An Overcomer series
“That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” — 1 Corinthians 15:46 (KJV)
God, who is Spirit, has ordained that we—creatures of body and soul—should come to know Him through the very world He created. From the beginning, He designed the natural realm to be a visible parable, a living shadow of the invisible truths that govern His kingdom. Just as Jesus spoke in parables drawn from everyday life, so the entire Bible functions as a tapestry woven with natural types that unveil spiritual realities.
Adam was a real man, yet also a figure of Him who was to come (Romans 5:14). Eve, drawn from Adam’s side, foreshadowed the Church, born from the wounded side of Christ. The Promised Land was a literal inheritance, but also a shadow of our spiritual inheritance in Christ. The journey from Egypt through the wilderness was historical—and yet, it is also the map of every believer’s spiritual pilgrimage.
We are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the living and abiding Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). Natural birth occurs through a father’s seed and a mother’s receptive womb; so too, spiritual birth comes by the imperishable seed of God’s Word, received by faith into a heart made ready. First the natural, then the spiritual.
But note this: God did not say, “First the natural, then the spiritual, then the natural again.” This is where many go astray—especially modern dispensationalists, who reverse God’s divine order by elevating the natural once more above the spiritual. They await a return to physical temples, genealogical Israel, animal sacrifices, and earthly thrones, not realizing that these things were never the goal but the shadow of what was to come.
To elevate the natural above the spiritual is to elevate the painting above the artist. Just as the artist’s mind and ability are displayed in his painting, so God’s attributes—His mercy, justice, and infinite wisdom—are displayed in His creation and His dealings with men.
– God, desiring to reveal mercy, created a race in need of mercy.
– God, desiring to display justice, offered His only begotten Son in our place.
– God, desiring to showcase boundless creativity, made a world of astonishing variety held in perfect order.
All of creation is the mind of God on display—a masterpiece that points not to itself but to Him. People are made in the image of God so we can behold, through human relationships and experiences, glimpses of the invisible Creator.
This is why God gives us natural patterns—not only for understanding, but for accountability.
If you know how to raise a child in love and truth, then you already know something about discipleship. If you know the pain of careless words, then you understand why truth must be spoken in love. If you’ve watched a child grow slowly, awkwardly, and joyfully, then you understand how God is patient with you.
And if you recognize that Israel—natural, geopolitical Israel—was never the ultimate goal, but a representation of a people for God, then you will understand this also: Spiritual Israel—those born of the Spirit, not of the flesh—are the true children of God. “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” (Romans 9:6)
The Overcomer series reflects this exact principle. It shows how the historical story of Israel’s journey was designed by God to reflect our spiritual journey—from bondage, through testing, into possession.
Once you begin to see this divine structure—first the natural, then the spiritual—you start reading everything differently. Every story, every command, every relationship becomes a revelation of a higher truth. Every part of the natural world points upward—to the God who made it, and the unseen kingdom that now rules through Christ.