Spiritual Discernment

Dead in sin does not mean intellectually unaware. It means the sinner cannot savor spiritual truth, take delight in it, or rejoice in it.

What Does It Mean That the Natural Man Cannot Understand the Gospel?

“The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”— 1 Corinthians 2:14

Some people think that when we say sinners are “dead in sin,” we mean they are incapable of understanding the words of the gospel. That is not quite right. In fact, that is not what we mean at all.

Dead in sin does not mean intellectually unaware. It means the sinner cannot savor spiritual truth, take delight in it, or rejoice in it.

The sinner can understand the words, the facts, and even the implications of the gospel. He can read a Bible tract, listen to a sermon, or hear a friend explain the good news about Jesus. But what he cannot understand, what he cannot truly see, is the beauty, the truth, and the excellency of Christ in it. He does not grasp why Jesus is good news. He does not treasure what is being offered.

As Jesus said, "Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand" (Matthew 13:13). Paul explains that the problem is not lack of information but lack of spiritual discernment. The gospel seems like foolishness to the natural man because he does not have the Holy Spirit.

That phrase, "spiritually discerned," is crucial. It means that the truth can be heard with the ears but not received with the heart. The gospel does not just require comprehension. It requires spiritual sight, the ability to see Christ as desirable, trustworthy, and worthy of all. That is something no one has by nature. It is something only the Holy Spirit gives.

The sinner’s condition is not like a man who wants to believe but cannot. It is more like someone who hates the offer and wants nothing to do with it. "You refuse to come to Me, that you may have life" (John 5:40). Why? "Because the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

That is why no one comes to Christ unless the Father draws them (John 6:44). As Scripture says, "The Lord opened {Lydia's} heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul" (Acts 16:14). Faith is not a natural response. It is something God must grant (John 6:65; Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 2:25).

This is what it means to be dead in sin. Not brain-dead. Not unable to read or hear. But spiritually hardened, without affection for the things of God. That is why Paul says that even though the unbeliever knows God, "he suppresses the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). He does not lack information. He lacks love for the truth. He knows that God exists and that He is holy, but he resents that holiness. He knows what God commands, but does not see it as good or life-giving.

In other words, his problem is not cognitive. It is moral and spiritual.

That is why we pray for unbelievers. That is why we ask the Spirit to open hearts. That is why we believe that salvation, from start to finish, is by grace. Because unless God gives new eyes, no one will ever see Jesus as their greatest need and treasure.

Article from Monergism

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The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is our divine guide who helps us discern the truth from the noise that surrounds us. In our daily lives, we may encounter various influences, and with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can learn to filter through distractions. When we are attentive to His whispers, we open ourselves to deeper insight and wisdom. It’s crucial to remember that we are not left alone in our journey; we have the Holy Spirit to aid us in understanding and making decisions based on God’s Word.

John 16:13

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Galatians 5:25

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 2:12

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

Romans 8:14

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

1 John 2:27

“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.”