Categorizes humanity into three distinct groups: the natural man, the carnal man, and the spiritual man, all based on one's relationship with the Holy Spirit and understanding of God's word. The natural man, unsaved, cannot comprehend spiritual truths, viewing them as foolishness. The carnal believer, though saved, lives according to the flesh, neglecting spiritual growth and the study of scripture, often feeding on 'milk' rather than 'meat.' In contrast, the spiritual believer actively engages with God's word, discerning spiritual truths through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who acts as the divine teacher in the 'university of the Bible.' The sermon urges listeners to examine which category they belong to, emphasizing the necessity of being born again and the ongoing pursuit of spiritual growth through diligent study of scripture.
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One of the greatest things we need as believers in the Lord Jesus is the enjoyment of fellowship with that Blessed One, of whom we have just heard, who desires to walk with us day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. And may I emphasize one fact, someday we who are believers in the Lord Jesus, not the unbelievers, that all who have been saved by his grace will be walking with him in the heavenly courts above, and throughout all eternity and join the ministry of our beloved and blessed Lord.
We also find this morning, and I know this quite often you sing it, teach me thy way, O Lord, teach me thy way. Beloved, I wish you've come with me to the word of God. And may the Lord teach us from that precious portion we shall cover. For I feel led to go if you will come with me to the first epistle of Corinthians. The first epistle of Corinthians, chapter two. I'd like to begin reading near the end of the chapter. For we can only turn to the word of God.
To know what he would have us to be. To know what he would have us to do. When we sing such words. Teach me thy way, O Lord. I would like to begin reading at chapter two of first Corinthians. At verse fourteen. I'm going to go down into chapter three. Through verse four I believe. all by the Holy Spirit writing, 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. But he that is spiritual judges all things, or discerneth all things, Yet he himself is just or discerned of no man. For who is known the mind of Christ? For the mind of the Lord, that he may entrust him. But we have the mind of Christ. And I brethren could not speak unto you, as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto days in Christ.
I have pet you with milk, not with me, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it. Neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and division, are ye not carnal and walketh men? For while one says I am of Paul, and another says I am of Apollos, Are ye not called? We stop the reading of the Word of God at this particular point, but we will re-emphasize some particular names that we have read in the portion before us.
If you will please note in chapter two and verse fourteen, we're introduced to a person that is called the natural man. Then, when you go to verse fifteen, We're introduced to another kind of a person called the spiritual man. Then when you go in chapter three, as we have read in verse one particularly, and on, we're introduced to a third person called the carnal man. May I emphasize to you my beloved believers as well as unbelievers, this is one section in the word of God.
that is so unusual, for it defines the human race into three categories of classification. Generally speaking, I'm sure every believer realizes it, and maybe unbelievers may realize it. When preaching from the Word of God, the human race can be classified into two divisions, either we are sane or we are not sane. And how true that is, we cannot be both. But in these scriptures that we have read, we find God by the Holy Spirit classifying the human race into three divisions.
A most unusual fact. He speaks of a natural man. He speaks of a carnal man. And he speaks also of a spiritual man. May I pause for a moment and ask myself, and may you ask yourself the question, which one am I? You cannot be the whole three. You're either a natural person who has never been sane, or you're either one of the other two. Classified, though Christians, if you please.
For the second division that we haven't read, they apply not to the unsaved, but to the saved, the believers in the Lord Jesus. There are those that Paul calls spiritual, and there are those believers. And he named them in the city of Corinth here, to whom he writes in the church there. He says, I couldn't call you spiritual. I have to call you carnal, meaning you live according to the flesh and not according to the spirit. But let me take briefly with me on the three men. First of all, let's get rid of the natural man in the meaning of it.
In verse fourteen, but the natural man, now that means an enslaved man. He means a man who still has his human nature. But if you remember the words of Nicodemus, the Nicodemus of the Lord Jesus, saying in John chapter three, Marvel not that I say unto you that ye must be born again. The natural man needs a new birth. He hasn't received the second birth. He's still, by nature, unsaved, a natural person. But please note, what characterizes him? He doesn't receive the things of the Spirit of God.
The things of God. As we were singing, teach me thy word, O Lord. Teach me thy word. The natural man. He's not interested in them. In fact, as you go on, they are foolishness unto him. And you find that in the preceding chapter. How God considers us? The natural man doesn't want to know the things of God. And he considers us foolishness. Then even you will find the preceding instruction Paul says.
