284. The Natural Man

You would think that when a person has been made a slave of God, that his natural man would be made inactive. However, we have seen countless times that this is not the case. This is why Paul exhorted the Corinthians, saying: “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” Anyone who seeks his own walks according to “the natural man.” “And whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. And these speak evil of whatever they do not know.” Jude 10. They do not know the things of the Spirit, and in their delusion they have gone the way of Cain, run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

When it concerns the ministry, all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. None of the others had such a sincere care for the Philippians as Timothy. Their natural man was active on every front, so the love and care of Christ was pushed to the background. Instead, their regard for their wife and children, their care about their livelihood and other natural needs became their first priority, and God’s kingdom was relegated to second place. “And whatever they know naturally . . . in these things they corrupt themselves.” Most preachers are probably honest enough to begin with. However, as the family commitments arise and increase, faith usually fails, and the natural man with all his traits comes to the fore. That is why it is so vital for us to be faithful until the end. Even if the preacher wants to be faithful, his wife and children often demand more than what God has sent their way. If he gives in to this pressure, then his carnal nature will emerge with all its demands. Faith makes no demands. Everything is possible for the one who believes. George Müller supported hundreds of children simply by prayer and faith.

On the other hand, those who receive the Word from a servant of the Lord should be aware of this: If he is a “Levite” (that is, from his youth he has offered himself to the service of the Spirit), then it is written: “Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.” Deut. 12:19. For when you harvest his spiritual fruits, is it not only right that you give him some of your material things?

The people contended with Moses by the waters of Meribah, and it went badly with him. He was supposed to speak to the rock the second time, but in unbelief he struck it. Num. 20. As the pressure increases from grumblers and complainers, a servant of the Lord can easily forget to speak to the rock and instead strike it. The result is that he is denied entrance to the land. Then he no longer understands the mysteries that the High Priest gives, and he no longer is able to receive all He gives. Then he is left with Jesus Christ as the sacrifice, for He was stricken. Thus a person descends into serving the outer court, and the inner ways become obscure. He who speaks from heaven is removed from earshot, and the person is left with Christ as the atonement for sins, no longer knowing Him as the Helper and High Priest.

A Pentecostal preacher once told from the pulpit the story of a preacher overseas who had begun to speak about the inner ways; but the audience became so small, he had to revert to preaching repentance to sinners again. I must assume he found the collection plate a little empty. In the end, unbelief, together with care for physical nourishment, drove him to strike the rock instead of speaking to it. For the multitudes are sinners and are in need of forgiveness and grace. They need to be reconciled with God through the death of His Son. But all those who have come to faith need to be saved by His life. Rom. 5:10. They need to be taught the way of righteousness and to take up their cross daily and sin no more. The people enjoy hearing about striking the rock in order to receive water, and the preachers, knowing this all too well, preach accordingly. Only a very few live by speaking to the rock. This more intimate life with God is only attained to by those who enter into rest, once they have come to faith. This is the only way you can enter the land. The ministry of the Helper gives us power to conquer our inner enemies. This power equips us to overcome sin before it comes out of our mouth and our body. Following the Master Himself, we can condemn the sin in our flesh, so that a new and living way is made through it.

If a person always lives in the way of striking the rock to get water, they will never gain divine nature, for it is through our heavenly High Priest’s ministry that we replace our human nature. It is only the natural man who continues striking the rock for water (the forgiveness of sins) his whole life through.

We also have experienced that these “natural” people are unable to have fellowship with one another in the Spirit, and that they do not understand the things that belong to the kingdom of heaven. As a rule, they are enemies of the truth and of the cross of Christ. However, once they have heaped up sin upon sin and their conscience weighs heavily on them, they strike the rock. Those, on the other hand, who have learned to speak to the rock, are not driven by a bad conscience, but rather compelled by the love of Christ. Love of God causes us to keep His commandments. And he who keeps His commandments does not sin: he speaks to the rock and receives water.

Paul was a servant of the Spirit, not the letter. He had learned to speak to the Rock, and the Rock could speak to him. This is the right relationship, and it is the bridal relationship.