But the soulish man does not welcome the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he is not inherently able to know because they are Spiritual discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14).
A soulish man is a person who functions from the soul—that is, out from the emotions. This is the condition of all unsaved individuals, even those who seek to present themselves as intellectuals. Likewise, a carnal Christian—emanating the things of the flesh—also seeks to fulfill the desires of the soul rather than the rational things of the Spirit. When we allow how we feel to dictate what we believe, we become unstable, for through the soul we cannot understand spiritual things—they are foolishness to us.
This type of mindset is the predominant influence behind many modern churches that prioritize “worship services” over Scripture. The preaching is often basic and brief—ranging from fifteen to thirty minutes within an event that lasts an hour to an hour and a half.
We have been made alive to God in our spirit, which is our rational, logical center (1 Corinthians 2:11; 6:17). However, our soul is not yet saved (1 Peter 1:9). Therefore, when we seek an emotional experience with God, the rational, logical things of the Spirit will not make sense to us.