Understanding Man's Ability to Commune and Communicate with God

Basis for Communication

Because God is a Trinity , communication is an inherent necessity within the Godhead (Genesis 3:22). Because men are made in God’s image, we likewise have the ability and desire to communicate. Men communicate with other men and before the fall, he would naturally commune with God (Genesis 2:15-16).

Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever?"- (Genesis 3:22).

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely"
(Genesis 2:15,16).

Broken Communication

Because of the fall, man lost this ability and desire to commune with God (I Cor 2:14). Fallen man is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-3 (Click for more)) and cannot communicate with God; he doesn't even want to (Romans 3:9-11). His ability to talk with man has also greatly worsened.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Corinthians 2:14).

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins ... Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (Ephesians 2:1-3).

... For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD" (Romans 3:9-11).

Restored Communication

Through Jesus Christ, God has reconciled man with God and thus restored our communion (I John 1:3). This revived communication process is through the renewed spiritual network that He has installed known as spiritual life (cf. I Cor 2:11-13).

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3).

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (1 Corinthians 2:11-13).