The Natural - Spiritual Principle

Summary: The most important thing in proclaiming the Good News and in understanding the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is recognizing the natural–spiritual principle. By understanding this principle, we can understand the stories in the Bible in their proper context.

Call to action: By His grace, we can come to know this natural–spiritual principle and proclaim the Gospel correctly.

The Natural–Spiritual Principle is a very important principle, because it is not only a gospel principle but also a principle for understanding both the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). Let us read 1 Corinthians 15:46: “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” This means that what comes first is the natural (physical or fleshly), and only afterward comes the spiritual. Let us consider the context of this verse.

First Corinthians is easier to understand in its structure than Second Corinthians, because First Corinthians discusses issues one by one in sequence. Our verse above is part of the issue discussed in chapter 15, namely the issue concerning the gospel (verse 1). Specifically, there are two issues addressed here. First, some among the Corinthians said that there is no resurrection of the dead (verse 12). In response to this issue, Paul answers from verse 13 through verse 32. Second, some asked, “With what kind of body will they come?” (verse 35). Here Paul explains that there is a heavenly body (a spiritual body), and there is also an earthly body (a natural body). It is in this section that our verse appears, namely that what comes first is the natural body, and afterward the spiritual body.

The Natural–Spiritual Principle is very general and broad in nature. For example, in the creation of humanity, the first man was from the dust of the earth, while the second Man is from heaven. In terms of covenants, the first covenant (OT) is physical in nature, whereas the second covenant (NT) is spiritual in nature, as we will see later. When we elaborate on this matter of covenants, we find that the sanctuary (OT) is physical in nature, while the sanctuary (NT) is spiritual in nature. And the same applies to worship, blessings, law, enemies, inheritance, warfare, weapons, and so on. Everything related to the OT is physical in nature, whereas the NT is spiritual. And what comes first is the physical, the natural (OT), and only afterward the spiritual (NT). Such is the Natural–Spiritual Principle.

This Natural–Spiritual Principle is a gospel principle, as we see in the chapter above (1 Corinthians 15, especially verse 1). If a preacher of the gospel does not understand this principle, then he will preach a “mixed gospel,” namely a mixture of the OT (physical) and the NT (spiritual). Meanwhile, we see that “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim…” (1 Corinthians 15:50, ILT), and that “For the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ILT). Does this mean that the gospel does not include the restoration of physical matters? Does God not care about our physical needs? We will answer this question by looking at the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, recorded in John 6:1–58.

In John 6 it is clear that Jesus greatly cared about the physical needs of the multitude who followed Him. Notice verse 5, which says, “…Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” The crowd did not ask Jesus for bread, yet Jesus thought about and acted to meet their needs. In fact, in other parts of the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ disciples tried to avoid the responsibility of meeting these physical needs. Does this not clearly prove that Jesus cared about the physical needs of the people? Not only the need for bread, but also healing from sickness, deliverance from demon possession, and even death—all were met by Jesus.

Nevertheless, Jesus rebuked the people who sought Him because of the matter of “eating bread and being filled.” Jesus said that they should work for the food that endures to eternal life (verse 27). Jesus desired the people to believe in Him and to RECEIVE THE BREAD OF LIFE. Thus, although Jesus would certainly meet the physical needs of the people, they must still follow Jesus BECAUSE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE. Why is this so? Because Jesus, as the second Man, offers the bread of life to the people. This is in accordance with the gospel principle, or the Natural–Spiritual Principle: first comes the physical, and second comes the spiritual. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Now we will apply the Natural–Spiritual Principle to our understanding of the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). As we have seen, what comes first is the natural, and afterward the spiritual. Therefore, when this principle is applied to the OT and NT, the OT is natural in nature, and the NT is spiritual in nature. Let us look at several examples in the OT and NT that prove that the OT is natural and the NT is spiritual.

