This comparison shows the two extremes. Most Christians are somewhere in between the two.
Natural Man Spiritual Man
A person who is directed by his or her A person who is directed by his or her
own abilities and human nature relationship with the Holy Spirit or
including mental understandings of centered in the nature of Jesus Christ
Biblical principles. as imparted by the Holy Spirit in the
context of the guidance of the
Scriptures.
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
1. I tend to be centered in the 1. I tend to be centered around the
perspective I have of myself as relationship with the unchanging
reflected in the acceptance or affectionate expression of the love of
rejection and the approval or Christ where I feel He approves,
disapproval of persons and society accepts and enjoys me. I perceive
around me. I tend to seek the way of and fall in love more and more with
behaving and thinking that will the beauty of the nature of Christ and
reflect the norms and accepted desire nothing more than to seek with
perspectives of the social group I am the help of God to become more like
part of including the church I may Him especially in my attitudes and the
belong to. disposition of my heart.
2. Significance is based in doing and 2. Significance is based in the
how one appears to others, the relationship with God as being an
position in society based on such esteemed and loved son of the Father
external factors as education, and a passionately loved part of the
ability, position, appearance, way of bride of Christ and coheir with Him.
thinking etc. Performance orientation.
3. Self is the center. My thoughts 3. Christ and the beauty of His nature
and conversation center around my is the center. He is who I am excited
interests and accomplishments. about, who fills my thoughts and my
converstions.
4. I do for God. I believe that I 4. I do with God. He is the prime
have to de His will so that He will initiator and doer and my part is to
approve of me. I must witness and do seek to perceive with His help what He
the work so that He will approve of is doing and to do it with Him. He
me. I dn;t have much faith that God can do thing much better than any
really is involved intimately in human and He gives me the priviledge
things here on earth. of participating so that He can
develope our relationship in the
process.
5. I am a human, a sinner who is 5. I am a marvelously made creation,
trying to live right. I may be saved made by God for the purpose of
and will go to heaven but I believe relating with Him for eternity. My
God will approve or disapprove of me value is based on the fact that God
by how well I act according to my placed eternal beauty in me when He
perspective of what He desires of me. made me long before I appeared on the
My value to God is based on how well I earth. When I was born again my
do. beautiful nature was made alive as I
became a new creation. My value is
based on who I am not on what I do.
God knows that I desire to be all that
He calls me to be and that my spirit
is willing but my flesh is weak. God
treasures my willing heart towards Him
and He responds, giving me the ability
to grow in being more and more like
Him as apart from Him I can do
nothing.
6. Though I trust in Christ for my 6. I am secure and in peace as I know
salvation I have fears and anxiety as He loves me and is passionately
I tend to see God as more distant and committed to the best direction for my
not interested in my personal life. I life. I have perceived the immensity
need to control things because if I of His power and sovereignty and know
don't who will protect me and those that everything that happens in my
close to me. I am fearful of the life is for my good that I might be
future and tend to be manipulated in transformed into the beauty of
my emotions by what goes on around me. Christ's image. I am sure that He
Change and the unexpected frighten wants the best and is able to bring
me. that forth. I do not fear change or
the unexpected as I am founded on the
reality that the one who most loves me
is in control. My emotions are stable
as they are based in the relationship
with the nature of Christ that never
changes but continually reflects love,
commitment, peace and faith towards me
even when He sends circumstances that
are difficult. He even enjoys and
rejoices over me as a person.
7. I try to act good according to what 7. My nature is transformed by the
I understand the Scriptures command direct effect of His moving in my life
me. I may do well at this and this in the inner man. God has imparted to
tends to lead me to pride as I am able me His perfect righteousness in the
to do things right. If I tend to fail new creation as a foundation from
I am subject to condemnation and guilt which I grow into becoming all He has
and a sense of failure. I tend to called me to be. I collaborate with
concentrate obeying the norms Him doing my part in studying the
reflected in the particular Scriptures and relating with Him as He
congregation that I am a part of. leads me into the transformation of my
There is a tendency to go from being way of thinking. I work with His
conformed to the world to being working which works in me mightily
conformed to the church. changing me from glory to glory. The
change in my outward behavior comes
the inner transformation in which I
discover that I naturally from the
inside out desire and am able to live
His kind of life. I am progressively
freer from the sinful tendencies
programmed into me from my past.
Col.1:28, Phil.2:12-13, 2
Corin.3:17-18
8. It is easy for to become self 8. I never stop changing while here on
satisfied with my level of maturity as earth as the goal in my growth is to
I tend to compare myself with the become like Jesus as I perceive Him
others of my congregation. I feel no ever more. He expresses His yearning
need to go on beyond anyone else and toward me to call me ever deeper into
even if I should do that I might the fulfillment of His plan for me in
become rejected. The church can the kind of person He has called me to
become more of a kind of social club be and the things He calls me to do.
with its patterns of behavior to which As He is infinite in beauty the
each one seeks to conform as the quality of life that He calls me to
primary motivation is to be seen as a never is fully accomplished but I am
"spiritually accepted" part of the enjoying the journey that is the
group. My spirituality is more process. The path of the righteous is
defined by how the group sees me than like the light of the dawn that grows
a relationship with God. until it is perfect day.
9. My ministry tends to be based out 9. My ministry and relationship with
of my gifting and who I perceive my others is based out of the passionate
self to be. Often without realizing love and esteem I perceive that God
it I am more concerned with results, has toward others. I see how precious
success and how effective I am other are in the light of how He looks
especially in the eyes of others. I at them. I seek to be others
tend to identify with my gifts and centered, learning to see, esteem,
abilities and seek signifigance in the enjoy and cherish them as Jesus does.
eyes of others through them. In My ministry is to love and serve
supernatural ministry there can be a others in any way I can, especially as
tendency to manipulate situations and I can work with the Father as He draws
people as I am interested in looking them to know Christ and the love He
good. The tendency is to live more has toward them so that they might
before people than before God. learn to relate to Him and find the
fullness of eternal life He so desires
to give to them. My gifts and
abilidties that God has given me to
operate in are not my identity but are
nothing more than tools to bless
others and set them free to discover
and grow in Him. In supernatural
ministry there is no pressure to
produce results such as healings,
prophesies, etc. as we are not pressed
to prove any thing as our success is
not in results but in our relationship
with God. We seek to be as obedient
to what God is guiding us to do as we
can as we trust His wisdom and
sovereignty.
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