There are times when we look at unbelievers, and we think, Why don’t they get it? We hear what they say, especially after some truth has been “clearly” laid out in front of them, and their rejection just seems mind-boggling.

Why don’t they see what we see? Why don’t they understand the Word of God like we do? Why can’t they see that the answer is right in front of them? It’s even more amazing when it seems so clear to us. Why don’t they see it?

Here’s the simple truth: they can’t.

And that’s not an insult. It’s exactly what the Bible says. And it’s something we need to understand clearly—because it’ll change the way we pray, the way we talk to people, and the way we approach those who aren’t born again.

So let’s get into it.

It’s Not About Intelligence

Sometimes people think that if someone is smart enough, educated enough, or well-read enough, they’ll “get” the things of God. They’ve gotten. this education so the Bible should become more clear to them. But that’s not how it works.

The Apostle Paul made it very clear:

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14

This is not about being smart or dumb. It has nothing to do with education. It’s about your spiritual condition.
Until someone is born again, their spirit is dead unto God. They are dominated by their flesh and their unrenewed mind. That’s why they can’t receive the truth the same way you can when you’re born again. They’re trying to process spiritual truth through natural thinking—and it doesn’t work. And it never will.

The Word of God Is a Spiritual Book

Here’s something we can’t forget: The Bible is a spiritual book. It’s unlike anything that has ever been made on the earth. It was written by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). You can’t fully understand it unless the same Spirit who authored it is working inside of you.

That’s why Paul also wrote:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 2:9-10,

It takes the Holy Spirit to reveal the deep things of God. And the Holy Spirit only dwells in those who have been born again. That may sound stupid to some, but that just goes to show the validity of the spiritual truth — the things of God are foolishness to the natural man. And if you’re a Christian saying that, it just shows how carnal you are. So, don’t say that to too many people. You’re exposing yourself. (Laugh)

An Example of This in Action

There was a man who used to attend church services regularly at this one specific church. He wasn’t born again, but he liked having deep discussions about the Bible. He would debate Scripture with believers, and he thought he understood it.
One night after a powerful service, where the Spirit of God was moving, he said, “I don’t understand what you all get out of this. It just looks like emotionalism to me.”

And from where he was standing, that’s exactly what it looked like. Why? Because he was trying to grasp spiritual things with a natural mind. That’s like trying to read a book in a language you’ve never learned.
The Word was still a closed book to him—not because he wasn’t smart, but because his spirit was not alive unto God yet.

Education Doesn’t Help

When I was in college, I was so bonfire for God. I wanted to be surrounded by God and the things of God at every turn. So for one of my English classes, I decided to write a paper on a specific parable of Jesus. We had already covered a whole section on The Bible as Literature. So I set out to write my paper—I pray, studied, looked at commentaries—everything I knew to do, as a Christian.

When I got my paper back, I received a C. That wasn’t good. In discussing it with my teacher, a non-Christian, I found out she took a whole class on the Bible as literature, so that made her some kind of specialist. She told me that what I wrote wasn’t what the scriptures actually said.
However, I verified it with other scriptures (good Bible interpretation), and cross referenced it with other commentaries. Yet in all of her education, she was right.

It wasn’t that. She just couldn’t grasp the spiritual side of it because her mind wasn’t renewed to the spiritual things it talked about.

The Spirit vs. The Flesh

One minister said it this way:

“The natural mind, educated by the natural man, oftimes is the greatest hindrance unto the things of the Spirit… It is his [The Christian] spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, that should have dominion in his life.”

That applies to unbelievers and even to some believers who haven’t renewed their minds yet.
But for the unbeliever, it’s even more clear-cut. They don’t have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside them. Their spirit is still ruled by the flesh. No matter how many sermons they hear, they’ll process it through the natural mind—and they’ll miss the true meaning.

Jesus said it plainly:

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:3

That word see means to perceive, or to understand. Without the new birth, the things of God remain hidden. You can’t see them no matter how much in your face they are.

What This Means for Us as Believers

So what do we do with this?

First, we need to stop getting discouraged when unbelievers reject or mock the Word. They can’t see it. Not yet.
They are literally blind to the truths of God’s Word. Just like the saying “I was once blind, and now I see,” — they are literally blind. And when you are born again, then you can truly see.

Second, we need to pray for them. We pray that the eyes of their understanding would be opened. We pray that the veil would be removed from their hearts. We pray that they would be drawn to salvation and experience the new birth—because that’s when everything will start to change.
The prayers found in Ephesians 1 and 3, as well as Colossians 1 are perfect prayers for this. Praying them continually over those you are witnessing to will help remove these blinders. And praying them for yourself will help you move into the deeper things of God.

 Third, we shouldn’t waste time trying to argue deep spiritual matters with those who aren’t born again. It won’t work. Instead, we need to lovingly point them to Jesus. Once they are born again, the Spirit of God will help them understand.

A Word to the Unbeliever

If you happen to be reading this and you haven’t been born again, I want to speak plainly: You will never fully understand the Bible or the things of God until your spirit is made alive unto Him.

That’s not an insult. That’s Scripture. That’s truth.
That is why Christians, the things we do, believe, what the Bible says —can sometimes make no sense, seem weird, or you just don’t understand.

Jesus said:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again. – John 3:6-7

God wants you to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). But it starts with being born again. Until then, the Word of God will remain a mystery to you.

Final Takeaway

The Bible isn’t just another book. It’s alive. It’s powerful. And it’s spiritually discerned. That’s why the new birth is the first step. The Holy Spirit is your teacher. And He will lead you into all truth—but only if He lives inside of you.

For those of us who are born again—stay patient. Keep praying. And keep pointing people to Jesus. And if you haven’t yet received Him, the invitation is wide open. Receive Jesus today. When you do, the light of the Word of God will begin to shine in your heart and you will see things radically different.

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6

Stay with the Word and the Spirit.