Spiritual vs Soulish

So the soulish man is not in harmony with the spirit. He cannot receive the things of the spirit. He cannot understand them. You can talk to the most highly educated intellects, and they have no ability whatever to understand the things of the spirit because they are operating in the realm of the soul.

This is important because it brings out there is, in a certain sense, an opposition between the spiritual and the soulish.

Then we go on to the epistle of Jude verse 19, which is a rather illuminating verse. Talking about people who have made trouble in the church, the New King James says,

“these are sensual persons who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.”

Capital S, that's the Holy Spirit. But very obviously, they are part of the church because they cause division. So we have in the church both those who are spiritual and those who are soulish.

Then the most significant passage of all is James 3:15, which I'll deal with at length. Talking about a certain kind of wisdom, James says,

“This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.”

By now you've arrived at the conclusion that sensual is soulish.

So there is a kind of wisdom that is soulish. And there is a decline, descending in three stages. First, earthly; second, soulish; third, demonic.

I believe this is the main way in which demons get into the work of God, the people of God, the church of God. It is through this decline from the earthly to the soulish to the demonic.

Now, let's consider what's implied. What does it mean to be earthly? For a Christian, I believe it means our vision is completely limited to this earth. We cannot see beyond the earth. All we are expecting from God through salvation are things that belong to this life: prosperity, healing, success, power, who knows what. I believe all of that is soulish.

I'll take a few examples of people who were not earthly. You can find a whole list of them in Hebrews 11. In fact, you could really sum up the saints of Hebrews 11 as those who were not earthly. Here are just two examples. In Hebrews 11 verses 9 and 10, speaking about Abraham, it says,

“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Abraham was in the promised land. He knew it was promised to him, but he did not own it, and he never lived there as if he owned it. He never bought a house or built a house. He always lived in a tent, which is something movable.

Note the contrast with Lot, who separated from Abraham and turned his face towards Sodom. The men of Sodom were sinners before the Lord and exceedingly wicked. And Lot went where his face was turned. So the next time you read about Lot, he's not just looking towards Sodom, he's in Sodom. And he's living in a house, no longer in a tent. I think Lot, in a sense, is a type of the earthly man of God.

But Abraham had a vision which extended beyond time into eternity. He was waiting for a city that he'd never seen, but he knew one day it would be his home. I think that is how God expects us to be as Christians. We are not at home in this world. When we become at home in this world, we become soulish.

My second example is Moses in Hebrews 11:27.

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Let me suggest to you that this is the key to endurance. It's looking beyond time, looking beyond the level of this life where we often will have a very hard time, many frustrations, many disappointments. What will cause us to endure? A vision that takes us beyond time.

There are many other examples. These two are just examples, Abraham and Moses, of people who were not earthly.

Then there's also a remarkable statement by Paul, which we would do well to ponder. In 1 Corinthians 15:19,

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable,”

or the most to be pitied. That's a very remarkable statement. If all our Christian faith provides for us is things in this life, we are pitiable. We are to be pitied.

And I have to say, I want to say it graciously, there's a good deal of teaching in the church which only focuses on what God will do for us in this life.