:15:27.769 --> 00:15:32.090 presses all around him, and he is unable to find 00:15:32.090 --> 00:15:39.090 a way out. He is lost, interminably lost in that 00:15:39.090 --> 00:15:43.230 wilderness. He wanders around in the gathering 00:15:43.230 --> 00:15:48.029 gloom with no ability to rescue himself or those 00:15:48.029 --> 00:15:52.769 with him. This is the natural man. And thirdly, 00:15:52.769 --> 00:15:57.570 says the natural man cannot receive these things. 00:15:57.789 --> 00:15:59.809 We're going to do a bit of a play on that word 00:15:59.809 --> 00:16:02.669 as we think about it. Right now in this very 00:16:02.669 --> 00:16:08.110 room, right here in the airwaves, there are hundreds 00:16:08.110 --> 00:16:11.860 and thousands. Of radio signals going through 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:15.379 this room. Right now. There's a whole bunch of 00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:18.600 stations from FM. Whole bunch of AM. There's 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:21.679 short wave. There's Wi -Fi frequencies. There's 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:24.600 even TV signals. There's infrared. There's two 00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:28.200 -way radio. But we sit here. And we are completely 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:31.649 oblivious to them all. Because we do not have 00:16:31.649 --> 00:16:34.350 a receiver that's turned on. We cannot hear, 00:16:34.509 --> 00:16:37.450 we cannot understand or receive them because 00:16:37.450 --> 00:16:41.190 we are completely unable to do so without something 00:16:41.190 --> 00:16:45.529 outside of us, such as a smartphone or a radio 00:16:45.529 --> 00:16:50.230 or a TV or some other device. In ourselves, we 00:16:50.230 --> 00:16:55.110 are completely oblivious to it. We cannot receive 00:16:55.110 --> 00:17:01.340 it. So also is the natural man. He cannot know 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:05.500 them. He cannot receive the things of the Spirit 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:09.880 of God. This speaks of the doctrine of what we 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:16.460 call total inability. Total inability. This is 00:17:16.460 --> 00:17:19.079 the inability of natural man to save themselves, 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:23.140 to understand the world around them, and to discern 00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:29.019 and judge the wisdom of God. Now, we do know, 00:17:29.450 --> 00:17:31.990 That there is common grace that God extends. 00:17:32.609 --> 00:17:36.809 God extends and communicates his invisible attributes 00:17:36.809 --> 00:17:41.849 through his creation. That is through the light 00:17:41.849 --> 00:17:47.190 of nature. So much so that all people are without 00:17:47.190 --> 00:17:50.910 excuse. Romans 1 tells us. They know that God 00:17:50.910 --> 00:17:53.829 exists. They know that he is created. And they 00:17:53.829 --> 00:17:56.349 know that he is a being of immense and awesome 00:17:56.349 --> 00:18:00.549 power. But they do not. have saving knowledge 00:18:00.549 --> 00:18:05.630 apart from the Holy Spirit using the word of 00:18:05.630 --> 00:18:09.529 God or the preaching of the word to lighten them 00:18:09.529 --> 00:18:13.230 to enlighten them to make them be able to hear 00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:16.809 they are totally unable to change themselves 00:18:16.809 --> 00:18:21.509 or to make themselves alive and instead through 00:18:21.509 --> 00:18:25.450 a series of progressive sins as Romans 1 says 00:18:25.450 --> 00:18:31.359 they They suppress the truth in unrighteousness. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:35.740 They judge it to be foolishness and folly. Let 00:18:35.740 --> 00:18:38.299 me explain this just a little bit further. Due 00:18:38.299 --> 00:18:41.920 to Adam's fall, every aspect of human nature, 00:18:42.099 --> 00:18:45.779 the mind, the will, the heart, the affections, 00:18:45.779 --> 00:18:50.160 and the body, everything is corrupted by sin. 00:18:50.420 --> 00:18:54.609 There's no part that is untouched. by the effects 00:18:54.609 --> 00:18:58.950 of sin and of alienation from God, every part 00:18:58.950 --> 00:19:01.670 of the human nature. This corruption is total 00:19:01.670 --> 00:19:04.930 in its extent, that is, it affects every part 00:19:04.930 --> 00:19:08.029 of a person, but it's not necessarily total in 00:19:08.029 --> 00:19:11.549 degree, meaning that not everyone is as evil 00:19:11.549 --> 00:19:16.279 as is possible, or that humans lack any... or 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:20.539 some civic virtue or conscience. We know that 00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:23.700 there are varying degrees. Some will do more 00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:26.680 things that are better versus than others, even 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:31.220 though everyone in this total inability to save 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:35.880 themselves could end up being. Like the very 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:37.660 worst person. In other words, the very worst 00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:40.519 person that you can think of, the seeds that 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:43.019 were sown in him are the seeds that are sown 00:19:43.019 --> 00:19:45.400 in everyone else. It's just that he developed 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:51.299 them further. Every aspect of human nature. The 00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:53.900 key emphasis, though, in total inability is spiritual 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:57.980 and moral. Natural mankind is utterly unable 00:19:57.980 --> 00:20:02.519 by their own natural powers to love God rightly. 