"Don't you get it?!"

My discipleship group (d-group) is currently doing Beth Moore’s Bible study “Living Beyond Yourself,” which is a study of Galatians and the fruit of the Spirit. It has been a very educational and challenging study. This past week we studied the difference between a “spiritual person” and a “natural or carnal person.” There was a verse that really stood out to me and changed the way I pray about certain things. Here is the verse:

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Cor. 2:14

The verse explains why many people fail to understand spiritual things – because such wisdom is perceived only by the Spirit-enlightened Christian. Believers struggle with this truth. We cannot see why our lost family and friends cannot understand. We say, “But it says it right there! Can’t you see it?!” No, they can’t – it is foolishness to them. In a very real sense, it simply does not make sense to them. Beth Moore explained it in a rather simple, mechanical analogy: If I have a fax machine, it doesn’t matter how pertinent and life-saving the information I need to send may be if the person who needs the information has no fax machine. I can fax the information all day, but my message will never reach them. He does not possess the equipment needed to receive the fax. You and I cannot comprehend any spiritual thing without the Spirit of God in us to receive and process the information.

Makes sense, right? This has definitely challenged the way I pray for the lost. Instead of praying that they accept the truth of the gospel, I pray that the Spirit would convict them and touch them so they can be equipped to receive the truth that comes from the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. Then they can accept it. Until a person experiences conviction by the Spirit, he or she will never be able to comprehend the truth of the gospel. Unsaved men and women cannot discern the spiritual things of God because they are spiritually dead and alienated from the Spirit of God. I think Paul said it better than me or Beth Moore:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Cor. 1:18