First, the Temple or the house of God, the place of His dwelling. The OT Temple was clearly a physical building, whether the tabernacle (the tabernacle of Moses and the tabernacle of David) or the Temple building constructed by King Solomon and Zerubbabel. Meanwhile, in the NT, the Temple—the dwelling place of the Spirit of Elohim—is the church, that is, the people who believe (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). The house of God or the Father’s house is us (Hebrews 3:6).

Second, concerning worship. In the OT, worship was regulated by the Law of Moses and centered in the Temple. Regulations concerning sacrifices, the priesthood, and other ordinances were written and could not be violated if one wanted one’s worship to be acceptable to Yahweh. But worship in the NT is spiritual, namely in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). This does not mean that worship in the NT context is careless or arbitrary, but that it is governed by the law of the Spirit of life. This means that the daily life of God’s chosen people in the NT context is governed by the law of the Spirit of life within them. That is their worship. In short, being led by the Spirit in daily life is worship in the NT context.

Third, concerning blessings. In the OT, Yahweh’s blessings to Israel were primarily physical, material, and related to outward matters. If we observe Deuteronomy chapter 28, we can understand that Israel’s blessings were physical in nature. But blessings in the NT are spiritual. We read in Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ” (ILT). Again, this does not mean that God does not care about our daily physical needs. We have already seen how Jesus blessed and fed bread to the five thousand, even though the people did not ask Him for bread.

Fourth, concerning inheritance. Israel’s inheritance was the promised land (the land of Palestine), according to God’s promise to Abraham. But our inheritance is the Holy Spirit, in His fullness. This is affirmed in Galatians 3:14: “Jesus Christ did this so that in Him the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations, so that by faith we might receive the promised Spirit.” And we know that the Spirit given to us at the time we believed is still a pledge, a down payment, as written in Ephesians 1:14: “Who is the guarantee (ARRABON = down payment, pledge) of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it…” Thus, our inheritance is the fullness of the Spirit or the fullness of Christ.

Fifth, the way to obtain the inheritance. For Israel, physical warfare against the seven nations in the land of Canaan was the way to obtain their inheritance. But our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Our warfare to obtain the inheritance is spiritual warfare, against the devil and his evil spirits. Our weapons are not worldly weapons, but spiritual weapons empowered by the power of Elohim (Ephesians 6:13–18).

Sixth, concerning glory. Israel’s glory was clearly outward glory, or human glory, because the blessings they received were physical. But the glory of God’s chosen people is inward. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The glory of God’s chosen people is within. Nevertheless, our inward glory will be manifested when Christ reveals Himself, as written in Colossians 3:4: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” In His time, we will be revealed together with Him in the glory of Elohim.

From the examples above, it can be concluded that the OT is physical (Natural), and the NT is spiritual (Spiritual).

Now we will apply the Natural–Spiritual Principle specifically to our understanding of the kingdom, which we believe to be the main theme of both the OT and the NT. As we have seen, what comes first is the natural, and afterward the spiritual. Therefore, when this principle is applied to the kingdom, what comes first is the kingdom of Israel (a physical, natural kingdom), and afterward the kingdom of heaven (a kingdom in the heavenly dimension).

The leaders of Judaism—the scribes and the Pharisees—did not understand this Natural–Spiritual Principle at all. They, even to this day, still expect the coming of the Messiah (Christ) who will establish a physical kingdom of Israel, in which this awaited Messiah will build a physical Temple, defeat Israel’s physical enemies (the surrounding nations that were enemies of Israel), and bring peace to the world, in the sense that Israel will be the head and the other nations the tail, according to Yahweh’s promise in the Torah. They only understood that the Messiah is the son of David; therefore, just as the kingdom of David was a physical kingdom, so the Messiah’s kingdom must also be a physical kingdom, like David’s.

Jesus tried to change the understanding of these Pharisees and scribes when He asked, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” (Matthew 22:42). The scribes and Pharisees only knew that the Messiah is the son of David, as though the Messiah were lower than David and His kingdom merely a physical one like David’s. When Jesus asked, quoting Psalm 110:1, why David calls the Messiah his Lord, the scribes and Pharisees could not answer Him. What Jesus meant by this was that the Messiah is greater than David, and that the Messiah’s kingdom exists

on a higher dimension than David’s kingdom. The Messiah’s kingdom is spiritual and exists in a higher dimension than the kingdom of David. That dimension is the heavenly dimension.