00:20:03.819 --> 00:20:06.859 They are unable to perform any truly spiritual 00:20:06.859 --> 00:20:10.000 good that is a good that flows from faith and 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.880 is pleasing to God. They are unable to repent, 00:20:13.019 --> 00:20:16.339 believe the gospel, or turn to God in faith without 00:20:16.339 --> 00:20:19.440 God first moving in their heart and quickening 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.559 them. They are unable to prepare themselves for 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:28.519 salvation. They need regeneration. They need 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:33.599 a divine initiative that works within them. humanity 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:37.859 is dead in trespasses and sins ephesians 2 verse 00:20:37.859 --> 00:20:42.500 1 they are enslaved to sin john 8 and verse 34 00:20:42.500 --> 00:20:46.759 and they are hostile to god romans 8 verse 7 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:51.160 This is not mere weakness, but it is a radical 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:55.140 bondage where the will is bound to sin and cannot 00:20:55.140 --> 00:20:58.299 choose otherwise in spiritual matters without 00:20:58.299 --> 00:21:02.559 God's grace and assistance, his regenerating 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:06.049 grace. Now, disability does not mean an absence 00:21:06.049 --> 00:21:08.630 of volition. People still make choices and they 00:21:08.630 --> 00:21:12.069 exercise will in earthly and civil affairs. This 00:21:12.069 --> 00:21:14.589 is not a complete loss of all rationality and 00:21:14.589 --> 00:21:17.509 moral sense. Humans retain their conscience and 00:21:17.509 --> 00:21:21.490 can do outwardly good acts. And thirdly, this 00:21:21.490 --> 00:21:24.529 inability is not making people as wicked as they 00:21:24.529 --> 00:21:28.430 could be because degrees of sin vary. But instead, 00:21:29.259 --> 00:21:32.019 It means that no part of human nature remains 00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:36.200 uncorrupted enough to please God, to understand 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:39.380 the person and the word of Jesus, or to initiate 00:21:39.380 --> 00:21:43.119 and contribute to their own salvation. This is 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:47.099 the picture of the natural man. Paul says he 00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:50.799 cannot. know the things of the Spirit of God 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:53.960 because they are spiritually discerned. In other 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:56.579 words, it needs the work of the Spirit within 00:21:56.579 --> 00:22:00.500 him to make him be able to discern it. He cannot 00:22:00.500 --> 00:22:04.160 know them. So this is what we have on the one 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:08.380 hand. This is the reality that we face as human 00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:13.019 beings. We need a work of grace. We need a work 00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:16.819 of the Spirit. And so now we come to the spiritual. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:23.599 Chapter 2, verse 15 and 16. But he who is spiritual 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:27.200 judges all things, yet he himself is rightly 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:31.019 judged by no one. For who has known the mind 00:22:31.019 --> 00:22:34.000 of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:38.960 have the mind of Christ. This is now speaking 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:41.900 of the person who is enlightened by the Holy 00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:46.339 Spirit. And he is set forth here as the spiritual 00:22:46.339 --> 00:22:50.839 one, he who is spiritual. This is the one who 00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:53.740 has experienced God's sovereign work of regeneration, 00:22:53.819 --> 00:22:58.700 of being made alive and thereby faith being enabled, 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:02.240 the understanding of God and his word with accompanying 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.779 repentance and obedience. Now in many new places 00:23:06.779 --> 00:23:09.400 in the New Testament, this spiritual person is 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:12.730 called the new man. the new man. You'll see that 00:23:12.730 --> 00:23:15.970 in a number of different places in the New Testament. 00:23:17.230 --> 00:23:19.650 The conviction of the Holy Spirit comes through 00:23:19.650 --> 00:23:22.230 the preaching of God's holy word. The heart is 00:23:22.230 --> 00:23:25.069 awakened and faith comes and man repents and 00:23:25.069 --> 00:23:28.369 believes. Indeed, all things become new and the 00:23:28.369 --> 00:23:31.970 heart and the stony heart turns into a heart 00:23:31.970 --> 00:23:35.190 of flesh as prophesied by Ezekiel in chapter 00:23:35.190 --> 00:23:39.250 36, verse 26 and 27. Hear the word of God. He 00:23:39.250 --> 00:23:44.089 says, I will give you a new heart and put a new 00:23:44.089 --> 00:23:47.630 spirit within you. I will take. the heart of 00:23:47.630 --> 00:23:50.910 stone out of your flesh and I will give you a 00:23:50.910 --> 00:23:54.329 heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you 00:23:54.329 --> 00:23:58.630 and cause you to walk in my statutes and you 00:23:58.630 --> 00:24:02.789 will keep my judgments and do them. See how this 00:24:02.789 --> 00:24:06.369 is a divine work? This is what Jesus was talking 00:24:06.369 --> 00:24:09.369 about to John the Baptist that you must be born 00:24:09.369 --> 00:24:17.569 from above. You must be born again. life and 00:24:17.569 --> 00:24:21.289 it comes through the spirit and thus