Know spiritual truth?

1 Corinthians 2

My devotional book does not have an entry for Leap Year so today I selected an article floating around social media that sounds good. The title is “One minute after a believer dies” and it is followed by six points and Scripture references.

When I read it, I thought the points sounded true, but the references are shaky, taken out of context and most of them do not say what the points claim they say. One response called this article “fake news” and others warned Christians to be careful of what they were reading.

Yet why do these points sound true? Biblically, some knowledge comes by ‘experience’ such as when the disciples witnessed the life of Christ and knew He was a real person. However, some of what Jesus said was a mystery. They needed to understand, but their knowledge came by only ‘revelation’ — which is much more difficult to define. On this topic, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God 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 understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:6–13, italics mine)

Sometimes I have what is called ‘senior moments’ when the name of a person or a word drops out of my mind. No matter how hard I try, it will not come to me. That is what it is like to be in the dark about spiritual matters. A person might realize there is something to know, or have a vague idea, but the reality of it seems to be blocked. Revelation is something like that ah-ha moment when I remember the name!

Regarding spiritual matters, those realities do not come to mind the same way. The problem is not that they are blocked as much as the ‘receptor’ isn’t working. The human spirit without Christ is what the Bible calls ‘dead’ — not cold and inert dead but separated from the things of God and we cannot ‘get’ our heads around them. We might be aware something is there but at best can only guess what it is. Sin does this. Sin is that determination to do life my way — but that approach messes with understanding or even seeing God’s way. I needed God to reveal it to me.

Paul explains further:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14–16)

This explains why revelation is needed and how it happens. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that I was a sinner in need of salvation and gave me His gift of faith and eternal life. This happened because Jesus Christ entered my life — an entrance so powerful that He gave me His mind as well as His life to energize my dead spirit and make it alive.

The result? The ability to think God’s thoughts, which is utterly amazing. Sinful me might try to figure out what the Bible says and means without relying on God to show me. It might lead to stuff like this list of what happens when we die. The Spirit may be revealing that some of this is true, but the sinful flesh tries to find proof-texts rather than simply believing what God has revealed by faith.

I KNOW that I will be with Jesus the moment I die. How do I know? I cannot explain it; I just know. These verses might miss the mark in proving it, but the entire biblical message used by the Spirit assures all God’s people of things that experience cannot reveal, and human knowledge cannot grasp. For that, I need Jesus and the gift of faith.

From dead in sin to alive in Christ

We easily use ‘dead’ as a euphemism for sleep — “Last night I slept like a dead person” — but the Bible uses it as a description for all people because we are by nature dead in sin. Death means separation from life, and in the case of sin, separation from God.

In the divine legal system, every person is born legally dead. Some are less corrupt than others in the sense of expressing their sinfulness, yet all have no spiritual life. Sin does that. Sin is the expression or evidence of death and sooner or later produces corruption. Being dead, we are unable to help ourselves and have no power to make ourselves alive.

When Lazarus died, his sisters were utterly dismayed that Jesus had not come to heal him. When He did show up, they told Him exactly how they felt, but He had something to say also:

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:21–27)

This narrative is a test. It asks me the same questions. I’ve people in my family who are growing close to the end. Some know that Jesus is the Christ and are not fearful. Others do not and are afraid. What about me? Will the knowledge of Jesus Christ ease the dismay of death? Or will I be utterly dismayed by it and by the loss of someone I love?

Some questions cannot be answered until the challenge is actual and the issue must be addressed. Herein is the value of the Gospel. Before I knew Jesus, that question would swirl unanswered until the crisis came, but because of what He has done, I already know at least how I will react at the dying of those who know Jesus also. This Word from God is for them and for me:

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1–7)

We who believe have already been given life from death! It starts with the new birth, not a decision we made, nor a group effort between us and God. It is a resurrection to life from being dead in sin, and incredible gift from God. This new life goes beyond physical life too. That is, when my body dies, I live on, and like Lazarus, I will hear the voice of Jesus calling me out from the grave. The difference is that unlike Lazarus, I will not die again, but from that point on will walk into eternity with Jesus, forever alive with a life that began when He caused me to be born again.

In other words, we who believe in Jesus already are alive from the dead. Physical death is simply that life moving from our bodies to another place that He has prepared for us, a place with no more tears, no more sorrow, a place where we will be together with Him forever.

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I’m aware today more than ever of the fleeting nature of this life, but this life is not all that I have! You have given me new life, Your life and because of that, there is more beyond the end of things here. Without this promise and this hope, some will say that “the best is yet to come” — little do they realize how true that is for those who know You!

This post is dedicated to my cousin, Norman who passed from this life to the next early this morning. He was my buddy when we were young and leaves many who will miss him very much.

Three-part creatures — when fully alive!

A Chinese Christian who was martyred for his faith wrote several books that have blessed me. From Scripture, he determined that humanity was body, soul, and spirit. He further defined these with body being the physical part, soul consisting of intellect, emotions, and volition, and the spirit being the deep place where we become aware of our sin and of the righteousness of God, and where communication with God begins. For those who have not been given spiritual life, the human spirit is “dead in sin” and blind to spiritual truth. It is not functional.

Christians are aware that living by the human qualities of intellect, emotions, and will can run us into trouble if those faculties are not governed by an “alive and well” spirit that is in tune with God and yielded to Him. When given the governing place, my soul can create a facsimile of Christianity, but it is a mere façade if it is not energized by my spirit and the Holy Spirit.

This happened to some New Testament believers. They were convinced they must mark themselves as God’s people using the Old Testament ritual of circumcision and keep the laws also given in the OT. Paul warned the believers in the NT not to fall into that trap. Our life in Christ is not based on those things but on the fact that our spirits have been made alive in Christ; I am a new creation with a new life from Him . . .

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Galatians had life from Christ but they slid into self-effort because of the false teaching about circumcision and their need to keep the OT laws. Paul told them:

“For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:13–16)

The human soul plays an important part in my Christian life. It reveals with is happening in my spirit, or at least it should. God tells me to live by a renewed mind, not trusting my own understanding, but seeking His wisdom. My will ought to be yielded to His will also. The Bible says:.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5–7)

As for emotions, the Holy Spirit gives joy that overrides even trials. He produces sorrow for sin, righteous indignation instead of human anger, and a host of other feelings that I would not otherwise experience as He works through my spirit to govern my soul and body.

These truths point to Jesus and the Cross. There He died to sin — putting His body and soul on the line in my place. He gave up His Spirit so that I might live as He lived — by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by the dictates of my body and my soul.

This is why Paul boasted in the Cross. He was not crucified to sin or the world, nor made a new creature, by an act of his will. It happened because Jesus died. God placed him ‘in Christ’ so he died with Christ. Then Christ confronted him and he became a new creation. This was not Paul’s doing but the work of Jesus Christ just as Jesus said . . .

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide . . . .” (John 15:16)

Chambers says, “Every now and again, Our Lord lets us see what we would be like if it were not for Himself; it is a justification of what He said—‘Without Me ye can do nothing.’”

And to that I say, Amen.