When Pilate asked Jesus whether He was a king, Jesus answered that He was a king, but that His kingdom was not of this world. His kingdom is the kingdom of heaven, a kingdom that exists in the heavenly dimension. That is why it is written, “For the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ILT). And we have also discussed how Jesus rebuked those who sought Him because of eating bread and being filled (John 6:26–27).

It is hoped that through this brief explanation concerning the kingdom, we can begin to understand the Natural–Spiritual Principle. Next, we will discuss whether the Christian world understands this Natural–Spiritual Principle.

We have discussed how the leaders of Judaism (scribes and Pharisees) understood the Messiah—that the Messiah must establish a physical kingdom of Israel, build a physical Temple, and maintain world peace with Israel as the head and the nations as the tail. This understanding of a “physical” Messiah arose because they only understood that the Messiah is the son of David. Now we will discuss whether the Christian world, in general, also has a “physical” understanding like the leaders of Judaism, or not.

Let us begin with the understanding of denominational leaders, in general, regarding church authority. In Matthew 23:1–12 it is written: “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore do and observe whatever they tell you, but do not do according to their works… But you, do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Nor be called leaders; for One is your Leader, the Messiah…’”

The context of Matthew 23 is Jesus’ rebuke of the Jewish religious leaders before He ended His ministry to the Jewish nation. Beginning in Matthew 24, Jesus spoke only to His disciples until He was finally crucified. Thus, Matthew 23 contains Jesus’ final words to the Jewish leaders and also to the crowds.

In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke to the crowds and also to His disciples. To the crowds, Jesus said that they should obey and do whatever the scribes and Pharisees taught, because they sat on “Moses’ seat.” What Jesus meant by “Moses’ seat” is the authority of the scribes and Pharisees over the people. This authority was God’s authority delegated to the Jewish leaders, similar to the “rod of Moses” given by God when Moses was sent to bring Israel out of Egypt. The rod of Moses was a symbol of God’s authority delegated to Moses.

The authority of “Moses’ seat,” or the authority of the “rod of Moses,” is not the same as the authority that applies to Jesus’ disciples. That is why, in verse 8, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not be called Rabbi; you are all brothers.” Are there no teachers (rabbis) in the church? Of course there are, but teachers do not have “Moses’ seat,” and Jesus never delegated His authority over the church to teachers. Are there no spiritual fathers in the church? Of course there are, but Jesus never delegated His authority to spiritual fathers in the church. Are there no leaders in the church? Of course there are, but again, Jesus never delegated His authority to church leaders. In the church, ALL ARE BROTHERS. That is why the church is an organism, in which the authority that operates is the authority of Life. Jesus said, “I am the Life.” Jesus governs His church directly through His Life. Jesus never delegated His authority to church leaders, as happened in the OT context (the authority of “Moses’ seat”).

Now what about denominations? What authority operates within a denomination? We all know what an organizational structure is. Have you seen chains of command within an organizational structure? Those chains of command are the authority that operates within an organization. Who is responsible to whom, who governs whom, is determined by that chain of command. Everything is arranged accordingly, and everyone within those “organizational boxes” is governed by an authority of ‘chain of command’. Now, this ‘chain of command’ authority is not the authority of Life. It is authority created by leaders (read: managers), because one of the tasks of managers is organizing (creating organizational structures).

Perhaps some may object that organization is merely a tool. True—organization is a tool, but it is a tool in the hands of leaders, not a tool in the hands of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus does not need an organization as a tool. Jesus governs His church directly through His Life, or the Spirit who gives life, just as the early church was directly governed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus never delegated the authority of His Life to leaders to govern His church. In fact, the authority of Life cannot be delegated. Life is in Jesus. Christians can only ‘have Jesus’ and submit to the authority of Life to govern the course of his life. The same thing happened to the Apostle Paul. Paul was a prisoner of the Spirit, or a prisoner of Life. Paul had no authority whatsoever over the church. Paul was a servant, or a slave (doulos) of the church. Such a thing is impossible within an organizational context.