They even think the preaching of the cross is foolishness. I don't need it. And then if you read on in that same verse, neither can he know the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. Now the natural man may be rich, he may be poor, he may be educated, he may be uneducated, he may not be sophisticated, whatever he may be. He may be good or he may be bad or moral or immoral. But listen. that he's never been born again? Unsaid!
He cannot understand the things have gone. I remember many, many years ago reading of an incident. Two businessmen were traveling on the train from New Jersey across the state to go to the city of New York to their business. They got in conversation. One of them was a believer. And he began to witness to his partners who were sitting next to him. And as he talked of the Bible to him, the man said, I don't understand the Bible. The beloved Christian brother said, I know you don't. You can't. And the Bible said, you cannot understand it.
And you will not understand it until you're born again. And say, and there's the natural man. I hope you're not there. For the greatest thing for you to do is to be born again and find in the precious Lord Jesus and through the death of his cross your salvation in his precious, eternal, valued blood. Oh, the joy of knowing the Savior as your own and passing from death of the life. My beloved, let me say this.
The natural man will never go to heaven. And neither will any other person go to heaven until they have been born again. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there's none of the name under heaven given among men. Whereby we must say, my beloved, let me repeat it again. You have to be saved by faith in the Lord Jesus. And may I re-emphasize Ephesians two eighty-nine. For we are saved by grace, through faith, that none of yourselves. It is the gift of God. None of us were sent in answer's book.
My beloved, let me please give a little word of warning. There are many who are preaching today. A salvation that is not by grace. But by works. We can only be saved by becoming in confession to God, a guilty sinner, needing the precious redemption of our Lord Jesus at Calvary. But now let's consider the other person to which we have referred. We go down into chapter three, first of all.
Now let me repeat again, the spiritual man is a believer. And the carnal one is a believer. Luke, please note in Church One in Chapter Three, Paul addresses the faith here and calling, writing to the church there. You're my brethren. You're my fellow believers. And if you have ever been saved, you're my fellow believer. And a believer, a fellow believer of all believers and Christians, wherever they are. God has only one family, and they are all the children of God through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
But I want you to notice why the dear Apostle Paul writes that he does in his first verse of the Corinthians. But please let me remind you, please, if the dear Apostle Paul has to write a letter to the church, it flums gospel chapel. to the believers at Lawrence Gospel chapter. Would he have to write these words? Know them in verse one. I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual. Would he accuse you and me of being a carnal Christian and not a spiritual one?
Is there a... Yes, there is a difference we should see, God willing. But here the Apostle Paul is saying, and writing. I can write to you, a spiritual believer. I know why he says it, but as unto Calvary the word means fleshly. Meaning, you find that corner. To God be the glory. Why did you think it? I could not hardly think of the words that was Corinthian said. I think it was thirteen. Whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, or whatsoever ye do, to all, for all, the glory of God.
But here was Christians in college, failing to do it, said, I have to write unto you even as unto them. Me, you most, you living as though you've only just been trained. And may I remind you, I don't know how long, my fellow believer, I speak kindly to you. I don't know how long you have been saying. I know mine. Spiritual birthday goes way back when most of you here were not even living in nineteen fourteen. I hope another day at the present time in Christ.
You may remember the words that Peter in first Peter's baptism. Writing to newborn babes. Those that have just been born again. And what do you write? As newborn babes. Desire what? The sincere milk of the word that you may grow there. Come up. You sign to him. I heard you sing it. Teach me thy will, Lord. Do you want him to do it? Where do you get it from? the word had gone. And here the beloved Corinthians, to whom Paul writes, had not been growing. They'd been neglecting the word in their hearts and in their lines and in their testimony that had been dead was made evident.
And here the apostle goes on to say it, you look in verse two, I have fed you with milk, and I couldn't give you meat. But my beloved, you know very well. So when a newborn baby comes into the world, you can't give it a beef steak nor even a hamburger. It has to be fed milk. They could never digest the heavy food. Now beloved, please let me say, there's milk in this book and there's also heavy meat. What do you feed on? How much of it, how what are they to you, Satan?
