What Class Are You In?

Dr. R.G. Lee once preached a message in which he came down fairly hard on sin. After the service a lady that was obviously upset met him at the door. She said, "I didn't appreciate that sermon one bit." Dr. Lee replied, "The devil didn't either, so classify yourself."

In the passage before us, God describes three classes of people. Every human being falls into one of these three classes. The three classes involve the natural man, the supernatural man, and the unnatural man. There is not one single person that cannot find themselves in one of these three classes. Let's notice these three classes.

1. THE CLASS WHERE SPIRITUAL LIFE IS ABSENT!

We read in verse 14, "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." We see the NATURAL MAN. This man is an unsaved, unconverted, and unregenerate man. This man has been born physically but has never been born spiritually. He is alive physically but he is dead spiritually. You could say that he is a living dead man. He is but a natural man. Now, notice what the Bible has to say about the natural man. First, we see:

A. The Natural Man Does Not Seek Spiritual Things.

Verse 14 says that the natural man "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." The word "receiveth" means "to welcome, to embrace, to make ones own." The unsaved person does not welcome or embrace spiritual things in their life. The reason is, "they are foolishness unto him." The word "foolishness" means "absurd or distasteful." The unsaved person has no appetite for spiritual things. He looks upon spiritual things as absurd.

The word "natural" speaks of that which is sensual. Instead of spiritual desires, the unsaved person desires that which is material, physical, and sensual over that which are spiritual. Here is one evidence of someone that is saved or unsaved. The unsaved person does not seek spiritual things.

Secondly, the Bible says:

B. The Natural Man Does Not See Spiritual Things.

Verse 14 not only tells us that the unsaved person does not seek spiritual things, but also he has the inability to know spiritual things. They are not able to "discern" spiritual things. The unsaved person has no appreciation for spiritual things and no comprehension of spiritual things. He is bored by spiritual things and blind to spiritual things.

The best description that I have read is that an unsaved person is like a television set with a broken tuner. He was made to receive divine things, but lacks the ability to receive. He may hear the message but he can't get the meaning.

The pastor of a certain church sent one of his members to order a Christmas sign to be hung outside the church. Somewhere on the way, the member lost the instructions the pastor had given him. So he wired the pastor, "Rush copy of motto and dimensions." A new clerk in the Western Union Office got the reply and almost fainted. It read, "Unto us a child is born. Eight feet long and three feet wide." He got the message but he did not get the meaning.

The word "discerned" means "to judge carefully or correctly." The unsaved person lacks the ability to correctly understand the Bible. The undertaking of spiritual things and the understanding of spiritual things are lacking. It is possible for an unsaved person to know a lot about the Bible. Yet, even though he may know a lot about the Bible, he will not know the Bible.

I think about a young preacher that was having throat problems. He asked an old preacher what to do and the old preacher recommended that he get some brandy and pour a little in a glass and fill the rest with water. He told him to take it to the pulpit and sip it occasionally and his voice would clear up. He did and after the sermon he asked the old preacher what he thought about his sermon. The old preacher said, "I didn't like it one bit." "Why," asked the young preacher. He said, "First, I said sip it, not gulp it. Secondly, the Sermon on the Mount was not preached in New York City. Thirdly, there are Ten Commandments and not fourteen. And last of all, when David killed Goliath, he used a sling and a stone. He didn't stomp his insides out."

The unsaved person may have knowledge of the Bible, but he cannot carefully and correctly interpret the Bible. There may be a surface knowledge but there will not be spiritual knowledge.

The second class we find is:

2. THE CLASS WHERE SPIRITUAL LIFE IS ABOUNDING!

Notice verse 15, "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." We see the Spiritual Man. This class speaks of those that are saved and Spirit controlled in their life. A spiritual man is someone who has experienced both a physical and spiritual birth. A spiritual man is a person in whom the Spirit of God resides and presides. Notice how the spiritual man is described. First, we see that:

A. A Spiritual Man Is A Discerning Man.

Verse 15 tells us that whereas the natural man cannot discern spiritual things, the spiritual man has such ability. He is able to see and comprehend spiritual things. The word "judgeth" means that the spiritual man is able to sift the evidence and reach proper conclusions. He is able to come to the right conclusions about things.

If you notice carefully in verse 15, you see something interesting. The spiritual man is able to judge "all" things. The spiritual man is able to come to the right conclusions about all things. The reason the world does not understand the standards and convictions of the believer is that they can't come to the right conclusions about things. I think about the arena of politics. We are constantly hearing things about the Christian right and the far right of the Christian community. May on go on record here and say that I'm guilty. But the criticism is often directed at our beliefs on abortion, homosexuality and a host of other moral issues. The reason there is so much criticism and skepticism is that the world is incapable of properly coming to the right conclusions about things. They do not see things from an eternal perspective. Their view of things is distorted because of their lack of spiritual discernment.

Yet, the spiritual man is able to judge all things in a proper manner. The spiritual man is able to come to the right conclusions about things because he discerns God's truth and his convictions are based on what he understands. He sees things from a different perspective. He sees things as God views them. Secondly, we see that:

B. A Spiritual Man Is A Different Man.

Verse 15 adds, "yet he himself is judged of no man." The world can't comprehend the spiritual man. He is different. He thinks differently and lives differently. There is a difference about the spiritual man that the natural man can't understand. One that has been saved has been changed. He lives, acts, and thinks differently because of the new life he has in Christ. The world often has difficulty understanding why a Christian lives and thinks the way they do. Since they do not have spiritual life and the comprehension that comes with this life, they cannot comprehend their life.

The spiritual man is a man in whom spiritual life is abounding. The last class we see is:

3. THE CLASS WHERE SPIRITUAL LIFE IS ABNORMAL!

We read in chapter 3:1, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." Finally we see the carnal man. This is a saved man but his spiritual life is abnormal. He has been saved but there has been no spiritual growth in the life. There are many saved people who fall into this category. Notice:

A. The Meaning Of Carnality.

The carnal man is described as a babe. This is not a new convert, but someone who has been saved for a period of time but still is as a babe in Christ. When our children were born it is precious to hear them say such things as "da da." But it would not be something that would thrill your heart if your 20-year-old son or daughter were still saying "da da."

In our churches there are many gray-haired babies. The high chair and not high school could best describe their Christian life. They are saved but have never grown in the Lord.

Notice also how Paul describes:

B. The Marks Of Carnality.

First we see in verse 2, that he eats like a child: "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able." You cannot feed a baby steak and potatoes. A carnal person's diet is the basic things of the word. They can't handle the deep things of God.

Secondly we see that he acts like a child. We read in verse 3, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" Many believers are like children fighting in the back seat of the car. This explains much of the reason Churches have problems. They are caused by spiritual babies.

Now every person is in one of these 3 categories. Which class are you in?