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/
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of God; that no root of bitterness springing up
causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)
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