HF138 - What it means to be 'Spiritual'
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Fri Feb 25, 2005
Subject: Bible Study HF138 - What it means to be 'Spiritual'
Hebraics,
A New Testament term that is sometimes misunderstood is the term 'spiritual. Actually the term 'spiritual' is never applied to any person of the former testament. This is because of its direct connection to the cross. Let's get into some nuts and bolts of what it means to be spiritual in the new covenant sense.
This is Bible Study HF138 - What it means to be 'Spiritual'.
Being spiritual simply means that the spiritual person has matured to the level of learning to live his or her life out of the Holy Spirit. But there is more to the issue of being spiritual than a simple definition. We will find this our shortly.
First lets nail down the issue of how the term spiritual is technically a new covenant term. It is not found in the Greek text of the Old Testament, nor is it ever applied in the new covenant writings to any person in the Old Testament. There is a reason for this. But this does leave us with a question. Were not the Old Testament prophets, men of the Spirit? Yes, they were, but not in the same sense as to how the term 'spiritual' is applied to new covenant believers.
Until the cross was in place, no one could be spiritual in the same sense as is applied to new covenant believers. A Scripture portion that pretty much defines this is John 7:38,39. Listen carefully and you will see the qualifier. Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
How could Jesus say that the Spirit was not yet given? We know that Abraham, and the prophets, and even John the Baptist had the Spirit present in their lives. We also know that the Spirit was present with the disciples before the cross. The exclusion clause is that no one could have the Spirit in the measure of the cross before the ascension of Jesus. The reason is given; "Because Jesus was not yet glorified."
After Jesus took His place in heaven as the resurrected 'Lord of glory,' the Spirit then comes into the new covenant church to fill out the purpose of the cross. The purpose of the cross is a new creation wherein each and every believer would be God-indwelt. This is why Jesus told the apostles that it was to their advantage that He go away. He said, "If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."
Keep in mind that these apostles were still under the former covenant of Moses. The distinction was that while Messiah was then present, yet the new covenant could not come into place until the work of the cross was finished.
The Lord went on to say, "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." [The term 'truth' in this context speaks of the very reality of the God things that came out of the cross.]
And again, "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said to you that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." (Cf. John 16:12-15) [He would take of the finished work of the cross and will disclose it to you.]
It would only be later that the disciples would be able to grasp the finished work of the cross. Out of the cross would come a new kind of man and woman, that is, people of the Spirit. These spiritual people would also be 'heavenly' born, that is, they would be heavenly citizens in earthly bodies. They would also be given the mind of Christ.
This is where we gain an important insight into what it means to be spiritual in the new covenant. Our spirituality begins with the cross. It is the working of the cross in us. It is also the working of heaven in us. If we keep the term 'the finished work of the cross' in view, this will disallow confusion between what it means to be a person of the Spirit in the Old Testament, and what it means to be a person of the Spirit in the new covenant.
The apostle was careful to point out that whatever Christ has become, we have also become. He is the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. John said that His fullness has been given to all believers. Thus we have become men of Christ and women of Christ, that is, Christians. This distinction of being a true Biblical Christian is so pronounced that Josephus spoke of Christians as being a tribe. (Sharing the same nature.)
The apostle Paul was careful to point out that nothing else really mattered, but "a new creation." Paul said, "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God." (Gal6:15,16)
The rule of the new creation speaks of God's direct rule of the hearts of His people, that is, of the rule of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. The apostle said that the kingdom of God [direct rule over the heart] is not about eating or drinking. Rather it is a rule of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit administrates spiritual things for spiritual people. But the Holy Spirit also administers spiritual things for fleshly believers, yet on an entirely different level. This is because every believer is dealt with as 'being in Christ.'
This brings us to two problem areas with regard to being spiritual. The first problem area can be called the anomaly of the fleshly believer.
Being spiritual is God's maturity norm for all new covenant believers. Being fleshly is not the norm. So a fleshly Christian eventually becomes an anomaly. An anomaly is defined as the one who is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify.
If there was ever a case of being neither fish nor fowl, it would be the fleshly believer. This believer is in constant warfare within himself. Paul describes this warfare as being between the Spirit and the flesh.
A believer living in the flesh is often a very unhappy person. This is because he is attempting to live in a double-minded state, or aside from his proper spiritual calling. His state can be compared to a sheep trying to live with pigs. It is contrary to his nature. After a bit the sheep may get somewhat use to the smell, but something inside senses the wrongness of his state. But his senses may become so dulled that other measures have to be taken. (Here I speak of the fleshly believer.)
This, in turn, brings us to the second problem area. Fleshly believers very often give opportunity for the working of strange spirits. How can this be? It is because the demonic realm is a realm of the spirit, and the fleshly believer is not often able to discern what is of God and what is of the enemy.
Here we need to take the term 'spiritual' into another setting. The word 'spiritual' derives from two Greek words that refer to invisibility and power. While it is most often is used with a connection to God Himself, this is not always the case. The demonic realm is also a spiritual realm. This is where the term 'spiritual' can also be defined as having the nature of spirits.
Paul tells us that our warfare is not of the flesh, but it is of a spiritual nature. The apostle says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph6:12)
Paul's point is that no believer can do spiritual warfare on a fleshly level. And while we have at our disposal 'divine weapons' if we are living by the flesh, our personal spiritual life is in a gray area. The apostle says that a spiritual person has an ability to place a value on all the things of life, whereas this ability is somewhat lost to the non-spiritual believer.
We see this clearly set forth with the Corinthian Church. Paul says to the Corinthians, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ." (1Co3:1) This Church gives us a picture of what happens to believers who are more interested in entertaining the flesh than in living with a purity of heart. We may want to make a comparison between the Corinthians and some of Christendom today.
Many of the Corinthians had reached the stage of wanting to be entertained. And the means of entertainment seemed to make little difference. Paul speaks to this in saying, "For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully." (2Co11:4)
Paul's point is that these believers were at a place where the spiritual activity in their midst had to be qualified. Unless all spiritual activity is directly and unqualifiedly related to the 'Spirit of truth', that is, the 'Holy' Spirit, then the spirit activity can just as easily be demonic in nature. This will always be the danger of wanting to be entertained by prophets, and following after what the apostle calls the 'winds of doctrines.' (Can we bring this home?)
But the apostle also gives the defining factor of what is at the heart of a spiritual person's walk with the Lord. Listen carefully and you will catch it: "But I am afraid, that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2Co11:3)
Did you catch it? Here are the two expressions to note: 'Craftiness', and, being 'led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.' The spiritual person is able to discern the 'craftiness' of Satan's work because of his purity of devotion to Christ Himself. The non spiritual believer is very often led astray.
What is the result of being led astray? It can be terrible indeed. A good example is given in 1 Timothy 6:9; "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction."
In this portion the apostle gives the balancers and the warnings with regard to the pursuit of riches. The balancer is, "If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content." The warning is, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
There is much more to be said about what it means to be spiritual. Let me leave off my part for now. The study can be a real eye opener. It needs to be processed. Feel free to ask questions or to make your own contributions.
Blessings in Christ,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)