March 25, 2025

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 cor 2:14 nkjv   Why is this? Why is the unredeemed man (not born of the Spirit) not able to receive things of the Sprit of God… ? Yeshua told Nicodemus, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” jn 3:3 nkjv   Nicodemus was a good man, I think, well read in the Torah, and seemingly sincere concerning his faith, at least according to his own “understanding.”

We live in a “two world” realm… One, the world of the first man, Adam; and the second, the world of the second [last] Adam… Yeshua:

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” 1 cor 15:45 nkjv

In our “first” experience coming into natural birth, living beings, we are all “of” the sinful nature of our fallen ancestor the first Adam… and we remain in a continual state of entropy; The simple definition of entropy, is that entropy is the measure of the disorder of a system. On the contrary, Yahweh created the natural world to thrive and be in perfect order… Adam, man’s fall, perverted the perfect order of life, which included Adam being spiritually alive, and his sin killed him spiritually, and thereby it became necessary for the “second” [last] Adam [Yeshua] to come as a life-giving spirit so that a spiritually dead man could be restored to eternal spiritual fellowship with his creator… at least for those who “call upon the Name of the LORD” to be saved. Rom 10:13 nkjv

When Satan deceived Adam [Eve], he told them, “ye shall not die,” disputing Yahweh’s very instructions… it was a trick lie [part truth, as are all good deceptions]. See Genesis 3 for context. Surely Adam did die, spiritually, at once, and physically some 930 years later. Did Adam understand the difference between spiritual death and natural death… do we? We are born spiritually dead, but by Yeshua’s redeeming work, we can be born again… as Yeshua was discussing in John 3:3  with Nicodemus. This is the “two world” realm I mentioned earlier. The Bible teaches us there is first the natural, and then the spiritual…

“ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” 1 cor 15:46-49 nkjv

Why is it so important to understand these two “world realms?” It’s not if you reject Biblical truth and turn your prideful nose up against Yahweh’s Word… disobedience by the way, gets the same results as defiant unbelief and rebellious attitudes… a place is reserved for all such folks in the lake of fire according to what I read the Bible to say.

Moving on to the main point that these understandings apply to, in our times… First, the born-again spirit inspired believer, who keeps themselves read up in Biblical teachings, will simply see the world around them, through Biblical “eyes.” This is part of the ministry value of the indwelling Holy Spirit [to lead us into all truth, jn 16:13].  In other words, the current events of our times are sending numerous warning signals as to the seriousness of these days we live in, that I think, the Bible describes as the “last days.” When Yeshua told the believers to, “pray that they be accounted worthy to escape the things coming upon the earth, and to be able to stand before the Son of Man,” how could they know what to pray about if they could not discern the times… or the happenings being good or evil? Important note here: your or my “personal” opinion of good or bad, or any other “sign” of times, does not count… Only what Yahweh’s Word defines counts… and that has to be “coupled” with a man’s spirit that has been “born again.”

“ For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 thes 5:2-4 nkjv

Paul warns the Galatians that they should be spiritually discerning… not fleshly minded: “ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” gal 5:16-17 nkjv   AND, Paul Tells the Ephesians...

“ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” eph 4:17-19 nkjv

The Biblical message is clear, at least to the one with a born again sprit mind. We are competing against a very powerful intelligence [god of this world, Satan]… the father of lies and accuser of the faithful. He works through other people as well as circumstances; some may be your good friends and family. Any opening you allow him access to, he will invade by subtle and partially true temptations. Without our “sword of the Spirit [Word of God]” and the guiding of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the roadway planted with deceptions and temptations, which are custom fitted to each individual’s fleshly and careless appetites, we can be victims of his assault causing much pain and suffering… So, hear again the first words from the beginning… “Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.” prov 19:27 nkjv

Shalom, John