This kind of “chain-of-command” authority, or organizational authority, I call “human” authority, or “fleshly” authority. The Christian world does not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle, because the authority that operates within denominations is “fleshly” or Natural authority. In some denominations, perhaps, the authority in force is a mixed authority—both Natural and Spiritual. This is the “fleshly” understanding within the Christian world concerning church authority.

We have discussed how the Jewish religious leaders had a “fleshly” or Natural understanding of the Messiah. The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the Messiah because they could not accept that Jesus was “greater” than David. David established a “fleshly” kingdom; Jesus established the “kingdom of heaven” on earth. David defeated Israel’s “fleshly” enemies; Jesus defeated the devil who has power over death. David built a Temple that was a fleshly tent; Jesus built a Temple that is His church (people who receive His Life). The Jewish leaders continued to hold the concept that the Messiah must be like David—fleshly. Why? Because they did not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle: what comes first is the Natural, and afterward comes the Spiritual. David was indeed ‘natural’, but Jesus, who came later as the Son of David, is ‘spiritual’.

We have also discussed that denominational leaders have a “fleshly” concept of church authority. They do not understand what is written in Matthew 23, which we have discussed. They do not understand the difference between authority in the Old Testament context (the authority of “Moses’ seat”) and authority in the New Testament context (the authority of Life). The authority of Moses’ seat is fleshly, natural, and delegated authority. Meanwhile, the authority of Life is spiritual authority and is not delegated.

If these denominational leaders understood the difference between Old Testament and New Testament authority, they certainly would not introduce ‘chain-of-command’ authority, which is clearly visible in the organizations they build. Each denomination has its own ‘chain-of-command’ authority. Unconsciously, they have shifted the authority of Life, which is Spiritual, and replaced it with ‘chain-of-command’ authority, which is natural, human, and fleshly. They do not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle: what comes first is the Natural (authority in the Old Testament context), and afterward comes the Spiritual (authority in the New Testament context).

Is this lack of understanding among denominational leaders a small and trivial matter? No, my brother… This is a serious matter. This issue is the usurpation of Jesus’ authority over His church. The authority of Jesus over the members of His church has been taken away by denominational leaders. These leaders draw disciples to themselves, so that the disciples follow them (Acts 20:30). By placing disciples into the “organizational boxes” of their denominations, the disciples can no longer follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). Added to this are false teachings about submission, spiritual covering, and the like, whereby disciples are required to submit to the leaders and become “confined” within the walls of their denominations. In such a condition, how is it possible for disciples to hear the voice of Jesus? Instead, disciples are trained to hear the voices of their leaders. They are trained to learn the theology of their denomination. Unconsciously, these disciples no longer follow Jesus, but the denominational stream of their leaders.

What these denominational leaders do corresponds to what Jezebel did in the case of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21). Jezebel usurped the authority of King Ahab, her husband (verse 8). Indeed, Jezebel acted in order to support the intentions and purposes of King Ahab. Nevertheless, what Jezebel did was an act of usurpation of authority. The same is true of denominational leaders. They usurp Jesus’ authority over His disciples, even though their goals may resemble Jesus’ goals. Certainly, every denomination has goals, missions, and visions derived from the teachings of Jesus. But the issue is not the goal. The issue is not whether they support Jesus’ purposes or not. The issue is whether Jesus’ authority over His church is upheld or usurped.

Jezebel’s act of usurping her husband’s authority is given meaning in Revelation 2:20. The meaning is that a church in which its leaders usurp the authority of Jesus is called THE WOMAN JEZEBEL. The woman symbolizes the church. Jezebel symbolizes the usurpation of authority. Therefore, a denomination is the Woman Jezebel, or the Jezebel church.

