April 3

DISCERNING SPIRITUAL THINGS
by Ray Prinzing

"Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."             (1 Corinthians 2:13)

Comparing spiritual things - to judge or sift together.  One can only judge something by its relation to something else of equal value, and thus spiritual things can only be judged, discerned, in the light of other spiritual things.  One translation reads, "by spiritual, spiritual things communicating."  "The flesh cannot give us spiritual communication, since "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the onto the other."  (Galatians 5:17).

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might now the things which are freely given to us of God."  (1 Corinthians 2:14, 12).

With the natural mind at enmity to the Spirit of God, one cannot appeal to any natural reasoning if they would impart a deep spiritual truth.  But, if the individual has an open and receptive spirit, one  can impart to their spirit a truth which has, proverbially, gone over their head, and in due time that Seed will take root and grow, and eventually the mind is quickened and brought into conformity to that truth.

Jesus spoke many precious things by using the most common and everyday illustrations in His parables, but it is significant that there was more concealing than revealing in what He spoke.  For the multitudes about Him it became a mystical story, while in private he would expound unto His disciples the meaning thereof.  Only those who were prepared to receive THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH were able to comprehend anything of what He spoke.  while some try to reinforce their ideas with bible passages, we are reminded, it is "not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life."  (2 Corinthians 3:6).