May 17, 2026
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Today I want to continue with the last’s week’s word, titled “Seeing in the Spirit.” We saw last time how some of Jesus’ followers fell away because they interpreted His words in the flesh, or in the natural realm according to the wisdom and knowledge of the world.
John 6:
48 “I am the bread of life.
49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50 “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
52 The Jews therefore [began] to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us [His] flesh to eat?”
The people were unable to understand in the Spirit and so His words did not make sense to them.
Likewise, we looked at 2nd Kings 6 where the great prophet Elisha’s servant was only able to see in the natural realm. He saw Syria’s army of many horses and chariots surrounding the city.
2nd Kings 6:
14 And he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
It was not until Elisha asked God to open his eyes that the servant was able to see in the Spirit that he and Elisha were protected by an entire mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. This happens to us as well when our circumstances get difficult. We see only the danger of the circumstance, and we fail to see the protection that God has surrounding us.
So, we can see the importance of distinguishing between the Spirit realm, where God operates, and the natural realm, where we operate in the flesh. We said last time that the Greek word for “flesh” is “sarx” and in addition to referring to our bodily flesh, this word also means our human nature with its physical and moral frailties and passions. Our human nature is to focus on ourselves and on our circumstances in the natural realm, instead of on what is happening in the Spirit realm. The word “flesh’ is anything we do or think that satisfies self physically, mentally, or emotionally, and gives no consideration to spiritual or eternal things.
A Hidden Wisdom
Today I want to return to 1st Corinthians 2 for more insight about seeing in the Spirit. We were here a few weeks ago when we talked about how incomprehensible the love of Jesus is. Early in this passage, Paul is describing a wisdom that is available to us as mature believers but is hidden from the rulers of this world.
1st Corinthians 2:
6 ¶ Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom,] which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
8 [the wisdom] which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
9 but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND [which] HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”
In verse 6, Paul writes that he speaks wisdom among those who are mature. In the King James Version (KJV), the word for “mature” is “perfect,” which in the Greek is “teleios.” Teleios does not mean perfect in the sense of flawless, as we use it in English. Instead, in the Greek it means having a developed mental and moral character, inferring completeness of character. In verse 6, Paul is describing Christians under his teaching that have fully developed in their relationship with the Lord. In other words, it takes a level of maturity or completeness in our walk with the Lord to be able to receive the hidden wisdom described in verse 7.
Thus, Paul is teaching that as we mature in our relationship with Jesus, we have access to the hidden mysteries in the Spirit, i.e., we can see in the Spirit. Now you might be thinking you have to wait a while until you mature before you can see in the Spirit, but I am here to tell you not necessarily so. Elisha’s servant was not mature enough to see God’s army in the Spirit realm, but Elisha prayed for him, and immediately he was able to see it.
This is good news for us because it means we can have access today to the hidden things by praying for it. We can have a wisdom that the rulers of this age do not understand. We can see things in the Spirit which no eye has seen, we can hear that which no ear has heard. It means God will put things into our hearts that have not yet entered the heart of man, things He has prepared for those of us who have perfected (completed) our love for Jesus by accepting Him into our hearts.
Holy Spirit Revelation
Continuing in 1st Corinthians 2, Paul writes that the things revealed to us from verse 9 above are revealed through the Holy Spirit.
1st Corinthians 2:
10 For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
This passage is interesting to me. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can search the depths of the internet or the depths of anything publicly written or spoken to answer your questions. It is amazing, no doubt. But AI cannot search the depths of God. It cannot search the hidden wisdom that is available only by seeing in the Spirit.
Spiritual Thoughts with Spiritual Words
Paul goes on to distinguish between the spirit that is in the world and the Spirit who is from God.
1st Corinthians 2:
11 For who among men knows the [thoughts] of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the [thoughts] of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual [thoughts] with spiritual [words.]
Note verse 11 says we cannot know the thoughts of a man or the thoughts of God in the natural. We saw earlier in John 6 that the people could not discern the thoughts of Jesus when He taught that He was the Bread of Life. Verse 11 says no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. But then verse 12 makes clear that we have received not the spirit that is in the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know His thoughts. By the Holy Spirit we know and see and hear the things that no heart has known, seen, or heard.
Tell me: does this lift your spirit, or what?