We have briefly explained how denominational leaders shift the authority of Jesus (the authority of Life) and replace it with ‘chain-of-command’ authority (organizational authority), which is in fact their own authority. They do this because they do not understand that church authority is spiritual authority, namely the authority of Life, which is the authority of Jesus Himself (I am the Life). This authority of Jesus has never been, and will never be, delegated to any church member, whoever that person may be. Jesus said that whoever is the lowest and becomes a servant to others is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

If so, what then is the role and function of church leaders (as an organism) who must act as servants (doulos = slaves) in the true sense—not servants who become managers in a church organization, with the right to dismiss others, even their own deputies? Let us consider Colossians 2:19, ILT version: “And not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, through joints and ligaments, being supported and knit together, grows with the growth of God.”

The joints and ligaments here are the church leaders, who are part of the body of Christ. Notice that their function is to support and knit the body together so that the body grows with the growth that comes from Elohim. Observe carefully the function of these leaders of the body of Christ (the ligaments and joints). They do not govern the body or have authority over the body; rather, they are part of the body, fellow members with all other members. They submit to the authority of Life that governs all members of the body.

Under such conditions, the body of Christ “grows with the growth that comes from Elohim.” The Greek expression is AUXANO HO AUXESIS HO THEOS, which should be translated, ‘to grow the growth of Elohim’. This means that if the ligaments and joints support and bind the body in such a way, the body will experience the growth of Elohim, which is the growth of Life, because Elohim is Life. This is the role and function of leaders within the body of Christ as an organism. Here, the authority of Life is upheld—the authority of Life that governs the movement of the body, as happens in every organism.

Therefore, the actions of denominational leaders who draw disciples to themselves (Acts 20:30), causing the church as an organism to be torn apart into thousands of organizations, are actions that damage the authority of Life. As a result, the body does not grow with the growth of Elohim. Each church member does not increasingly know Elohim. Church members may indeed know their leaders, know their leaders’ theology, know their denominational streams, and know their organizational rules, BUT THEY DO NOT GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF ELOHIM. Why? Because the authority of Life, which is the key to the growth of the body, has been damaged by the introduction of ‘chain-of-command’ authority, organizational authority, or the authority of those leaders.

That is why the strength of Christianity today has declined far below the strength of the early church. In just 200 years, the early church conquered the known world of that time—without church buildings, without evangelistic committees, without fundraising, whether tithes, firstfruits, faith pledges, or anything else; without man-made programs, without organizations—indeed, the term ‘organization’ does not even exist in the New Testament. Again, why? Because the authority of Life was upheld. The authority of Jesus was exercised.

If only church leaders understood the Natural–Spiritual principle, understood authority in the Old Testament context and authority in the New Testament context, understood delegated Natural authority and non-delegated Spiritual authority, then the church would long ago have won the world for the glory of the Lord Jesus.

We have discussed the general understanding of Christianity regarding church authority. Now we will discuss whether Christianity in general also has a “fleshly” understanding, like the leaders of Judaism, regarding the kingdom. Let us examine and question several things that commonly exist within denominations.

First, the authority that operates within denominations. We have already discussed that church authority is the authority of Life, spiritual in nature, not delegated to leaders, and that all church members are brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8) in the true sense. When Jesus said, “I will build My church,” this means that only Jesus has the authority to govern His church (there is no delegated authority as in the Old Testament context), only Jesus is able to build His church, and only Jesus can cause the church to grow by His Life. Jesus DIRECTLY GOVERNS His church, and there must be no managers in His church who plan, organize, regulate, and control as managers generally do. No church leader should feel that Jesus has given him authority to perform managerial tasks. All are brothers, all are ‘doulos’ (slaves of the church = servants of the church), all are prisoners of the Spirit who gives Life (like Paul). ALL HAVE NO AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER OVER THE CHURCH THAT BELONGS TO JESUS. But what happens in denominations? Who holds authority within denominations? We already know the answer, but let us continue our discussion.

