So, if we’re a believer, we have the Spirit. And this Spirit was given to us so that we could know the mind of God — a level of communication even deeper than direct conversation. Yet we find ourselves asking how God communicates with us, fearful that the most we can hope for is guidance from documents recorded at least 2000 years ago. How is it possible for us to have the Spirit, yet be so oblivious to His communication with us?
Let’s take another look at 1 Corinthians 2.
Remember that in 2:6-16, Paul did not start out talking about the Spirit. Rather, he was talking about wisdom. Specifically, the kind of wisdom the Greeks sought — a pursuit which he had no intention of satisfying. Instead, his message — the message of the cross — seemed foolish to them.
Not that the message of the cross is foolish. But it’s wisdom is only comprehended by those who he calls mature (2:6).
And this is where the Spirit comes in. This wisdom is revealed through Him to these mature individuals. Although all believers have the Spirit, Paul is not speaking of all believers here. He is speaking of the mature. This is a critical distinction.
In his explanation of how these mature gain this wisdom (2:6-16), he describes them as spiritual (v. 15), contrasting them with the natural man, who does not have the Spirit (v. 14). Based on what we have already studied, we know that this kind of person must be an unbeliever.
So, at this point in his explanation, we have two groups
- mature believers, whom Paul calls spiritual
- natural men, unbelievers who do not have the Spirit.
But these are not the only two options. In spite of the chapter break between 1 Corinthians 2 & 3, Paul continues, turning his attention to the condition of the Corinthians.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? – 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 ¶
Although the Corinthians were believers (1:4-8), Paul could not talk to them as he would spiritual (or mature – see 2:6) individuals. But he does not call them natural either (2:14). Instead, he places them in a third category — men of flesh, clarifying that they are infants in Christ. As infants, they are believers, yet are distinct from those who are mature, or spiritual.
So, we can see that the mature believers are sensitive to the Spirit’s communication, while immature believers are not. Instead, they continue to live out of the impulses of their flesh, and are thus called fleshly.
But doesn’t calling the Corinthians fleshly seem pretty harsh? I mean these guys were zealous for the spiritual gifts (14:12), with tongues and prophecy being prominent among them. How can Paul call them immature/fleshly?
Simple. He points to the way they relate to one another. The strife and jealousy among them reveals their immaturity (3:3). Notice again how Paul words it: “For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” The jealousy and strife identifies them as fleshly, which Paul goes on to elaborate, means acting like mere men. As if they should be much more.
Like what?
Spiritual individuals. Individuals whose lives transcend humanity and manifest the wisdom revealed by God’s Spirit, who dwells in them.
This distinction between fleshly and spiritual receives expanded treatment in Galatians 5. There a description of what it looks like to live out of our flesh is contrasted with the results of the Spirit in our lives.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:19-23
As we saw in 1 Corinthians, when Paul is speaking of fleshly, he is talking about immature believers, and when he is talking about spiritual, he is talking about mature believers.
So, the mature believer, who is sensitive to the Spirit, will be characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
On the other hand, an immature believer is not living out of a responsiveness to the Spirit. He is fleshly. His life will be characterized by immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing.
Which brings us back to the question that we began the article with:
“How is it possible for us to have the Spirit, yet be so oblivious to His communication with us?”
The answer? A prominent possibility is that we are immature believers, who, by definition, are insensitive to His communication.
There is, I think, another possibility, but we need to address this question of our maturity first.
So, could we be immature believers, too busy chasing our own agendas, living out of our own impulses to even be aware that He is speaking?
That’s a very real possibility. But, as we have seen, the measure is not so much whether we are aware of His communication, as it is in the traits that define us. Are we characterized by the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit?
Ok. So I take inventory of my life, and discover that I am characterized by some of the works of the flesh. What now?
Well, the temptation is to work on eliminating those traits. But that misses the point, focusing on the symptom rather than the cause. We don’t change our character by focusing on our flaws. True transformation takes place at a much deeper level. Instead of living out of our fleshly impulses, we must begin to walk by the Spirit. Only then will we manifest the fruit described in Galatians 5.
So, how do we walk by the Spirit?
We’ll take that up next.