Verse 13 says these things freely given us by God are things we speak, not using words taught by human wisdom, but words taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts and spiritual words. The Greek word for “spiritual” in verse 13 is “pneumatikos,” which means non-carnal, (opposite of the flesh), i.e., ethereal (other worldly), or divinely supernatural. The first part of the word is “pneuma” which means a current of air, i.e., a breath or blast of air, or a breeze, superhuman, Christ’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, or life.
Praying in Tongues
It seems to me that Paul, in using the expression “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words,” is describing praying in tongues, or using your heavenly prayer language. In Romans 8, the Apostle describes this type of prayer as groanings too deep for words.
Romans 8:
26 ¶ And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to [the will of] God.
Praying in the Spirit involves yielding our minds, our wills, and our emotions to the Lord. If we form words in English, that involves the use of our minds, and that can drag us back into the flesh. When we pray in tongues, we yield to the Lord, and His Spirit combines spiritual thoughts with spiritual words, and therein lies the hidden wisdom that the world cannot receive.
Spiritually Appraised
Continuing in 1st Corinthians 2, Paul says a natural man (that is, a person operating in the flesh) cannot understand these words because they are spiritually appraised.
1st Corinthians 2:
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.
16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. (NASB)
In the KJV, the word “appraised” used in verses 14 and 15 is “discerned” or “judged”. The Greek word is “anakrino,” (an-ak-ree’-no) which means to search, scrutinize, examine, investigate, interrogate, or question. So, a natural man cannot understand these things of the Spirit because they are non-carnal, divinely supernatural things that can only be discerned or judged or searched or examined or investigated in the Spirit.
In verse 15, Paul writes that he who is spiritual appraises all things. He discerns or judges all things. We can by the Holy Spirit search, examine, investigate, and interrogate all things. At the same time, when we are in the Spirit of God, no man can appraise us, no man can discern us. And no one can judge us. It is ethereal. It is like we are in another world. We are in a non-carnal place, a divinely supernatural place. We cannot be judged there by man or the devil.
And finally, in verse 16, Paul says when we are in that place, we have the mind of Christ. We can know how Jesus thinks about the circumstances surrounding us.
Closing
When we discussed the “Incomprehensible” word a few weeks ago, we said our witness to unbelievers needs to adapt as darkness increases in our world. We cannot debate the darkness because the Light came into the world and the darkness did not comprehend it.
By the same token, we must understand that our ability to see in the Spirit puts us in a different place. It is a place that the unbeliever cannot comprehend. This is not for us to boast or become arrogant because it is only by the grace of God that we are here. But we are in a place that is foolishness to the natural man or woman, a place that he or she cannot understand.
Rather than debate these things with someone who lacks spiritual discernment, today we must put forth the word of God and allow its power to do the heavy lifting. Rather than debate with the spirit of the antichrist, we must pray as Elisha did for his servant. Pray that God would open the eyes of the unbeliever, or even the believer who is only seeing in the natural realm.
The airline warns us that in the event of a loss of oxygen, we should first put on our own oxygen mask before helping others. The same principal applies here. First pray that Lord will grow us in understanding all that is available to us in the Spirit realm. Ask Him to quicken your spirit not to view your dire circumstances of the natural realm, but to see instead all the miraculous blessings and protections He has for us in the Spirit realm. This will increase your faith and discernment. Then pray for family, friends, and even your enemies to be drawn by the Lover of their souls into relationship, into spiritual maturity, into spiritual completeness.
Let us pray.
Father God, we thank You for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which lead us into an ethereal, non-carnal, and divinely supernatural world of deep understanding of spiritual appraisal, discernment, and judgment. Quicken us Lord to seek the Holy Spirit, that our eyes may be opened, that our ears may hear, and that our hearts may discern what no man has seen, heard, or discerned. Teach us to speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. Develop our prayer language so we can pray with groanings too deep for words. We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
If anyone has not yet received the Lord Jesus Christ in their heart, and desires to do so, please repeat this prayer after me:
Father God, I repent of my sin and ask for forgiveness today. I confess and declare with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with all my heart that You raised Him from the dead for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus, please come into my heart and change me. Send the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me in wisdom and to enable me to overcome temptation from this day forth. Thank You for my salvation. I look forward to the day of the Rapture when I can be with You forever. Amen.
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