You will not find "non-believer" in the scriptures. There is only "unbeliever". The distinction is: belief is a standard of behavior NOT simply a thought in the mind. All men know God is but, because of tradition, rebellion, carnality, etc. most men live as unbelievers... not living as if God is real.
This is like the word "disobedient" in the New Testament. The root of the word is the same word for apathy. We understand apathy to mean "uncaring or disinterested". To be "disobedient" is to ignore the reality of a standard of being that does not originate from ourselves. This is a way of life that is apathetic to the ways of God or to any standard that does not originate from within. Disobedience towards parents, then, is more than just back-talking or ignoring their commands. It has to do with apathy toward those who represent the previous generation or the reality that a generation came before. Such a mind-set is consistent with orphan-hood: a generation of one, wherein the choices of life begin and end with the person. Choices are then made without regard to the previous generation or to God. The disobedient mind does what is best for him or herself.
Obedience, or a life lived as though God is real, and the generation that came before is real, recognizes that one's being did not originate from oneself. There is a progenitor that proceeds the current reality: the first progenitor is parental, the second is the living God. To live a life in the Spirit of God and obedient to God, one must look beyond the natural to the spiritual. This is why Jesus gave the instruction to "call no man on earth your father". Where once it was okay to do so, Jesus represented a new and living way. He wasn't talking about a natural father, He was leveraging the essence of obedience: the obedient one recognizes he came from someone else. If our progenitor was terrestrial then our potential could not go beyond the natural. But then Jesus added this:
"..for you have one Father, who is in heaven."
This elevated the standard of life to the Father in heaven: the Living God.
Human living assumes an indelible standard of life. All men know of this standard: it is in the DNA of creation. That is why there is no excuse for someone who does not acknowledge the Creator:
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
"Natural man" is a person who lives according to the desires and lusts of the flesh. That type of life may be called "soulish" or a soul life. Such a life establishes the seat of authority within the natural man: from his own idea of what is good for him. This is juxtaposed against the "life of the spirit" or "life in the spirit". Such a life is led by the Spirit of God: God's Spirit to man's spirit. Such a life establishes the seat of authority within God.
In such a life (in the Spirit) man submits his soul to the spirit within him and his spirit receives instruction from God Who gave it. By this, man may do what is pleasing to the Lord, in faith. It is in faith because man's ways are not God's ways. A life in the spirit is contrary to the soul life and, in many ways, seems precarious. The faith we have is that God is invested in the outcome of a life led by His Spirit. In fact, He guarantees that such a life continues in perpetuity beyond the natural death of the man.
But the man in heaven is not simply a king. He is our Father. He calls us into His own life so that we may take part in the fullness He possesses.
"I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
The Father of our spirits elevates our potential beyond the terrestrial father. For sure, even if the terrestrial part of us dies we will continue to live forever with our Father in heaven.
This is like the word "disobedient" in the New Testament. The root of the word is the same word for apathy. We understand apathy to mean "uncaring or disinterested". To be "disobedient" is to ignore the reality of a standard of being that does not originate from ourselves. This is a way of life that is apathetic to the ways of God or to any standard that does not originate from within. Disobedience towards parents, then, is more than just back-talking or ignoring their commands. It has to do with apathy toward those who represent the previous generation or the reality that a generation came before. Such a mind-set is consistent with orphan-hood: a generation of one, wherein the choices of life begin and end with the person. Choices are then made without regard to the previous generation or to God. The disobedient mind does what is best for him or herself.
Obedience, or a life lived as though God is real, and the generation that came before is real, recognizes that one's being did not originate from oneself. There is a progenitor that proceeds the current reality: the first progenitor is parental, the second is the living God. To live a life in the Spirit of God and obedient to God, one must look beyond the natural to the spiritual. This is why Jesus gave the instruction to "call no man on earth your father". Where once it was okay to do so, Jesus represented a new and living way. He wasn't talking about a natural father, He was leveraging the essence of obedience: the obedient one recognizes he came from someone else. If our progenitor was terrestrial then our potential could not go beyond the natural. But then Jesus added this:
"..for you have one Father, who is in heaven."
This elevated the standard of life to the Father in heaven: the Living God.
Human living assumes an indelible standard of life. All men know of this standard: it is in the DNA of creation. That is why there is no excuse for someone who does not acknowledge the Creator:
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
"Natural man" is a person who lives according to the desires and lusts of the flesh. That type of life may be called "soulish" or a soul life. Such a life establishes the seat of authority within the natural man: from his own idea of what is good for him. This is juxtaposed against the "life of the spirit" or "life in the spirit". Such a life is led by the Spirit of God: God's Spirit to man's spirit. Such a life establishes the seat of authority within God.
In such a life (in the Spirit) man submits his soul to the spirit within him and his spirit receives instruction from God Who gave it. By this, man may do what is pleasing to the Lord, in faith. It is in faith because man's ways are not God's ways. A life in the spirit is contrary to the soul life and, in many ways, seems precarious. The faith we have is that God is invested in the outcome of a life led by His Spirit. In fact, He guarantees that such a life continues in perpetuity beyond the natural death of the man.
But the man in heaven is not simply a king. He is our Father. He calls us into His own life so that we may take part in the fullness He possesses.
"I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
The Father of our spirits elevates our potential beyond the terrestrial father. For sure, even if the terrestrial part of us dies we will continue to live forever with our Father in heaven.
