Living a Supernatural Life

Can a person live a supernatural life? If so, how does one experience a supernatural life? God says through Paul that if you change the quality of your thinking you will change the quality of your living. Natural thinking results in natural living. Supernatural thinking, that is, informing your thinking with the propositional truths of Scripture, will result in supernatural living. (Romans 12:2) But how do we get there? Does not everyone fail to meet even the simplest standards?

The first eleven chapters of the Letter to the Romans are a thorough explanation of the gospel. Chapter eleven ends with some of the most beautiful language that has ever flowed from a heart of devotion toward God. The first two verses of chapter twelve act somewhat like the hinges on a door or the binding of a book between the theological and the practical encouragement to live the truly Christian life (Romans 12:1-2). What does it mean to renew your mind? Why is this not spelled out if this process is so important? Paul has mentioned that believers should consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God several chapters before this passage. This idea is revived in the mind of the reader with the mention of our spiritual worship.

Elsewhere, in Scripture, God has said;

 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9 ESV)

The essence of the supernatural life is to seek the Lord, call upon him, forsake our ways and thoughts, and return to the Lord. Peace with God does not come until we have responded to our need to submit ourselves to God's standards by humbling ourselves before him in repentance and faith. We must recognize that we have sinned and ask God to forgive us for that sin (1 John 1: 8, 9, 10). Only then will we see his Word through the lens of our union with the Spirit.

The Scriptures also say;

 "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'-- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. ¶The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 'For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians2:9-16ESV)

Was it not the mind of Christ that compelled him to humble himself and take human flesh upon himself not thinking of his own honor and glory but desiring to exalt his Father and reconcile unworthy sinners to himself?

 "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:4-8 ESV)

So it is by having a genuine relationship with God through Jesus Christ that we are able to enjoy the benefits of our communion with God through the indwelling of the Spirit. Only then, after we are regenerated in heart, can we begin the process of progressive sanctification which manifests the wisdom of God in the world through the example of those who are compelled to seek the Lord, call upon him, forsake their ways and thoughts, and return to the Lord by the power of the Spirit working within them. When we grasp the glory of God with enlightened eyes of faith we will be transformed to the degree of our capacity to perceive his perfection. This 'renewal of your mind' results in Christ-like character which expresses itself through Christ-like love for God and others.

This is what the Lord intended when he breathed out these words;

 ¶"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)

Please be aware, do not be deceived. Many would have you think that mission and purpose come first and then communion with God and eternal life if one perseveres. This is the kind of message that the apostle Paul considered a distortion of the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:7).  There is no standard, religious, moral, or otherwise, by which we can have peace and communion with God (Galatians 3:11-12).  We can only experience this supernatural reality by grace through faith by which we are created anew in Christ for the purpose of good works which God has determined beforehand (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Ephesians 2:8-10; Galatians 6:15).

The biblical pattern of living a pure and holy life is found time and time again in Scripture. You must first have a supernatural experience with God himself. He has initiated that experience through the provision of salvation through Jesus Christ and the proclamation of the gospel found in Scripture. A person who humbles themselves and genuinely receives the truth of the gospel will respond by believing its claims of provision for peace with God and communion with the Spirit. This peace and communion is a result of the legal transaction that occurs between those who receive the free gift of salvation provided through Christ’s suffering on the cross. (Romans 5:1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Beloved, God desires for all of us to live holy lives characterized by purity (Ezekiel 18:23, 27-28). However, thousands of years of human experience as well as the biblical record demonstrate that this type of holiness and purity is impossible for human nature to realize in and of itself. It takes a supernatural act of grace resulting in a person’s spiritual birth (John 1:12-13, 3:6).  Understanding and obeying God’s will becomes your mission and purpose when you recognize the value of the mercy he has shown toward mankind.