What does it mean to be spiritual?

In verse 14 the Apostle speaks of the natural man, in verse 15 of the spiritual man, and in 1 Corinthians 3 of the carnal, or fleshly, man. The natural man is the unconverted man, without the Spirit; the carnal man is the believer, having the Spirit, but walking like the natural man; the spiritual man is the believer walking in the Spirit.

Lastly (4) we read of the natural (psychikos) man, the fleshly (sarkinos), and the spiritual man (pneumatikos). All three are mentioned in 1 Cor. 2:14-3 1. These are different states or conditions, in one of which every person on earth must be classed. The natural man (psychikos) describes a person without spiritual life, animated only by his created soul. The fleshly one (sarkinos) is one born of God, but without the indwelling presence of the Holy Ghost. So in Rom. 7, in delighting in the law of God after the inward man, he finds he has no power to do what is right. So he says, "I am fleshly" (not carnal, which would be sarkikos) "sold under sin." Again the apostle, addressing the Corinthians, who, though really richly endowed with all spiritual gifts, were not walking in the energy of the Holy Ghost, tells them he writes to them as unto fleshly (not carnal); i.e. as to those who were quickened, yet were without the energising power of the Spirit, for they were not using it. They were not really fleshly, but he addresses them as such. But the spiritual man is one in whom the Spirit is, and who is guided and energised by Him. Every true Christian then is spiritual as to his condition, though he may be walking like a fleshly person, and be even carnal in his ways.

For discerning, we need the right spiritual condition. The "natural man," i.e., man in his natural or unconverted condition, does not discern them at all. The "spiritual," i.e., the converted man, not only indwelt but also governed and characterized by the Spirit of God, alone can take them in. Possessing the Spirit we have the mind of Christ. Governed by the Spirit the eyes of our hearts are opened to understand.

This is a momentous declaration in all its parts. For the apostle by the "natural man" means man as he is born and grows up, without being born of God or the Holy Ghost given to him. He might be ever so learned, scientific, intellectual and refined; still, till quickened of the Spirit, he is ψυχικός. He does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are folly; nor can he learn them, so as to appropriate them, apprehending their truth, because they are spiritually discerned, and the Spirit of God he has not as unbelieving in Christ. The spiritual man on the other hand is one who is not only renewed but in the power of the Spirit. He accordingly has a divine spring of discerning while he is beyond the ken of all who are destitute of the Spirit.

The believer, then, as thus alive, is characteristically spiritual. His habits, therefore, and his ways, his walk (in a word), is reckoned on as being consistent with his nature; his new nature, as being no longer after the flesh, but after the Spirit (verse 5). It is to be carefully remarked, that what is stated in the sequel (verses 5-8), where spiritual conduct is insisted on, as distinguishing practically the spiritual man from him who is carnal, is stated by way of corollary to that which has already been laid down as the demonstrative testimony of the Spirit to the standing of the Christian as in Christ. It is not exhortation that is here being ministered; that is introduced further on; but it is the unfolding to the view of the believer more and more widely and perfectly what he is as spiritual, in comparison and contrast with what he was as natural.

Verse 5. "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." It is "after the Spirit." the man's condition is looked at here as spiritual. Every nature has its object, which is its "mind." There are two principles here, each having its own object; the very brute creation have their desires, the flesh its more deliberate objects. The spiritual man obeys the tastes and appetites of the Spirit instead of the flesh.

This distinction appears everywhere. Among believers, who does not know some spiritual, with not a few carnal? As believers, they are no longer natural, but they are not therefore necessarily spiritual. Not that they have not the Spirit, but that they do not walk or judge in the Spirit. The possession of the Spirit does not necessarily make a man spiritual. The Corinthian saints clearly had the Spirit, but there was unjudged activity of the flesh in many. There is a shade of difference between the word (and the sense, I also think) in Romans 7, compared with 1 Corinthians 3, which calls little for notice now. It is only one letter, and; the Auth. Version (though not always) translates both as "carnal." Do not suppose that we are going into critical points now; but it surely is of interest and importance to apprehend the difference between being born of the Spirit, and having the Holy Ghost dwelling in me. A man may be born of the Spirit, and yet may require to have the Holy Ghost given to him. Now the word in Romans 7 does not decide that the Spirit dwells there, the word in 1 Corinthians does admit of it. However this may be, we may now turn to the fundamental Christian truth of present deliverance.

Walking is man's earliest and most primitive activity. It has consequently become the figure or symbol of man's activities. To "walk in the Spirit" is to have one's activities, whether of thought or speech or action, in the energy of the Spirit, who has been given to us. The Spirit of God's Son, conferred upon us as God's sons, is to govern all our activities. This is the way of liberty, a liberty which is the very opposite of licence, for walking in the Spirit it is impossible for us to fulfil the desires of the flesh. The coming in of the higher power completely lifts us above the pull of the lower.

Walking indicates the inward as well as the outward energy of a man; it is the working of his heart as expressed by his actions; it betokens the general bent of his soul, demeanor and conduct; it indicates that which directs the spiritual man, as well as the course which the spiritual man is taking. Unless there be walking in the Spirit, there cannot be spirituality.

Who, then, are the spiritual? I suppose that by their fruits we are to know them. Neither is this difficult, nor far to seek. The apostle had just before written, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." The law was on the side of the spiritual: though it had not made them to be so, yet it approved of them as such. The command to love God and cur neighbour, given by the law, did not give the power to do it, and thus the law was weak through the flesh. The Spirit, working through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, produces love by a new nature, which the law never gave. Now the moment that love is there, the law is fulfilled; for "love is the fulfilling of the law," and we love God and our neighbour. Those who have the Spirit have this, and it is the basis of all. "We love him because he first loved us," and "love worketh no ill to his neighbour." The first three fruits mentioned are the individual state, and enjoyment of "the spiritual," that which ought to continue in everyone without interruption. But it does not always, as we know. "Thou hast left thy first love," as is said by the Lord. And here, in the Galatians, it had not continued, though they had started well, having received the Spirit.