Can you only stand them? Or can you have a, enjoy your good deeds, Satan? Meaning, the strong need of the word of God. You read in Hebrew chapter five, the accusation the Apostle Paul gave to the Hebrew Christian in the early church. He said, you should have been grown up by this time, teaching the words. And he said, you have to be taught. My beloved fellow believer, let me pray. Look, you're trying to hear my heard you say yes. Teach me, thy one. Has he been teaching you? For the carnal believer is one who neglects the word of God.
So now go back in chapter two. Look at the third one we want to speak of. In verse fifteen. For Jesus is spiritual. Why is this one characterized as being spiritual? Please let me emphasize again. I didn't divide the word of God this way. The Spirit of God did it. God did it himself. Classifying the whole human race in these three ways. Natural, carnal, spiritual. I raise the question to your heart and to my own.
Can I call myself a spiritual believer? Note the statement that Paul makes here about the spiritual man. See that is spiritual. The word is judges. It does not mean that he passes judgment, but what it really means in the meaning of it. He discerns. He understands. All the things. All things. Wait a minute. What do the all things mean? Now, beloved, look. They mean everything in this book. Not outside the book.
When you sang to him, teach me thy way, O Lord, how does he do it? Through the word. Thy word am I hidden in mine heart? Wrote the psalmist. Open thy word. Pray the psalmist. Open thine eyes, and I may behold wondrous things out of thy book. And the apostle is referred not to all things in life. But if you may know, please. Note in, as we go, the verse back to verse fourteen, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
Now please, my beloved believer, let me say it. When you were born again, you received the Holy Spirit. Why did you receive them? For what purpose? These are not the Lord Jesus' talents. When he comes, he will teach you. Oh, let me ask you a question. Has he been teaching you? Have you been turning to the book? From which and to which and by which you become a spiritual Christian? May I say it reverently, as well as personally, I cannot be a spiritual Christian apart from knowing the things of God from this precious man.
May I give you the thought? The spiritual man, he goes to school every day. Where? To the university of the Bible. You may attend Francis Marion University. You can go there all your life. If you don't learn the Bible that way. But you have a good teacher. And a teacher is the Holy Spirit. Go back in chapter two with me, please. I want you to go back with me to verse nine. Let me read through verse ten. Here I want you to recognize the university that you two attend.
It's a spiritual university. It's not a secular college. It's not a secular school. It's no humanitarian place. It's a divine university. Listen to the words in verse nine particularly. A note Paul writing to say, and if you read the preceding part of the chapter you had time, Paul said it's the wise men and the princes and the great men of the world had only known who Christ was. See, with the wisdom of God, we would never would have crucified. Look, you and I were Christians.
We don't need human wisdom, earthly wisdom, we need heavenly wisdom, divine wisdom. And Paul writes it, we speak the wisdom of God. Let me ask you a question. Let me ask you the right thing. How wise is God? Are you as wise as him? Never. So you want to know how wise he's been? He is. Better get acquainted with him. Since our brothers signed that lovely hand, I walk in the garden alone. I walk and I talk with him.
And he talks with me. He tells me I am his own. Then me. You personally, now let me emphasize it, not where we are now, corporately, all things, but personally, in my own life, my daily life. My daily life. He talked to me. How? True it would. You remember way back in the Old Testament in the days of Little Sango? Has God spoke to him in that temple or that tabernacle where he was with old Eli, the high priest?
The little lad only about five years of age. And the Lord began to speak. He didn't realize who he was talking to him until Eli told him. And Eli recognized for what the little boy said. God was speaking to him. He said, when he said it against you, tell him, speak law. For thy son and wife. Now, please know what we have to hear. Let me read verse nine. As it is written, and to quotation from the Old Testament, about one of the great prophecies, emphasizing, even in the Old Testament, I have not seen nor heard, neither have entered into the heart of man.
the things which God has prepared. For then that love proof, my fellow believer, you love him, don't you? One of the great truths, as you may read in verse chapter of John, that we belong to God, we love him, because he first loved us. But let me ask you the question. Am I off? The question. Do I know how much he loves me? Never. We used to sing a little chorus.
I always loved it when I heard it. He loves me, he loves me. Oh, the wonder is such a thought that he loves me. He loves me, he loves me. I never can love him as I ought, but he loves me. Beloved, let me say this before we go further in exposition on our particular portion. There's nothing in the world that can equal what God has for the believer to enjoy. Please note the words that we have just read.