this is 00:24:21.289 --> 00:24:25.170 a spiritual person john gill writes a new heart 00:24:25.170 --> 00:24:27.730 and a new spirit are one in the same that is 00:24:27.730 --> 00:24:30.690 a renewed one renewed by the spirit and grace 00:24:30.690 --> 00:24:35.230 of god in which a new principle of life is put 00:24:35.230 --> 00:24:39.190 new light is infused a new will filled with new 00:24:39.190 --> 00:24:42.210 purposes and resolutions where new affections 00:24:42.210 --> 00:24:45.890 are placed and new desires are formed, and where 00:24:45.890 --> 00:24:48.750 there are new delights and joys as well as new 00:24:48.750 --> 00:24:51.509 sorrows and troubles, the same which in the New 00:24:51.509 --> 00:24:55.549 Testament is called the new man or the new creature 00:24:55.549 --> 00:24:59.529 in Ephesians 4 verse 24. This is the spiritual 00:24:59.529 --> 00:25:03.190 person. Paul further describes the ones who are 00:25:03.190 --> 00:25:05.549 spiritual and their transition from being a natural 00:25:05.549 --> 00:25:08.829 man in this glorious passage in Ephesians chapter 00:25:08.829 --> 00:25:12.410 2, verses 1 through 10, which I'm not going to 00:25:12.410 --> 00:25:15.369 take time to read right now, but he also summarizes 00:25:15.369 --> 00:25:17.950 it in other places, and here's one from Titus 00:25:17.950 --> 00:25:22.079 chapter 3, verse 4 to 7. But when... the kindness 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:25.900 and the love of God, our savior toward man appeared, 00:25:26.059 --> 00:25:30.079 not by works of righteousness, which we have 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:35.039 done, but according to his mercy, he saved us 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:39.000 through the washing of regeneration and renewing 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:42.539 of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out on us. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:46.519 through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that having 00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:49.559 been justified by his grace, we should become 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:52.960 heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 00:25:55.160 --> 00:26:01.319 Excuse me. Now, this spiritual person, in verse 00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:08.039 15, Paul says, judges all things. He judges all 00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:12.680 things. But he who is spiritual judges all things. 00:26:13.439 --> 00:26:17.299 This word judge means to examine, to investigate, 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:20.799 to inquire into, and to discern. This is the 00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:23.880 same word in the previous verse, verse 14, that 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:26.420 the natural man cannot know the things of the 00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:29.299 spirit because they are spiritually discerned. 00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:32.240 Same word, they are spiritually judged. By the 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:35.920 spirit, the person grows in true wisdom, knowledge. 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:39.990 These are the ones... who then become wise, truly 00:26:39.990 --> 00:26:43.049 wise, and have understanding through the Spirit's 00:26:43.049 --> 00:26:45.250 illumination of the Word. I spoke about that 00:26:45.250 --> 00:26:48.730 last Sunday, how God, by the Spirit, illuminates 00:26:48.730 --> 00:26:51.369 the Word. And through this, then, they are able 00:26:51.369 --> 00:26:53.910 to apply themselves to a much greater knowledge 00:26:53.910 --> 00:26:56.549 and deeper wisdom as they study and they grow 00:26:56.549 --> 00:27:00.069 throughout their life. They have the ability, 00:27:00.410 --> 00:27:03.970 he says, to investigate, to discern, to examine. 00:27:04.309 --> 00:27:08.289 That's what the word judge means. They do this 00:27:08.289 --> 00:27:10.349 through teaching, to doctrine, and they apply 00:27:10.349 --> 00:27:16.289 this word to all of life. And he himself, Paul 00:27:16.289 --> 00:27:19.069 says, is rightly judged by no one. Meaning that 00:27:19.069 --> 00:27:22.490 while unbelievers are able to recognize the faults 00:27:22.490 --> 00:27:25.210 and sins of Christians, they are not able to 00:27:25.210 --> 00:27:28.559 evaluate the true nature. of all those who have 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:31.180 been transformed into the children of God. The 00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:33.619 Christian believers, as Paul says in Colossians 00:27:33.619 --> 00:27:37.460 3, verse 3, his life is hidden with Christ in 00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:40.480 God. I think that's there, is what he is referring 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:43.799 to, in that he himself is rightly judged by no 00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:48.339 one. Furthermore, the one who is spiritual, led 00:27:48.339 --> 00:27:51.119 and illuminated by the Spirit of God, judges 00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:57.589 all things, Paul says, all things. How can this 00:27:57.589 --> 00:28:00.950 be? Paul answers this. For who has known the 00:28:00.950 --> 00:28:03.329 mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But 00:28:03.329 --> 00:28:07.650 we have the mind of Christ. This is the word 00:28:07.650 --> 00:28:11.509 of God. We have the mind of Christ. Now the mind 00:28:11.509 --> 00:28:14.509 of Christ is the same as the mind of the Lord. 00:28:14.789 --> 00:28:17.670 Thus testifying again to the divinity of Christ. 