“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
1 Corinthians 2:14.
The city of Corinth was the epic center for unbridled living. They offered child sacrifices and children sold to the rich for slavery. Prostitution, orgies, and pornography were right in the public square. Adultery and immoral living were legal and acceptable lifestyles. There was an inequitable caste system of the rich and the poor. Under Roman rule the Governor ruled Autocratically.
Here is the catch - the environment we are raised in often becomes our acceptable and expected way to live. As people in Corinth became Christ followers they embraced Christ, but kept their taught (human) way of thinking and behaving. Paul graciously explains to these new believers they can’t keep their taught (human) way of thinking and be open to God’s wisdom. Why? Because often the thinking of the world is selfish, inequitable, and unbridled. God’s wisdom will confront our selfishness and when that happens we will either reject God’s wisdom or abandon our selfish ideas.
God’s plan is not to make our way of thinking better, His plan is to give us a new heart transforming our mind so His ways become our new acceptable behavior; and when that divine work happens in our hearts we will love others more graciously and love ourselves more correctly.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
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