No. See, I can't see it. The human ear has never been able to hear it. Neither has it entered into the heart of man. Humanly speaking, all the knowledge and science of the eye, the ear, and the human heart and mind. That's not what the child of God should be enjoying in going after. For the one long we read here, the things which God has prepared for who? them that love him. Similarly, let me emphasize this. Your spiritual education is more important than your physical as well as your mental education, if you're a believer.
Does your spiritual education in mind come first? or the secular education of this world. Look, business, education, science, name it, finances, money, riches, name everything that the world has. That's not what God has for his children. Look, if I know my Bible, when God saved me, He saved me, glory, He could take me out of this world. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world.
But please, let me ask you one question before I go further. How do you like the present condition of the world? Morally, spiritual, huh? We have much danger surrounding him. But not the things of God. They are not dangerous. But I want you to know them. Let me re-emphasize them. Before we go further to verse ten. The human eye.
And what God is saying. Both from the Old and New Testament. Quotation of these words. Human eye has never been able, can never know and reveal the things of God, thy nation. The human ear. And may I say something, you've got the human ear listening to people on the moon today. Are up there anyway in this space. And you hear their voices. Wait a minute. You don't hear the voices of God that way. But when you read the words of God, your objective is the person of God himself and your ear can listen to his voice.
And then the human heart, I want to tell you the human heart and that has connived and developed many, many things. Some of them good, I think most of them bad. For the way they've been turning around. but all the things of the Word of God. Well, let me repeat again. They're all in the Word of God. It's the University of the Bible. Let me remind you how many classrooms you have to go in. You've got more than you go in when you go to secular school. You've got sixty-six classrooms. How often have you been to Have you attended all the classes?
Have you studied through Genesis and gone on all the way till you got to the fifty-sixth one in the book of the Revelation? No. Please let me repeat again, this is God's school. Are you getting along? Yes, I know you have to work. Who doesn't? Oh, you don't eat? And God knows that. In fact, He promises He'd take care of you. And the Lord Jesus, when He was here, said, Your Heavenly Father knows what things you have need on before He asks Him. So as far as your temple and physical needs, some mercy and goodness have gone supplies that even to the unsaved.
Every man, woman, boy, and girl have the breath of God holding them together. And whatever the way they live in this life, God is holding their lives together. And watching and recording their daily portion. But oh, the joy of knowing, here are riches untold. But I want you to notice something in the next verse. Though the human mind and heart and eye can never reveal it by nature. Three verse nine. But as it is written, as it is, but God hath revealed them unto us.
How? By his spirit. For the spirit searches all things. Yea, the death and the deep things of God. Oh, beloved, let me say this. The sins of God are very deep. They're not shallow. Have I to confess I'm a shallow Christian? Oh, by God's grace, with a teacher like the Holy Spirit? Please let me read on. Please note, if you will, as I read on.
For what man knows the sins of the man, save the spirit of the man which is in him. He even stole the things of God, knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. I never will forget the testimony I once read in a Christian magazine, edited by Donald Barnhouse, a Philadelphia many years ago when he was living. And he wrote concerning a young school teacher. Who every summer to improve her education ability and teaching ability went back to the university she attended to get a refreshing course?
One winter she found the Lord Jesus as a Savior, and the next summer went to went back to the university she attended to get another refreshing course for her teaching. at the school she taught. She began to talk to the professors and to the teachers about the Lord, until one old professor got her into one side. He said, listen, my dear, what's happened to you since we saw you last summer? You never talked the way you talked to us now? What's happened? Who's been your teacher, he said. He couldn't understand that she began to talk about the things of God.
And she looked at him with a smile. She says, I've got a t-shirt with a capital T. Listen, believer. The Lord Jesus said, When the Spirit is come, he will teach you all things. Now please note, verse twelve, if I may read on. Now we have received, believer, When you were saved, you received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God. What for? That we might know the things that are freely given to us.
Look, how much do you have to pay for your secular education? If I listen carefully and read it right, the cost of human education is increasing greatly. financials. But here is the teaching of the Bible. You can get it free. No money. But you have a divine peace. The Holy Spirit.
Let me read that twelve verse again. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God that we might know. Oh, don't tell me you don't know your Bible. If you're a believer, it's your own fault. You've been neglecting the teacher, and you've been neglecting the university to attend each class. To know the things that are freely given to us are not. And note verse thirteen, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom.
