The Parable of All Things

“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.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The natural man is doubtlessly disconnected from God, and finds ‘the things of God’ to be foolishness. This man therefore, displays none other than the mind of the enemy for our Lord in rebuking Peter had the following words to say, “…Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:23)

The reason why the natural man savourest not the things of God, and finds them to be foolishness, is because they are “the base things of the world” (1 Corinthians 1:28) and therefore excite in him, the greatest detest and abhorrence. But, these base things are the things that God has chosen, “Yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:28) These very things, which tempt the natural man to anger and hatred, are unknown to him and the world, simply because they are revealed by the Spirit of the Lord, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17) Thus the natural man, the man that knoweth not the things of God neither savourest them, is a man in bondage. Bondage to what is a question the apostle ably answers. Paul says, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world” (Galatians 4:3) These elements of the world are the things of the world. Things so vile that John admonishes us in writing concerning them, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15) “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16) Such are the elements to which we were in bondage.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law; To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:4)

The Spirit of His Son is our deliverance, for this Spirit brings to our darkened souls the knowledge of all the things of God. Our Lord Himself said, “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13) And indeed He will since “all things that the Father hath are mine” says Christ in John 16:15, substantiating that all the things of God are also Christ’s, for it is written, “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands” (John 13:3) and now Christ says “He (the Spirit) shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:14) Thus the Spirit was to take “all things” from Christ which things are the things of God, and show them unto us. This He would do by leading us into ‘all truth’. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his counsellor hath taught him?” (Isaiah 40:13) and Paul quoting from Isaiah says “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16) Thus to have the Spirit of the Lord is to have the mind of the Lord, and with His mind we have access to all that He has, all His things, all truth.

This ignorance of the truth, is the main malady ailing the whole world, “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19) And who is this natural man who is ignorant of all things? He is simply the man who is without the Spirit, who has no other means of obtaining knowledge but by his senses. He is so far from understanding, that he utterly and actively despises ‘all things’. And because his understanding is hollow, he must fill it with something other than the Spirit, he must fill it by carnal reasoning and another wisdom besides the heavenly.

But it is written, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6) and so it is for us to whom hath been committed the oracles of God, His truth, His things, we who “have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7) the treasure of all things, that “seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not” (2 Corinthians 4:1) that “by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2) we ought to light our candle and let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven.

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) Thank God! For His things are not hid from us. He “hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10)

May our solemn pledge always be as that of Apostle Paul, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3:10) Because “To know God is to love Him” (Desire of Ages pg 22)