00:28:17.769 --> 00:28:19.950 Paul says here, who's known the mind of the Lord? 00:28:20.089 --> 00:28:23.349 We have the mind of Christ. That is the knowledge 00:28:23.349 --> 00:28:26.940 that we have. We know the Lord. We know his mind 00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:29.740 because it is the mind of Christ, which is the 00:28:29.740 --> 00:28:33.579 same as the revealed word of God. It is that 00:28:33.579 --> 00:28:36.299 revealed holy word of God, the word of life, 00:28:36.420 --> 00:28:38.980 the word of Christ. This is not only speaking 00:28:38.980 --> 00:28:41.740 of the New Testament, but it is referring to 00:28:41.740 --> 00:28:46.299 the entire book of Holy Scripture, both the Old 00:28:46.299 --> 00:28:49.839 and the New Testament or the Holy Bible. Therefore, 00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:52.579 as the spiritual person judges all things, he 00:28:52.579 --> 00:28:54.859 or she understands that as they look into the 00:28:54.859 --> 00:28:57.559 word and they're illuminated by the Holy Spirit, 00:28:57.700 --> 00:29:02.039 they can understand and speak to all things. 00:29:02.599 --> 00:29:06.140 They are able to judge all things. The spiritual 00:29:06.140 --> 00:29:10.400 person. That's what Paul is saying. They are 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:13.779 capable of knowing the mind of Christ and of 00:29:13.779 --> 00:29:17.039 receiving his teachings through the Spirit. Now, 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:20.400 God's word, therefore, is not just to what we 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:24.059 might call spiritual things or things of, you 00:29:24.059 --> 00:29:26.740 know, having to do with the worship of God and 00:29:26.740 --> 00:29:32.420 of things that are often commonly used as spiritual. 00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:35.339 Absolutely, this all applies, but the word of 00:29:35.339 --> 00:29:39.079 God goes far beyond all of those things. God's 00:29:39.079 --> 00:29:44.430 word, God in his word speaks to everything. When 00:29:44.430 --> 00:29:47.130 you read through the word of God, it must be 00:29:47.130 --> 00:29:51.450 applied across the board, not just for when you 00:29:51.450 --> 00:29:55.230 come together in church on Sunday morning. It's 00:29:55.230 --> 00:29:59.529 not limited in that way. It speaks to all of 00:29:59.529 --> 00:30:03.069 life. And as the spiritual person has the receiver, 00:30:03.329 --> 00:30:05.930 that is, he or she has the Holy Spirit, which 00:30:05.930 --> 00:30:09.089 impresses God's word to their heart and illuminates 00:30:09.089 --> 00:30:11.829 them, and therefore they are able to judge all 00:30:11.829 --> 00:30:16.339 things. We are able as Christians, as mature 00:30:16.339 --> 00:30:19.160 Christians, as we grow in the word, we are given 00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:21.900 the ability and the wisdom to understand and 00:30:21.900 --> 00:30:26.700 interpret the word of God to everything in life. 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:31.140 The whole gospel for all the world and Christ 00:30:31.140 --> 00:30:34.720 over all. For there is not one square inch in 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:38.559 this world that does not belong to Christ. All 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:42.289 of Christ. For all of life. We emphasize the 00:30:42.289 --> 00:30:45.170 comprehensive sovereignty of Jesus Christ. Over 00:30:45.170 --> 00:30:49.329 every aspect of existence. And we reject separating 00:30:49.329 --> 00:30:53.670 faith from daily life. Advocating that Christ's 00:30:53.670 --> 00:30:57.269 lordship applies to culture. To work. To family. 00:30:57.410 --> 00:31:00.329 To government. And not only to Sunday morning 00:31:00.329 --> 00:31:07.069 worship. The sovereignty of Jesus is total lordship. 00:31:07.069 --> 00:31:10.309 It sets forth that Christ claims everything. 00:31:10.609 --> 00:31:13.829 It is comprehensive in its scope, applying the 00:31:13.829 --> 00:31:17.230 gospel to all areas, including education and 00:31:17.230 --> 00:31:21.289 politics and business and personal life. It eliminates 00:31:21.289 --> 00:31:24.710 the sacred and the secular divide, for Christ 00:31:24.710 --> 00:31:30.259 is Lord of all. It is rooted in the Great Commission 00:31:30.259 --> 00:31:35.539 wherein Jesus declares that He has been given 00:31:35.539 --> 00:31:41.039 all authority in heaven and in earth. Tell me, 00:31:41.099 --> 00:31:43.599 is there anything missing there? Is there any 00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:47.259 part of the existence in all of the human world 00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:49.440 or in all of the created world that is missing? 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:55.390 No. He has been given all. authority over everything 00:31:55.390 --> 00:31:59.250 in heaven and in the earth and under the earth 00:31:59.250 --> 00:32:03.710 therefore he then says we are commanded to go 00:32:03.710 --> 00:32:07.230 and to make disciples of all nations to baptize 00:32:07.230 --> 00:32:10.509 them and to teach obedience to the commands of 00:32:10.509 --> 00:32:14.769 christ This applies to all vocations. Any legitimate 00:32:14.769 --> 00:32:17.789 profession and calling from the trades to professional 00:32:17.789 --> 00:32:20.349 work to motherhood and teaching and preaching. 00:32:20.430 --> 00:32:24.809 All are forms of service and obedience to Christ. 00:32:25.069 --> 00:32:27.910 I'm not holier than you because I stand in the 00:32:27.910 --> 00:32:30.529 pulpit and preach the word of God. You are just 00:32:30.529 --> 00:32:32.769 as holy in all of the vocations that you are 00:32:32.769 --> 00:32:35.269 doing. And God has given it to you and he equips 00:32:35.269 --> 00:32:38.700 you to do it for his glory. And it's just as 00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:41.839 much part of building his kingdom when you do 00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:46.359 it for his glory and it pleases him. Now God 00:32:46.359 --> 00:32:50.940 gives different gifts. And those gifts are quite 00:32:50.940 --> 00:32:54.519 wide. So do not be ashamed if you are given a 00:32:54.519 --> 00:32:56.259 gift and you think, oh, it would be better to 00:32:56.259 --> 00:32:58.240 have this one. This one's on a higher plane. 