No. Please let me say it again reverently, carefully, truthfully, don't depend on man's wisdom to teach it. None in words which man's wisdom to teach it, but with the Holy Ghost teaching, communicating spiritual things with Jesus. Where do you find them all? In the precious one. The Word is gone. And as we have emphasized, please let me emphasize before we close, here are three categories.
Which one do you belong in? First of all, let me give a word of encouragement again. If you have to consider, oh, I've never been saved. I'm a natural person. I've never had another birth. Please, let me remind you again of Nicodemus in John three. When he came to the Lord Jesus and heard the Lord Jesus tell him, after even complimenting him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher. Come from God for no man can do the miracle. The sound Joseph said, God, he would wonder if your demons didn't know. He was more than a teacher. He was God himself that he comes to teach. Now let me reemphasize.
You and I have a divine teacher. Every believer. Brother and sister. Yonder all, again, and he reminds you of the words of dear Peter, as he speaks of newborn babes, as newborn babes desire to drink their milk of the word that you may grow there. And even at the end of Peter's second epistle, he once again speaks of growing growing when he declares, but grow in grace. and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
How are you going? Look at these words again. Let me please bring them before you. As you have it in verse forty, the natural man cannot understand man. Neither could Nicodemus. Though I do believe from the record of the life of Nicodemus in John, St. John's Gospel, please remember when all the disciples were spoken, Nicodemus, together with Joseph and Arimathea, took care of his precious body. He saw the light. He came to be daylight in his soul.
And if you're not saved, please, the first thing to do is get saved. Oh, the joy of knowing, the moment you're saved, Then you have the blessed privilege of growing. Peter writes in St. Peter chapter one of a new nation. And you do have a new nation. You've got two nations. Please let me remind you. The old one never will improve. It doesn't improve, not even with age. If you don't believe it, ask me. I'll tell you. How about the new nation? Please let me say.
You'll never develop into perfection. As long as you're here, not until the Lord comes. And then he will perfect. He will complete that which concerns you. See that has begun a good work and you will finish it until the day of Jesus' death. Well, let me add one thought. When you get to heaven, now you're going to be spiritual, now you're going to be calm. Your naga will be calm. You won't have the opportunity. Look, remember the words of Paul, first Corinthians chapter fifteen?
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. But we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. This corruptible in the grave must put on incorruption. This mortal that is living must put on immortality. There's a change come. Look, let me tell you this day again. Your opportunity to be spiritual upon the earth, and having a spiritual testimony will end when your breath ends.
unleasing. But in eternity, you won't have any flesh. You'll have a new body. A spiritual body. I thank God for those words that Paul writes in First Corinthians. It's raised a spiritual body. Right down here you've got a natural body. And it limits fruit. But please may I remind you again? That old body of the flesh can keep you from being spiritual. Cater to your flesh. Cater to your want. What you want. Not what the Lord wants. No. Again, may I challenge you as you were singing. Do you want daughter to teach you his name?
Beloved, you have to go to school. No, you don't have to go to Francis family. You can get some other form of education there. Because you'll have to get your spiritual education from this book, the Bible. Let me quote the words of verse seventy-three, sixteen. For all scripture, meaning every scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for conviction, and for instruction in right living. that a man of God may be perfect or complete, truly furnished unto all good ones.
Listen, I challenge you. You've got me to do it. I didn't plan on speaking on this. But I heard the song you sang, as you often do. Teach me thy way, O Lord. Teach me thy way. Well, now let me give it very frightening. First of all, if you're not saved, The first thing you need to do is come to the Lord Jesus and say, God, be merciful to me, the sinner, and save me. I believe you died to save my soul. Then, follow the word of God, listen to his voice in this precious word.
And you and I who are saved and have been saved, let's challenge our hearts. Are I a carnal believer? Or can I classify myself as God would have me, a spiritual one? Can I beloved me? You don't have to apologize for your spirituality, but you do have to apologize for your un-spiritual condition. And God will forgive that. If you and I come back to him, said Lord, and sing from the harp what we did before, Lord, teach me thy way, O Lord.
Lead me in a plain path. As the psalmist once wrote, because of the enemy, I say again, let me close by repeating again, these three characteristic individual, dividing the whole human race today.