Seeing Jesus: What we are freely given

1 Corinthians 2:12-14,16 (NASB)

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may 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.
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.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

There are so many things He has freely given us that it is hard to write up even a partial list. Someone who has been "taught by the Holy Spirit" for many years have these things so integrated into one's life that they become hard to see.

The greatest of these is salvation by grace through faith. Ranking just below that is the free gift of the Holy Spirit, the ability through prayer and action to partake in the Kingdom of God, and the revelation of His love for us. All of these seem to be "moronic foolishness" to the natural man.

To the natural man, righteousness, or "right-standing" with his/her fellow natural man, is a matter of holding the right (or consensus) opinions, signifying that they hold the right opinions, and acting on those right opinions. These opinions are freely changed depending on circumstances. The Kingdom of God is not so.

For example, He has commanded us to love our neighbors, our brothers, our enemies, and, indirectly, ourselves and our families. Who does this leave out? No one.

This is not the way of the natural man. The natural man only loves those who love him.

Loving his enemies is moronic foolishness to the natural man. He cannot understand it. But it is what Christ did; He saved us "while we were yet sinners." To us, it is the wisdom of God.

Jesus, You have freely given us so many things, and given us the mind to understand those things. The natural man is like a blind man in a room full of books and artworks and treasures. He can not value any of those things. But we are given, as a gift, the ability to value them. And in the gift, we see You, Jesus.

Thank you, Lord, for that gift.