THE MIND OF CHRIST Traced Back to Adam The "natural man" can be traced back to Adam--fallen Adam. He is related to the "first man" by sin, as well as general origin. "So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that, the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the Second Man from heaven" (1 Cor 15:45-47, NASB). -- Tomorrow:
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:11-16, NASB).
Devotion 3 of 28
What do we mean when we say "nature," or "natural?" This is a pivotal point in Scripture, and must be comprehended to a measurable degree. Our text tells us about a "natural man." That is not a specific person, but a classification of personalities. It describes the unregenerate state--one in which the individual has NOT been united with Christ. It speaks of the generation that sprang from the first man, Adam, and has no relation to Jesus Christ.
Some have erroneously alleged that "the natural man" is someone who was not an Apostle. Those acquainted with Scripture will recognize the utter absurdity of such a thought. The "natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God." Not only that, things proceeding from the Spirit are "foolishness" to the natural man. This CANNOT refer to those who are simply not Apostles, for Scripture makes clear that those in Christ Jesus have "received a faith of the same kind" as the Apostles themselves (2 Pet 1:2, NASB). There is not place for such foolish explanations among the people of God.
The "second Man" is the Lord Jesus. However, He is not the "Second Man" from the standpoint of chronology. Rather, He is a second order, or kind, of Man. He heads up a new order--a new generation of men. He was, after all, "cut off out of the land of the living" without any fleshly generation (Isa 53:8). The genealogy of the Messiah can be traced from Adam through the Lord Jesus Himself (Lk 2:23-38). However, even though He had no fleshly offspring, His name is "Everlasting Father" (Isa 9:6). He has begotten countless children! In the end, He will stand before the Father and confess, "Behold I and the children which God hath given me" (Heb 2:13). He is that "life giving Spirit," who enables those who are born again to receive the things of the Spirit of God. To everyone else, they are "foolishness," and cannot be "received."
The "natural man" is the person whose genealogy can only be traced back to Adam. it is the person with no spiritual tie with the "Second Man," the Lord Jesus from heaven.
The person related to Jesus has such a close affinity with Him that the word "seed," to whom the promises were made, applies to him as well as to Jesus. As it is written, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ . . . And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:16,29).
From the Divine point of view, there are only two men. One is from earth, the other is from heaven. One is associated with a curse, the other with a blessing. One brought death to our race, the other brought life. The Word of God is clear on this matter. The following passage is somewhat lengthy, but it will assist in setting the tone for this study.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned . . . death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous" (Rom 5:12-19, NASB).
The comparisons confirm the source of both the natural and the spiritual man. Here are the things affirmed of Adam, the head of the natural order, and to whom all natural men are ultimately traced.
1. Sin entered the world by Adam (v. 12a).
2. Death entered the world because of Adam's sin (v. 12b).
3. Death passed upon all men because of Adam's sin (v. 12c).
4. Adam was only a "figure" of the true Man, Christ Jesus (v. 14).
5. Many are dead because of the offense of Adam (v. 15).
6. Because of Adam's sin, condemnation came upon all men (v. 16).
7. Death reigned because of Adam's sin (v. 17).
8. Because of Adam's offense, judgment resulted in the condemnation of all men (v. 18).
9. Many were made sinners by Adam's disobedience (v. 19).
It should not surprise us that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. Sin made the progenitor of the human race a corrupt tree, and good fruit cannot come from a corrupt tree (Matt 7:17). Thus, men must be born again (John 3:8). This is not a mere option, it is an absolute necessity.
It is quite possible that the remarkable level of spiritual ignorance that is found in the professing church is owing to it being natural. While we ought not be hasty to ascribe such a state to men, all should be eager to show this is really not the case with them. If their minds are repulsed by the things of God, they need to be born again, profession notwithstanding. There simply is no place in the Divine economy for the "natural man."
PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You through Jesus Christ that You have provided a message and a means through which the things of the Spirit can make sense to me.