The Christian life begins and ends with God. He chose us before the foundation of the world and calls us into fellowship with Himself through His Son. All wisdom and spiritual insight come from the Spirit alone, we are merely vessels.
The natural human mind is enmity with God; it cannot submit to His law. But the Spirit renews our minds, opening our blinded eyes to spiritual truth. We were, by nature, children of wrath, dead in our sins. But God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ.

Highlights :

• This Article reveals the contrast between the natural, fleshly mind and the spiritual mind enabled by God’s Spirit.
• God is sovereign over all things, choosing to save and call people according to His purpose and grace, not based on their works.
• Without being born again by the Spirit, we cannot comprehend spiritual truth or please God.
• God sovereignly chooses whom He will save, drawing certain people to Himself.
• The need for true conviction of sin and spiritual discernment.
• Jesus Christ is the source and perfecter of our faith.

In a world that values human intellect and achievement, the idea that spiritual truth can only be discerned through the Spirit can seem counterintuitive. But as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:11-16, the natural mind cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit. It is only by receiving the Spirit from God that we are able to understand the truth that has been freely given to us.

But what about our own efforts?

Do they play a role in our salvation? According to 2 Timothy 1:8-9, our salvation is not based on our works, but on God’s purpose and grace given to us through Christ before time began. This reminds us that salvation is not something we can earn or achieve on our own. It is a gift freely given to us by God.

Of course, this raises some difficult questions about free will and predestination.

How does God choose who to save?

As Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, God often chooses the foolish, weak, and lowly to shame the wise and strong. This may seem unfair or arbitrary to us, but it reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways.

However, this doesn’t mean that we have no role to play in our salvation. As Jesus reminds us in John 3:3, we must be born again to see God’s kingdom. This requires a deep conviction of sin and a willingness to turn away from our old ways. Without this inner transformation, we cannot experience the fullness of God’s grace.

So how do we know if we are on the right path? How can we be sure that we are not deceiving ourselves?

As John reminds us in 1 John 4:1-6, we must test the spirits to discern truth from error. This requires humility, prayer, and a willingness to submit to God’s will.

The key to understanding these difficult concepts is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith. As Hebrews 12:2 reminds us, he is the source of our life, peace, and spiritual blessings. By surrendering our own desires and ambitions to him, we can experience the fullness of God’s grace and the joy of living in his will.