00:32:58.599 --> 00:33:02.579 No, if it's not a sinful gift. And yes, there 00:33:02.579 --> 00:33:05.119 are sinful professions out there. But if it's 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:07.779 a legitimate one, then do it for the glory of 00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:10.839 God and do it for the glory of Christ. It is 00:33:10.839 --> 00:33:13.119 what He has given you. He has equipped you for 00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:17.859 it. And do it for Him. Therefore, we do not retreat 00:33:17.859 --> 00:33:21.579 from this world, but we seek through right worship, 00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:24.660 through obedience, and through humble and faithful 00:33:24.660 --> 00:33:28.039 service and witness to see this world transformed 00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:33.299 by the power of the gospel. impacts everything 00:33:33.299 --> 00:33:40.579 all of life we are able to judge everything he 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:45.700 says all things this is the spiritual person 00:33:45.700 --> 00:33:50.359 and there are many gifts as we know we look elsewhere 00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:55.519 in the scripture do not sell yourself short by 00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:59.730 the power of the spirit of god Do what God has 00:33:59.730 --> 00:34:03.750 given to you to do for his glory and for the 00:34:03.750 --> 00:34:07.970 advancement of Christ's kingdom. This is the 00:34:07.970 --> 00:34:14.949 work of a spiritual person. Too often, we think 00:34:14.949 --> 00:34:17.750 of the spiritual person as one who's a missionary 00:34:17.750 --> 00:34:23.329 or a pastor or something like that. No, the spiritual 00:34:23.329 --> 00:34:26.090 person is the one who takes the gifts God has 00:34:26.090 --> 00:34:30.239 given them. in whatever it is and uses it for 00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:36.559 the glory of God. But Paul goes on, now in chapter 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:41.000 3, in verse 1 to 4, he says, And I, brethren, 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:46.219 could not speak to you as spiritual people, but 00:34:46.219 --> 00:34:50.539 as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you 00:34:50.539 --> 00:34:53.679 with milk and not with solid food. For unto now 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:56.159 you were not able to receive it, and even now 00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:58.619 you are still not able, for you are still carnal. 00:34:58.860 --> 00:35:01.800 For where there are envy, strife, and divisions 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:04.739 among you, are you not carnal in behaving like 00:35:04.739 --> 00:35:08.300 mere men? For when one says, I am of Paul, and 00:35:08.300 --> 00:35:11.039 another, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal? 00:35:12.059 --> 00:35:16.860 Alas, not all spiritual people are yet able. 00:35:17.530 --> 00:35:21.329 to do what Paul has just described back in chapter 00:35:21.329 --> 00:35:26.010 2. There are some who, though born again and 00:35:26.010 --> 00:35:28.630 renewed by the Spirit, as the Corinthians were, 00:35:28.889 --> 00:35:34.289 are stunted and infantile and have remained so 00:35:34.289 --> 00:35:39.130 for years. The image Paul gives is that he could 00:35:39.130 --> 00:35:42.590 not speak to them as to spiritual people, but 00:35:42.590 --> 00:35:47.900 note that he still calls them brethren. They 00:35:47.900 --> 00:35:52.800 are Christians. He speaks to them as Christian 00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:56.539 believers. They are brethren. Remember that back 00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:59.719 in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul said that the 00:35:59.719 --> 00:36:02.760 Corinthians were enriched by Christ in everything 00:36:02.760 --> 00:36:05.239 and all utterance and knowledge, that the testimony 00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:07.940 of Christ was confirmed in them, that they came 00:36:07.940 --> 00:36:10.639 up short in no gift, and that they were eagerly 00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:12.639 waiting for the revelation of Jesus who would 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:16.980 confirm to the end. They are brethren, but something 00:36:16.980 --> 00:36:19.539 is drastically wrong. And Paul is addressing 00:36:19.539 --> 00:36:25.559 them as a father in the faith. You know, we need 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:30.119 fathers in the faith. We need those who are venerable, 00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:33.199 those who have long experience, who can speak 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:39.420 with great wisdom to us as fathers in the faith. 00:36:39.539 --> 00:36:41.940 And that's what Paul was doing here. He was speaking 00:36:41.940 --> 00:36:45.400 to them as a father. They were carnal. They were 00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:48.019 fleshly. They were enamored with worldly wisdom. 