Title: Ignorance of the Gospel
ignorance of the gospel
1 Corinthians 2:14
I. text commentary
We saw through the sermon that God gave the Holy Spirit to those who believe so that they may know Christ and the benefits that come from Christ.
II. natural person
In the text we are looking at today, it is said that the natural person does not receive these spiritual things.
A.Original word: “Pushukikos”
The original word for “flesh” in this text is psukikos, which is derived from the word psuke. Psyche is a word that corresponds to the “soul” of the soul, and in the Greek view of the human being, the three divisions, it corresponds to the soul among the spirit, soul, and body. However, from the biblical point of view, it would be appropriate to view the soul as an action of the spirit rather than as an intermediate being between the spirit and the body. Referring to psuke, which has the meaning of soul, life, greed, and lust, psukikos is the place where the meaning of the meaning of being a person of physical life is the place.
B. Meaning of this expression
Ⅲ. Characteristics of the natural man
A. Ignorance of God
The characteristic of the natural man is ignorance of God, which cannot be reached by human reason.
1. about existence
After Augustine's conversion from materialistic thinking, he confessed that "God does not exist as a material being, in such a way that if he was here he could not be there." Natural people are not able to think like this. These are those who do not want to acknowledge the existence of God, the invisible Spirit. They are in a situation where they cannot even come to the true knowledge that leads to salvation.
2. About character
They do not believe that God intervenes in human affairs to rule and rule over us. They accept the fact that God intervenes in everything they go through, either by chance or fate. So, after the story of Cain and Abel's sacrifice in Hebrews 11, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." There is a verse, but those without faith do not trust in God's providence and disposition and reveal the characteristics of the natural man.
B. Ignorance of what God is doing
The work of God refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, but the natural man is ignorant of how God decides, works, and preserves human salvation by grace. So, no matter how much a believer has mastered the principles of the Bible, if they do not experience God in the real mystery of the spirit, these many truths do little to establish us. If we are not in grace, though we learn a lot of doctrine, the sin in us does not die and lives to harden our hearts. In this way, the natural person under the control of sin cannot help but be ignorant of the work of God's spiritual Spirit, who hears the word, but changes the nature of the soul, comforts the soul, and transforms the deeply ingrained evil nature into holy.
C. Reasons for Ignorance: Carnal Thinking
The reason natural people are ignorant of this world of truth is that they are so used to the frame of carnal thinking that they cannot abandon it. This is what we experience as we evangelize unbelievers, and when we see that we believe in this gospel that they will never accept, we experience that this gospel we believe in is truly a mystery. In doing so, we come to realize that the response to this gospel is truly a spiritual matter.
IV. Conclusion: Seek the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
Whenever God speaks to us, His heart is always there. God does not speak without a heart. Therefore, even when a believer hears the Word, he or she accepts all of God's heart and emotions according to the Word. If there is no change in feelings after hearing the Word, this reflects that the state of the soul is not healthy. Because our souls are interconnected by intellect, emotions, and will, knowing the Word of God is in line with feeling and relying on it. Just as an instrument has a resonator and makes its sound resonate, if the light of the word shines brightly on us, we must make the word resonate in our souls and be revealed in our lives. We must pray daily so that our attitude of receiving the Word may be influenced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If we receive the Word and there is no change in our hearts, we should ask for the grace of God the Holy Spirit more. Let us pray daily that the Holy Spirit cleanses us in darkness, heals us with the Word, and empowers us to live as human beings. 2008-10-01