Second, are denominations the same as fleshly kingdoms, like the fleshly kingdom of Israel? To answer this, we must understand the difference between church and kingdom. The church is clearly people—something tangible, visible to the physical eye. A kingdom, however, consists of a KING and a DOMAIN (kingdom in English). Do denominations have a physical king, in the sense of a supreme leader? Of course they do. You can easily find this when you visit a denominational building. In fact, denominations are often named after their king. And the authority of that king is clearly not the authority of Life, but the organizational authority of that denomination. Perhaps even all the ‘worship facilities’ belong to the king. He has a clearly defined domain. Some denominations have kings with small domains; others have large ones.

Third, let us briefly discuss the church that belongs to Jesus—as an organism in which the authority of Life operates—and also the kingdom of heaven, which is spiritual, where Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” We need to discuss this in order to compare it with denominations.

The New Testament says that the kingdom of heaven is within you. I have previously discussed the Greek term ENTOS, which appears only twice in the New Testament, namely in Matthew 23:26 and Luke 17:21. The golden rule in understanding the meaning of a term is to see how it is used in a sentence. The use of ENTOS in Matthew 23 must clearly be translated as ‘inside’ the cup. However, in Luke 17, ENTOS is translated as ‘among’ in both the Indonesian Bible (LAI) and the ILT version. This is a translation error. In several literal English translations, Luke 17 is translated as ‘within’. Thus, the correct translation is: “The kingdom of God is within you.”

This does not mean that the kingdom of heaven is near our physical heart or kidneys, because the kingdom of heaven is not of this world, as Jesus said. Rather, the kingdom of heaven exists ‘within the heavenly dimension’. Why is the kingdom of heaven said to be within us? Because God’s principle of working or governing is from the inside out, whereas Satan works from the outside in. This means that the kingdom of heaven governs the church (as an organism) from within the inner being of each of His chosen people.

That is why worship in the church as an organism must be in spirit and in truth. The glory of the church as an organism is inward glory (Christ in you, the hope of glory). Members of the church as an organism need not be taught by anyone (1 John 2:20, 27). Members of the church as an organism hear the voice of Jesus and follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). Jesus does not delegate His authority to any leader of the church as an organism. The church as an organism has its own leaders, symbolized by the “stars” in Revelation 12:1; we will not discuss this further.

If we are chosen by God—not merely called, for in Christianity many are called but few are chosen—if we are granted the grace to be CHOSEN BY GOD, then we understand what has been explained above. We are able to compare and conclude that DENOMINATIONS ARE FLESHLY KINGDOMS. Thus, in general, denominational leaders are the same as the leaders of Judaism (who killed Jesus): they have a FLESHLY UNDERSTANDING. What they build is not the church, but their own kingdoms. He who has ears, let him hear…

We have discussed the ‘fleshly’ understanding of Christianity in general regarding church authority. Now we will discuss Christianity’s general understanding of God’s blessings. In almost all denominations, especially in charismatic circles, there is a view that if a person truly follows God, his life will be blessed—meaning prosperity, wealth, and success in marriage, business, or any other aspect of human life. Of course, there are various forms of prosperity teaching. But at its core, the blessings of God received by believers are expected to be physical in nature, in addition to spiritual blessings, without emphasizing or focusing on the spiritual (Ephesians 1:3).

When this prosperity teaching is related to the Natural–Spiritual principle, it is clear that the two are incompatible. The Natural–Spiritual principle requires that God’s blessings in the Old Testament context are Natural (physical), whereas God’s blessings in the New Testament context are Spiritual. If we do not properly understand this principle, we tend to think that believers who are truly blessed in the New Testament context are those who experience hardship, poverty, sickness, and various physical sufferings. To understand this issue, we need to discuss New Testament teaching regarding the sufferings experienced by Jesus and His saints.

Let us quote several passages of Scripture related to suffering:

Romans 8:17, “…if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Philippians 1:29, “For to you it has been granted not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His sake.”

