Supernaturally Natural

“…it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.” I Cor. 15:44-46

The Scripture typically divides all humans into two divisions, the natural and the spiritual. Some refer to the spiritual as being the “supernatural”. So, for cohesion sake, I will also.

The natural, or unspiritual, man identifies the un-regenerated person. You know, the one controlled by mere natural instincts and desires. This kind of person does not have the Holy Spirit, is under Satan’s dominion, and is a slave to the body and its passions. He or she belongs to the world, is in agreement with it and rejects the righteous ways of the Spirit. The natural person is not able to understand God and his ways, but instead relies on human reasoning or emotions. The natural person, without some kind of divine intervention, is headed for doom.

The second division that humans fall into is that of the supernatural. The supernatural man identifies the regenerated person. You know the one who has the Holy Spirit. This person is spiritually minded, thinks the thoughts of God, and lives by the Spirit of God. Such an individual believes in Jesus Christ, strives to follow the leading of the Spirit, and resists sensual desires and sin. It’s obvious that this is the kind of person God desires for all to be.

It is true that all men are born as natural. From the start we all desire for our own natural desires to be met. If you have kids or have ever had kids you know exactly what I mean by this statement. Newborn babies are some of the most selfish individuals you’ll ever come across. Why? Because that’s all that they know, they haven’t come into the knowledge of Christ yet.

So the question is this; how does one become a spiritual man or woman? Simple… when a person accepts by faith the salvation provided through Christ, he or she is regenerated; the Holy Spirit imparts to him or her new nature. He or she is born again, renewed, and made a new creation and recipient of God’s righteousness through faith in Christ. He or she is made to be supernatural but this doesn’t mean that the entire “natural” has vanished nor does this mean that we should disregard the “natural”.

As Christians we must realize that before you can have supernatural experiences there must be the natural. I know that some of you are having a hard time with that statement. If you look at all of the miracles Jesus performed there were often, if not always, elements of the natural present. Why? Because I believe God wanted to show humanity how much better and superior He is than what we have come to know on this earth!

Everyday my natural tendencies are at war with my supernatural inclinations. Sadly sometimes nature wins. But I have determined to not look at them as defeats or setbacks. I’m learning to look at them for what they really are: just more opportunities for God to show His superiority in my life. So I say work Jesus, work! I’m proud to be supernaturally natural!

Adraine Scott

Adraine is the president of Edvance Services LLC. His entire professional career has been spent helping others find their unique ways of learning and being. He has been able to accomplish this by serving as a youth minister, speaker, counselor, college and career minister, secondary education teacher, and business owner.