ARE YOU SPIRITUAL?

"But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man" (I Corinthians 2:15).

The word rendered "spiritual" is the Greek word pneumatikos, from which theologians have coined the term "pneumatology," the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Thus a "spiritual" person is one who is not only born again spiritually through faith in Christ and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, but also tries diligently to follow the leading of the indwelling Spirit and to understand and obey the precepts of the Bible inspired by Him.

A spiritual person will have "the mind of Christ" (I Corinthians 2:16), able to judge all things by spiritual standards and Biblical revelation. He or she will "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," knowing that "to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:4,6). As such, spiritual believers prayerfully make decisions seeking God’s will, they are "led by the Spirit of God" (Romans 8:14). And since they "walk in the Spirit," they "shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

They will often and repeatedly be "filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18) for Christian service. Furthermore, they will manifest "the fruit of the Spirit" in their lives and personalities--that is, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22,23).

Yet while "he that is spiritual" is thereby able to discern and evaluate all things by such divine standards, he will find himself often misunderstood by unsaved relatives and acquaintances, for "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: . . . because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:14).

Nevertheless, "he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:8).

HMM
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
February 21, 2008