2 Thessalonians 1:5, “…you who are suffering for that kingdom.”

2 Timothy 1:8, “…join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.”

2 Timothy 2:3, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Acts 14:22, “…that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

There are many more New Testament verses that speak about the suffering that followers of Christ will experience. Jesus Himself told His disciples on the final night that in the world (the religious world) they would experience persecution, just as He did.

The understanding of prosperity teaching, which has already become rampant in the Christian world, clearly contradicts the verses above. Those verses actually emphasize that we, as followers of the Lord, will experience persecution. In fact, the New Testament does not place much emphasis on material blessings as prosperity teaching does—especially when such blessings are made the main focus. The central theme of the New Testament is the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Kingdom of Heaven is not a matter of food, drink, or other material things (Romans 14:17). There is one thing I am confident will help us understand what we are discussing here, namely the choice of grace, when we experience suffering in following the Lord.

Peter and his companions rejoiced because they were considered worthy, or were granted grace, to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:40–41). Paul and Silas also sang praises to God in prison, not in order to be set free, but because they rejoiced in receiving grace to suffer for His Name. For when the prison doors were opened, Paul said, “We are all still here” (Acts 16:28). Many saints throughout church history likewise rejoiced because they suffered persecution in following Christ. Let us take just one example: Richard Wurmbrand. This servant of God suffered for fourteen years in a communist prison in Romania, where dozens of his bones were broken—injuries that, according to doctors, should have caused his death. Wurmbrand said, “Suffering is holy… do not discard even its smallest fragments….” Why is this so? Why do God’s chosen people rejoice when they suffer for following the Lord? The answer is because suffering in Christ is grace. God’s chosen people glory in the Lord… they feel ‘honored’ because they are chosen and granted grace to suffer for the Lord. Not all Christians receive this grace…

Those who are chosen and granted grace to suffer for the Lord are the ones who understand the Natural–Spiritual principle. God’s chosen people understand that the blessings of the Old Testament are natural, while the blessings of the New Testament are spiritual. They understand this principle not because they are sickly, poor, or constantly lacking food and drink, but because of the choice of grace.

We have briefly discussed that those who are granted grace to suffer for the Lord Jesus are the ones who can correctly understand the Natural–Spiritual principle. They understand that God’s blessings in the context of the Old Testament are natural and physical, whereas God’s blessings in the context of the New Testament are spiritual. Now we will continue by explaining a little more about the suffering that will be experienced by God’s chosen people.

Before we continue, I want to repeat that there are many people who follow the Lord Jesus because they want to obtain physical bread (John 6:26). In the Christian world there are also many Christians—even the majority—who follow the Lord Jesus in order to receive blessings of health, prosperity, wealth; in short, to receive material, natural blessings. Such Christians will not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle, because they have not been granted the grace to joyfully suffer for the Lord Jesus, as the apostles and the other disciples of the Lord did.

So that we do not misunderstand this matter of suffering—as though we must suffer as martyrs (die as martyrs), or like Richard Wurmbrand who suffered for many years in a communist prison—it must be emphasized here that the suffering of God’s chosen people is unique for each individual. I will give an example of the suffering experienced by Mary, the mother who gave birth to Jesus Christ into this world. When the Holy Spirit said that Mary would conceive and bear a child, can you imagine the suffering and shame Mary experienced at that time? How could she explain to her family that the child she was carrying came from the Holy Spirit? No one would believe that the child Mary was carrying came from the Holy Spirit, because from the time of Adam until now, no woman has ever become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, as Mary’s betrothed, had also decided to divorce her (to break the engagement), had the angel not spoken to him. Moreover, in the Law of Moses it is written that a young woman who committed sexual immorality in her father’s house could be punished by stoning. Mary could not tell her story to anyone, because no one would be able to believe or understand her hardship. This kind of suffering is what God’s chosen people usually experience. They cannot tell anyone, because no one would be able to understand them. The suffering of God’s chosen people can only be endured patiently, but no one truly understands it. We too, as God’s chosen people, will surely experience suffering that no one else can understand. Yet it is precisely through this suffering that we are assured by God that we are His chosen people, and that God has a special plan for us. For us, the Natural–Spiritual principle is very easy to understand. We understand that God’s blessings in the context of the Old Testament are natural, while God’s blessings in the context of the New Testament are spiritual.