00:36:48.239 --> 00:36:51.440 He said, they are babes in Christ. Now this is 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:53.380 understandable at the beginning of the church 00:36:53.380 --> 00:36:55.639 when Paul first came and lived there for a year 00:36:55.639 --> 00:36:58.480 and a half. And Silas and Timothy and Aquila 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:01.340 and Priscilla were there. But then they stayed 00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:04.599 there. Paul said, I fed you with milk and not 00:37:04.599 --> 00:37:07.099 with solid food. For until now you were not able 00:37:07.099 --> 00:37:10.840 to receive it. Even now you are still not able. 00:37:10.900 --> 00:37:15.559 For you are still carnal. You are still of the 00:37:15.559 --> 00:37:19.039 flesh. The image is that of a nursing baby who 00:37:19.039 --> 00:37:23.360 grows up but is still nursing at six or eight 00:37:23.360 --> 00:37:26.659 or ten years old and is not eating solid food. 00:37:26.780 --> 00:37:32.059 Something is drastically wrong. This letter was 00:37:32.059 --> 00:37:35.440 written approximately five years after Paul first 00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:39.559 came to Corinth and they were still acting like 00:37:39.559 --> 00:37:43.159 babies. Now these are not the only ones to have 00:37:43.159 --> 00:37:47.420 this problem. In Hebrews, the word of God says 00:37:47.420 --> 00:37:51.360 to the Hebrews, in chapter 5, verse 11, Of whom 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:54.099 we have much to say and hard to explain, since 00:37:54.099 --> 00:37:56.659 you have become dull of hearing. For though by 00:37:56.659 --> 00:37:59.480 this time you ought to be teachers, you need 00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:02.139 someone to teach you again. The first principles 00:38:02.139 --> 00:38:04.780 of the oracles of God. And you have come to need 00:38:04.780 --> 00:38:08.280 milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes 00:38:08.280 --> 00:38:10.860 only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, 00:38:11.159 --> 00:38:14.920 for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:17.719 who are of full age, that is, those who by reason 00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:20.300 of use have their senses exercised to discern 00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:25.480 both good and evil. So he is speaking to them 00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:29.059 about immaturity, about pettiness, and about 00:38:29.059 --> 00:38:34.320 sins of the flesh and spirit, such as envy, strife, 00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:37.769 and division. The Corinthians did not know how 00:38:37.769 --> 00:38:40.730 to judge all things. They kept residual effects 00:38:40.730 --> 00:38:43.329 of the natural man that had not yet been sanctified 00:38:43.329 --> 00:38:46.429 and brought to maturity. Babies need training 00:38:46.429 --> 00:38:49.590 of which they had received, but they had not 00:38:49.590 --> 00:38:54.469 embraced. Now in using the analogy of milk, Paul 00:38:54.469 --> 00:38:57.849 is not disparaging milk. The basics are very 00:38:57.849 --> 00:39:01.869 important. Milk is very important. It is needed. 00:39:02.030 --> 00:39:05.889 It is good. Peter tells to the ones he's writing, 00:39:05.989 --> 00:39:08.329 he says, Therefore, laying aside all malice, 00:39:08.329 --> 00:39:11.269 all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 00:39:11.530 --> 00:39:15.690 as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the 00:39:15.690 --> 00:39:18.650 word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you 00:39:18.650 --> 00:39:21.710 have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Babies 00:39:21.710 --> 00:39:26.090 need milk. And they need milk in the form of 00:39:26.090 --> 00:39:28.510 Christian doctrine and teaching as well. They 00:39:28.510 --> 00:39:31.889 need the very basics of the Christian faith. 00:39:34.019 --> 00:39:37.739 But they need to grow. They need to mature. There 00:39:37.739 --> 00:39:40.800 must be growth, a coming to full wage, able to 00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:43.199 eat solid and nourishing food with all of its 00:39:43.199 --> 00:39:46.420 nutrients. And this describes the process that 00:39:46.420 --> 00:39:48.960 Christian believers need to grow, to mature. 00:39:49.550 --> 00:39:52.650 To be able to discern good and evil. And to grow 00:39:52.650 --> 00:39:55.349 in their understanding of biblical doctrine. 00:39:55.550 --> 00:39:59.289 And put it to good use in practice. It is not 00:39:59.289 --> 00:40:02.250 just the knowledge. It must be able to be put 00:40:02.250 --> 00:40:07.329 into practice. To be lived out. Carnality and 00:40:07.329 --> 00:40:11.630 babyhood should be temporary states. Short term. 00:40:11.909 --> 00:40:16.670 That the person grows and develops in soundness. 00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:22.539 Note that meat and milk or solid food and milk 00:40:22.539 --> 00:40:26.360 does not refer to different doctrines. It simply 00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:30.480 refers to the basics or a simplified version 00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:34.380 of the truth. It says here in Hebrews 5, Everyone 00:40:34.380 --> 00:40:36.699 who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the 00:40:36.699 --> 00:40:38.860 word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But 00:40:38.860 --> 00:40:42.059 it's still the very basic elements. We need the 00:40:42.059 --> 00:40:44.619 basic elements. God provides the basic elements. 