They Won’t Understand

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV

In a story published by News-Press NOW published Saturday, the writer said: After the City of St. Joseph launched a new initiative aimed at making park facilities safer for its users, a local runner said she generally feels comfortable running on the trails during the day.

Despite the general sense of safety while out running, Terra James pointed out that there are still uneven sidewalks around town that can be hazardous and lead to injuries, regardless of the time of day.

“I will admit at nighttime, when it does get dark, I do not feel as safe running. I do try my best to run during the daytime hours and I do feel at risk,” James said.

James said the biggest issue she's noticed when it comes to safety is uneven sidewalks around town that can be dangerous and lead to injuries, no matter the time of day.
James said when runners choose the road over the sidewalk, it is not meant to frustrate drivers. In many cases, it is simply because the sidewalks are difficult to run on.

And, you know, as a runner who frequently chooses to run on roads rather than sidewalks because they are indeed easier to run on (for a variety of reasons beyond what was stated), I can identify with James. I have come into contact with many drivers who can’t understand why I would opt out of running on a “seemingly safe” sidewalk. But that’s why it takes a runner to understand a runner.

This is something that’s true in our spiritual lives as well. As Paul clearly knew, those who aren’t following Jesus will never understand those of us who do. You see, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

This means someone not guided by God's Spirit (the person unregenerated by Christ, still operating out of ordinary human reasoning and desires) finds spiritual truths foolish and incomprehensible, viewing them as absurd because spiritual things require spiritual understanding (discernment) to grasp, not just human intellect. Paul states flatly that such a person “does not accept” spiritual truth and will never understand why we believers choose Christ over the world and live in a way that reflects our choice to follow God above man.

In summary, there is a stark divide between the unregenerate and the regenerate man (the unbeliever and the believer). The person without the Spirit resists and ridicules God’s wisdom that we speak about because it's the Spirit who alone grants understanding. Salvation, therefore, hinges on divine initiative—the reason we pray that God would open blind eyes and soften hard hearts. Our confidence, then, rests not in persuasive arguments to win people to Christ, but in the Spirit’s power to transform unsaved people into believers who will gladly receive and cherish the things of God like we do.

So, remembering that those without the Spirit will never understand the things of the Spirit, pray for the lost my friend as you faithfully share the Truths laid out in the Word. Pray that they would have softened hearts to accept Jesus as their Savior and would experience all the amazing benefits that come from being a child of God and growing in the knowledge of Him. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that until someone is born again, their spirit is dead unto You and they are dominated by their flesh and their unrenewed mind. That’s why they can’t receive the truth the same way a person can when they’re born again. Help us to understand that the nonbeliever is trying to process spiritual truth through natural thinking, which will never work Lord. Help us to be patient and continually praying for those who are lost so they will come to know You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!