There is one kind of suffering experienced by God’s chosen people, such as that experienced by the apostle Paul, namely suffering for the sake of the building up of the Body of Christ, or the church. In Colossians 1:24 it is written, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church.” Paul did not say that he took part in Christ’s suffering to redeem the sins of humanity. Rather, he said that he experienced suffering for the building up of the church.

As God’s chosen people, the Lord also designs the suffering that we must go through for the building up of the church. God’s chosen people will not trade or seek profit in their ministry of building the Body of Christ. God’s chosen people will not teach prosperity teaching, which often materially benefits the teachers themselves. These are the chosen people of God who build the church, and they are the ones who can understand the Natural–Spiritual principle.

Now we will apply the Natural–Spiritual principle specifically to our understanding of the process of the creation of humanity. Let us return to 1 Corinthians 15:45–49: “So it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul’; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. But the spiritual is not first; the natural comes first, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the dust of the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven… Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

Let us carefully consider the context of 1 Corinthians 15. In this chapter Paul reminds the readers of the gospel he preached, which is focused on Christ’s death for our sins and Christ’s resurrection. But in the Corinthian church there were some who said that there is no resurrection (verse 12). Others asked, “With what kind of body will the dead come?” Here Paul answers by presenting an important principle that we have been discussing thus far, namely the Natural–Spiritual principle.

Now we will apply this Natural–Spiritual principle to the process of the creation of humanity, or perhaps more accurately, to the process of human salvation. Let us look at two important facts in this chapter. The first fact: the first man, Adam, became a living being (a living soul). But we then know that this first man, Adam, fell into sin (the realm of death) and brought ALL HIS DESCENDANTS into the realm of death as well. Then Christ Jesus, as the LAST Adam, settled the ENTIRE debt of sin of Adam’s descendants. Through His death, Christ Jesus paid in full all the debt of sin and all the consequences of Adam’s fall. Then, through His resurrection, Christ Jesus became the last Adam—that is, the life-giving Spirit, or the Spirit who gives Life. The Greek term translated ‘to give life’ is ZOOPOIEO (a verb), which means to give zoe life. Thus, Christ Jesus is the Spirit who gives Life to ALL THE DESCENDANTS of Adam who have fallen, each in their proper order (verses 23–24).

The second fact: the first man is from the dust of the earth, while the second man is from heaven. This speaks of headship. Just as the head of the first humanity fell and brought ALL HIS DESCENDANTS with him, so also the head of the second humanity will bring ALL HUMANITY to become heavenly humanity. The second man is a new creation. Jesus Christ is the head of the second humanity. That is why in the book of Revelation Jesus is called the beginning of God’s creation (Revelation 3:14). This does not mean that Jesus is a created being or was created.

Rather, Jesus is the head of the SECOND HUMANITY, and the second humanity is God’s creation, just as the first humanity was also God’s creation.

So, from these two facts we see how the process of human creation unfolds. First, God created humanity, Adam, and Adam together with all his descendants fell into the realm of death. Then God made a new creation, namely the second humanity. And the head of this second humanity is Jesus Christ, who through His death and resurrection became the life-giving Spirit. And Jesus, as the life-giving Spirit, will give His Life to ALL THE DESCENDANTS of the first humanity, according to their order. Jesus Himself affirmed, “…and I, when I am lifted up from the earth (through His death and resurrection), WILL DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO MYSELF” (John 12:32).

Thus, the Natural–Spiritual principle applies to the process of human creation as we have seen above. For the one who came first was Adam, who was natural and from the dust of the earth, and the One who came afterward is Jesus Christ, who is from heaven (spiritual). Amen.