00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:48.389 They need to be taught from time to time. It's 00:40:48.389 --> 00:40:50.130 one of the things that we're doing in the foundations 00:40:50.130 --> 00:40:52.789 class is we're going through and just looking 00:40:52.789 --> 00:40:56.230 what the Apostles' Creed affirms and we're looking 00:40:56.230 --> 00:40:59.969 at every sentence, every word out of the scripture 00:40:59.969 --> 00:41:03.590 to understand the very basics of the Christian 00:41:03.590 --> 00:41:06.769 faith. And we'll be looking at God being almighty, 00:41:07.110 --> 00:41:11.610 Lord willing, on Wednesday night. But we must 00:41:11.610 --> 00:41:16.230 grow. We must grow and develop it further. They're 00:41:16.230 --> 00:41:18.989 not different doctrines. It's just that solid 00:41:18.989 --> 00:41:22.090 meat is the development of greater maturity and 00:41:22.090 --> 00:41:26.269 understanding and depth in the word of God. Now, 00:41:26.309 --> 00:41:29.690 the Corinthians showed their carnality and babyhood 00:41:29.690 --> 00:41:33.170 by still believing, Paul says, like mere men, 00:41:33.409 --> 00:41:36.230 verse 3 and 4. For where there are envy, strife, 00:41:36.230 --> 00:41:38.389 and divisions among you, are you not carnal and 00:41:38.389 --> 00:41:41.769 behaving like mere men? For when one says, I'm 00:41:41.769 --> 00:41:44.590 of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are you not 00:41:44.590 --> 00:41:48.539 carnal? The pettiness and the factions and the 00:41:48.539 --> 00:41:52.460 divisions were proof of their immaturity in the 00:41:52.460 --> 00:41:54.780 way that they practiced it. It showed their need 00:41:54.780 --> 00:41:58.239 for sanctification. It showed up their carnality. 00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:02.000 Paul rebukes them for this, but then he goes 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:05.860 on to develop a very rich practical theology 00:42:05.860 --> 00:42:09.920 of Christian ministry in the rest of this chapter 00:42:09.920 --> 00:42:12.579 and in chapter four, which Lord willing, we'll 00:42:12.579 --> 00:42:17.619 dig into next week. But he rebukes them. Alas, 00:42:17.619 --> 00:42:25.199 in far too many churches, milk is on the menu 00:42:25.199 --> 00:42:31.539 all the time in the pulpit. Sometimes it is because 00:42:31.539 --> 00:42:36.280 babies are leading babies. Scripture specifically 00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:40.500 forbids putting a novice into leadership positions 00:42:40.500 --> 00:42:44.530 because he is not skilled in the word. So sometimes 00:42:44.530 --> 00:42:47.449 it's just babies are leading babies. Other times 00:42:47.449 --> 00:42:49.989 it's because that's what the people want. They've 00:42:49.989 --> 00:42:51.969 been so used to milk that they just want it. 00:42:51.989 --> 00:42:54.949 So they demand it. Even some long established 00:42:54.949 --> 00:42:57.469 churches are still in this stage. How is this 00:42:57.469 --> 00:43:00.610 evident? Watch for these things. Entertainment 00:43:00.610 --> 00:43:03.949 instead of faithful preaching of the word. Entertainment 00:43:03.949 --> 00:43:08.969 instead of the faithful preaching of the word. 00:43:09.409 --> 00:43:13.900 Or extensive biblical knowledge. but little application 00:43:13.900 --> 00:43:17.460 that makes a difference in the life of the preacher 00:43:17.460 --> 00:43:21.500 and of the congregation. This includes the lack 00:43:21.500 --> 00:43:24.820 of discipleship and mentors in the congregation. 00:43:25.500 --> 00:43:29.059 Extensive biblical knowledge does not automatically 00:43:29.059 --> 00:43:33.920 translate into discipleship and faithfulness. 00:43:34.199 --> 00:43:38.380 The word must be applied. It must get down into 00:43:38.380 --> 00:43:45.460 the very stuff of life. Third, we also have seminaries 00:43:45.460 --> 00:43:49.139 that are teaching academics to the neglect of 00:43:49.139 --> 00:43:51.960 good discipleship of the aspiring pastors and 00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:54.900 teachers. Now, academics are important. A good 00:43:54.900 --> 00:43:58.280 knowledge of Greek and Hebrew is excellent. I 00:43:58.280 --> 00:44:01.800 wish I had more of that myself. It's a good thing, 00:44:01.960 --> 00:44:04.920 but it must also be coupled together in the training 00:44:04.920 --> 00:44:09.989 with... with discipleship, faithful discipleship, 00:44:09.989 --> 00:44:15.190 and leading in that way by older godly men. This 00:44:15.190 --> 00:44:18.469 is urgently needed. And I thank God. Some of 00:44:18.469 --> 00:44:21.010 that is taking place. I praise God for that. 00:44:21.250 --> 00:44:23.530 There are some where they're doing the teaching, 00:44:23.590 --> 00:44:25.590 and the teaching is by pastors, and they are 00:44:25.590 --> 00:44:28.730 applying the word of God. Or it's done together, 00:44:28.909 --> 00:44:30.929 coupled together with the congregation, where 00:44:30.929 --> 00:44:33.130 the young men that are brought in, and they're 00:44:33.130 --> 00:44:35.789 taught, and they start serving in the congregation 00:44:35.789 --> 00:44:38.710 together with the older men. That kind of mentorship, 00:44:38.809 --> 00:44:42.090 like a Paul and a Timothy, is excellent. But 00:44:42.090 --> 00:44:47.269 just to go and get a degree does not necessarily 00:44:47.269 --> 00:44:51.670 mean that you are ready for pastoring God's people. 00:44:51.989 --> 00:44:55.449 There needs to be discipleship, teaching. And 00:44:55.449 --> 00:44:58.429 so that's one of the problems. And then fourth, 00:44:58.710 --> 00:45:01.949 the other way this is evident, I think, and this 00:45:01.949 --> 00:45:05.289 one is understandable, but it's a problem. And 00:45:05.289 --> 00:45:08.030 that is where worship services, the Sunday morning 00:45:08.030 --> 00:45:12.170 worship service, is always... evangelistic in 00:45:12.170 --> 00:45:16.030 its focus the worship service is for the edification 00:45:16.030 --> 00:45:19.130 of the people of god thank god when sinners come 00:45:19.130 --> 00:45:21.309 in and they see and perceive and are converted 00:45:21.309 --> 00:45:24.130 that does happen but that's not the whole intent 00:45:24.130 --> 00:45:27.530 of the sunday morning worship the time of gathering 00:45:27.530 --> 00:45:29.849 together to hear the preaching and teaching of 00:45:29.849 --> 00:45:32.530 the word of god is to build up the body and when 00:45:32.530 --> 00:45:35.090 we make the sunday morning service just to focus 00:45:35.090 --> 00:45:38.289 on evangelism then we're continually feeding 00:45:38.289 --> 00:45:43.210 everybody at a milk level Milk level. Rather 00:45:43.210 --> 00:45:45.289 than equipping the saints for the work of the 00:45:45.289 --> 00:45:47.610 ministry and edifying of the body, what does 00:45:47.610 --> 00:45:50.610 Paul say that pastors and teachers are to do 00:45:50.610 --> 00:45:53.130 in the congregation? Go back to Ephesians 4, 00:45:53.230 --> 00:45:56.030 which I already read. And he gave some to be 00:45:56.030 --> 00:45:59.110 apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and 00:45:59.110 --> 00:46:03.030 teachers for the equipping of the saints, for 00:46:03.030 --> 00:46:06.110 the work of ministry, for the edifying of the 00:46:06.110 --> 00:46:09.750 body of Christ. Till we all come to the unity 00:46:09.750 --> 00:46:11.809 of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son 00:46:11.809 --> 00:46:16.170 of God to a perfect man. God has charged your 00:46:16.170 --> 00:46:20.489 elders here to equip you to be able to go out 00:46:20.489 --> 00:46:22.769 and do the work of ministry to the world around. 00:46:23.429 --> 00:46:28.889 To serve Christ in all that you do and to disciple 00:46:28.889 --> 00:46:34.230 the nations. And that starts right in your own 00:46:34.230 --> 00:46:39.090 community. Right in your own community. Well, 00:46:40.030 --> 00:46:43.570 let's close. This is now the carnal person which 00:46:43.570 --> 00:46:47.630 we've talked about in depth. Let's close with 00:46:47.630 --> 00:46:50.730 just a few more applications. First of all, I 00:46:50.730 --> 00:46:52.750 want to make sure everybody knows we love babies. 00:46:53.710 --> 00:46:57.409 We love babies. We delight in children and many 00:46:57.409 --> 00:47:00.150 of them. One of the signs of a healthy church 00:47:00.150 --> 00:47:02.650 is that there is a future because there are lots 00:47:02.650 --> 00:47:05.210 of children around and they are loved and they 00:47:05.210 --> 00:47:08.599 are discipled. And? We are told to be like children 00:47:08.599 --> 00:47:12.820 in a few things. Jesus said, assuredly I say 00:47:12.820 --> 00:47:15.519 to you, unless you are converted and become as 00:47:15.519 --> 00:47:17.780 little children, you will by no means enter the 00:47:17.780 --> 00:47:22.019 kingdom of heaven. So this is why food for babies 00:47:22.019 --> 00:47:25.340 is given to those who are newly converted. They 00:47:25.340 --> 00:47:28.539 need the milk of the word. They are to be as 00:47:28.539 --> 00:47:34.070 children in receiving. From Jesus and entering 00:47:34.070 --> 00:47:36.809 into the kingdom of heaven. He goes on and he 00:47:36.809 --> 00:47:38.909 says, therefore, whoever humbles himself as his 00:47:38.909 --> 00:47:41.730 little child is the greatest in the kingdom of 00:47:41.730 --> 00:47:45.030 heaven. Later on in Matthew 19 verse 14, Jesus 00:47:45.030 --> 00:47:47.889 said, let the little children come to me and 00:47:47.889 --> 00:47:50.590 do not forbid them for of such is the kingdom 00:47:50.590 --> 00:47:53.849 of heaven. We welcome and delight in children, 00:47:53.949 --> 00:47:57.139 but we don't want them to stay as babies. They 00:47:57.139 --> 00:48:00.179 need to grow. And that means physically, in your 00:48:00.179 --> 00:48:02.960 physical children, and that means also babes 00:48:02.960 --> 00:48:07.659 in Christ. Second, we are to be like babies in 00:48:07.659 --> 00:48:10.599 malice. In other words, we don't have malice. 00:48:10.659 --> 00:48:14.619 A baby doesn't have malice. So in 1 Corinthians 00:48:14.619 --> 00:48:17.380 14, verse 20, Paul then tells them, Brethren, 00:48:17.460 --> 00:48:20.599 do not be children in understanding. However, 00:48:20.820 --> 00:48:24.159 in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. 00:48:24.719 --> 00:48:27.679 So we're to be like babies in malice. That is, 00:48:27.719 --> 00:48:30.579 we don't have it. We put it to death where we 00:48:30.579 --> 00:48:33.619 don't walk in malice toward one another. But 00:48:33.619 --> 00:48:36.300 in our understanding, we are not to be children. 00:48:36.400 --> 00:48:41.579 We are to be mature. Thirdly, let us deal with 00:48:41.579 --> 00:48:46.739 personal sin and immaturity that resides within 00:48:46.739 --> 00:48:52.860 us. Ask God to reveal it to you if you have it. 00:48:54.349 --> 00:48:57.530 And more than anything else, study the word of 00:48:57.530 --> 00:49:01.070 God with a hunger and a desire to grow and ask 00:49:01.070 --> 00:49:03.230 God for the power of the Holy Spirit to open 00:49:03.230 --> 00:49:07.090 it up to you. But dig into it in every way that 00:49:07.090 --> 00:49:11.329 you are capable of doing. Read good books or 00:49:11.329 --> 00:49:14.110 read commentaries. Ask the Spirit for guidance. 00:49:14.309 --> 00:49:18.019 Pray over the word. Pray the word. Just so you 00:49:18.019 --> 00:49:20.019 know where it's one of the great things to do 00:49:20.019 --> 00:49:21.940 in the book of Psalms. Take a psalm and pray 00:49:21.940 --> 00:49:24.880 it to the Lord. Let the word of God dwell in 00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:28.960 you richly and make you mature. But deal with 00:49:28.960 --> 00:49:33.940 personal sin and immaturity. As we will see in 00:49:33.940 --> 00:49:36.320 the next passage of scripture, Christ's church 00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:39.360 in each congregation is described as God's field, 00:49:39.559 --> 00:49:43.219 God's building, and God's temple. God's field, 00:49:43.400 --> 00:49:46.840 God's building, and God's temple. The field is 00:49:46.840 --> 00:49:49.659 to be cultivated, planted, and watered so that 00:49:49.659 --> 00:49:53.260 much is produced. The building is to be built 00:49:53.260 --> 00:49:56.400 with solid material so that the edifice is not 00:49:56.400 --> 00:49:59.239 only sound and strong, but that it is beautiful. 00:49:59.960 --> 00:50:04.119 Let us then, as Christian believers in this congregation, 00:50:04.440 --> 00:50:08.340 being fitted together, grow into a holy temple 00:50:08.340 --> 00:50:11.860 in the Lord, built together for a dwelling place 00:50:11.860 --> 00:50:16.880 of God by... The Spirit. Let's pray.