What is the Natural Life?
Before I go further into the issue about this Divine reality where true spirituality is found, it may be helpful now to speak a little about this natural life that is common to all. These are our natural inclinations or bents that draw us toward those things that please our natural dispositions. The root of all this is our natural self love which grows like a tree spreading its branches seeking growth as a natural process. The root and foundation of this natural life works apart from faith and can distort a right perception of life and understandings of our experiences. Of course the natural life by itself, as a part of creation is not bad, but neutral and can reflect in part the wisdom of its Creator. God gives us desires to preserve and keep our lives. These are just natural instincts and bents that are a part of our makeup. However, we were made for a higher purpose and are to be guided by nobler laws, and so stand guilty when we are merely guided by these natural bents and neglect our higher purpose designed by God. Now our natural temperaments and bents are not totally obliterated but rather controlled and overruled by a superior and more excellent reality. In a word, the difference between a spiritual person and a wicked one, is that in the former, the true Divine life is in control of their desires and in the latter, the natural life prevails.
The Different Tendencies of the Natural Life
It is, however, a strange thing to observe how one who is guided only by a natural life can in certain circumstances be led into a very dangerous mistake in thinking well of themselves because of a difference they see in themselves from others, while the outward action maybe different they both flow from the same source. Just consider how some people are in their natural state and makeup. Some people are fun loving, free spirited souls, which reflects in their sometimes over-the-top behavior, where others are more reserved and serious and therefore show more restraint and sensibilities in their lives, which people will certainly applaud.
Some people are of a rough and critical temperament, and are never happy with themselves or pleased with others; but all are not born with such sour dispositions, for some people have a natural sweetness and congeniality rooted in their makeup that they find it easy to be with other people, make friends easily, and enjoy the affections of others in all things. It is, in a sense, good that some people have this natural gift of tenderness in a world often marked by cruelty and meanness. We need them to provide a buffer and encourage others to be concerned about people.
Now, once again consider the issue of training and behavioral influences; some people have never been taught how to control their vices and base desires and live only for the momentary pleasure. Others, however have been taught from early years to live by rules of decency, honor and restraint, and would then find it hard to do something which goes against the grain of their education.
In the final analysis, there is not a lot of difference in the natural life (with the strength or weakness of judgment) between lust and the ability to restrain oneself, injustice and oppression, virtue and all the wickedness of the world, because both flow out of a love for self, when the natural life is not subdued by a true spirituality. If a person by using natural reason and judgment has contempt for gross evils, can sprout various types of virtue and morality. With good reason, a person can even see that certain sins do him harm, cost him cause injure, then it will be his love for self, that will restrain him and compel him to be moral and treat others morally as a way to sustain him in the world.
Moreover, this natural light of reason can to rise to higher lofts and appear pious and seem spiritual. Some people may be drawn to study things of God, the Scriptures and enjoy the whole exercise of seeking answers to their speculations. They can even find their formed opinions on such matters to be important and promote them to others with great zeal, so as to win converts to their beliefs. They may delight in the study of God because it requires a discipline of judgment and a sharp mind, as rigorous intellectual exercise. Just consider for example, how all the glorious things of heaven can make a carnal heart fall in love with it. All the rich metaphors and pictures used in the Scriptures of crowns, scepters, rivers of delight, etc., can easily draw a person’s imagination to want to be in heaven without ever having a desire for the spiritual realities of which the metaphors describe. These people can even be told that Christ has purchased these wonderful things for them and feel tenderness and affection for such a great benefactor that they maybe infatuated with Jesus, but all the while be a total stranger to who He really is. Is there not a glut of so called spiritual books and devotions written by people who can write with great eloquence about God without really knowing Him?
To conclude, there is nothing a person, with the aid of reason and sound judgment, can emulate and progress in their virtuous life, and while not a bad thing must be understood as a natural reality and one must never be satisfied with it or confuse true spirituality with this natural desire and exterior morality.
Questions:
1. Do you know unbelievers who are moral and ethical? It is good that people seek to be ethical, but can a person really be good without God?
2. Is it easy to measure our love for God by the things we do?
3. How can we confuse moralism with true spirituality?
4. Do people want Jesus for what He gives, or for who He is? How is self-love involved?
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