But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 

            1 Corinthians 2:14-15

Should you find yourself scratching your head at the continual direction of our culture, wondering just how far society can possibly go into darkness, well, here’s a reminder as to the “why” behind this reality. Our passage today explains why so many people in today’s culture are lost, confused, and entirely incapable of distinguishing between the truth of God’s Word and the deception of the enemy.

Paul makes a distinction between two different kinds of people. One is the “natural” man while the other is the “spiritual.” All of us are born into the “natural” state. We are born with a sin nature and our default is to rebel against the things of God. Only when we are born again, by surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ, do we move from one category to the next. An easy way to think about this spiritual transformation is as follows: our natural state means that we are (1) not yet born again, (2) spiritually dead, and (3) void of the Holy Spirit. When we are saved however, we move from our natural, sinful state to that of being redeemed, forgiven, and restored to the way God intended for us to be all along. As Christians, we are (1) born again, (2) spiritually alive, and (3) have the very presence of God living within us. And it is this distinction that explains why some see clearly while others remained darkened in their thoughts and hearts.

So what of the spiritual state of the natural man? First, Paul reminds us that he/she “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.” The issues of today’s culture are often viewed as political but what we are seeing in our world today is nothing short of spiritual battles. Most cultural issues are not political, they are spiritual issues that have been politicized. It’s not a matter of right vs left, red vs blue, or conservative vs liberal rather these issues demonstrate the very spiritual realities that are going on inside a person’s heart. A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. But that’s not all.

In addition to a refusal to accept God’s ways is the belief that the things of God are “foolishness.” The very gospel itself is foolishness to those who are lost. Consider the following:

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

      1 Corinthians 1:18

The world and it’s ways are opposed to the very things of God. A natural man will not accept the things of the Spirit of God because he/she believes them to be foolishness. But there’s more.

A natural man “cannot understand” the things of the Spirit of God because they are “spiritually appraised.” That simply means a person void of the Holy Spirit is unable to see what is crystal clear to those who are saved. This transcends all of the political opinions we find in today’s culture. While there is no shortage of voices covering the social, cultural, and political battles of today, very seldom, in mainstream media, will we hear the real issue addressed. Again, the problem is that those descending into deeper caverns of societal and spiritual darkness are existing in their natural state, apart from Christ. They have yet to be born again. But for the Christian, our spiritual eyes are open, allowing us to appraise exactly what is taking place in our world and completely understanding the “why” as well. Paul puts it like this, “but he who is spiritual appraises all things.” The Christian has the ability to see through all of the diversions, protests, and political jockeying. And while Christians will often be persecuted for their walk with Christ, Paul reminds us of the reality that we are, in the eyes of God, “appraised by no one.”

So if you should find yourself scratching your head over a culture that rejects even the simplest of truths, like the certainty of only two genders (Genesis 1:27), remember, the issue is not political and will not be solved by electing all of the right people rather the issue is with the human heart and only when we surrender ourselves to the Person of Jesus Christ do we move from spiritual death to spiritual life. And only when we have gone through this spiritual transformation do we receive the Spirit of God giving us the ability to distinguish between good and evil.