OVERCOMING CARNALITY
To be carnal simply means to think, speak,
behave, and live in ways contrary to the Word of God. It means to live
by natural senses in the place of the Word of God and the leading of the
Holy Spirit. Spiritual babes are not free from carnality
All the men upon the earth fall under 3 categories; namely,
1. Natural man
2. Carnal man
3. Spiritual man
A NATURAL MAN is dead in sins and trespasses, he/she is not born again. He/she is completely dead in relation to God.
A CARNAL MAN is born again but still thinks, behaves, and lives much
like an unbeliever. He/she lives a self-centered life instead of
Christ-centered life. He/she complains and murmur when tried and tested.
He yields to temptation easily. In fact, the works of the flesh
manifest more in his/her life more than the fruit of the spirit. He is
rising and falling in his walk with God. He is hot today and cold
tomorrow.
Carnality in believers is not what you can get rid of overnight or in your own efforts. It can only be achieved through cooperation with the Holy Spirit as you daily feed on God's word. Carnality is never to be rationalized or justified, however, God is not angry that spiritual infants behave as spiritual infants. But God gets displeased when the supposed spiritual adults behave like infants--indulging in the flesh!
No reasonable parent gets mad at a baby when he/she is just being babyish. It doesn't matter what an infant does, you don't punish a baby for being babyish. However, you don't expect your teenager to wee wee or poo poo in his/her underpants. When a baby does it, it is not a concern, but when a teenager does it, it is a big and embarrassing concern.
It is the same in spiritual matters. God is not shocked or angry when spiritual babes are carnal. However, it is a different scenario when those who have been born again for decades are still carnal, carnality in those who ought to have attained certain degree of maturity will definitely attract punishment. What overthrew the Israelites in the wilderness were not giants, it was carnal mind that made God to be displeased with them. Because those who are ruled by their carnal mind cannot please God.
A SPIRITUAL MAN is born again and had moved past the indulgences of the flesh. He recognizes his struggle in the flesh, and daily strive for perfection through the help of the Holy Spirit by daily renewing his mind in the word of God. He is being progressively sanctified and bearing the fruit of the spirit. A spiritual person is not perfect but he is daily pressing to know Christ. A spiritual person is not just living in the Spirit but he daily walks in the Spirit. He lives by the judgement of God's word and to him, God's word is the rule of his life and his final authority.
Romans 8:12-14
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For further spiritual edification, shop for my books @
http://amazon.com/author/oluwasinaoluwaleke
Carnality in believers is not what you can get rid of overnight or in your own efforts. It can only be achieved through cooperation with the Holy Spirit as you daily feed on God's word. Carnality is never to be rationalized or justified, however, God is not angry that spiritual infants behave as spiritual infants. But God gets displeased when the supposed spiritual adults behave like infants--indulging in the flesh!
No reasonable parent gets mad at a baby when he/she is just being babyish. It doesn't matter what an infant does, you don't punish a baby for being babyish. However, you don't expect your teenager to wee wee or poo poo in his/her underpants. When a baby does it, it is not a concern, but when a teenager does it, it is a big and embarrassing concern.
It is the same in spiritual matters. God is not shocked or angry when spiritual babes are carnal. However, it is a different scenario when those who have been born again for decades are still carnal, carnality in those who ought to have attained certain degree of maturity will definitely attract punishment. What overthrew the Israelites in the wilderness were not giants, it was carnal mind that made God to be displeased with them. Because those who are ruled by their carnal mind cannot please God.
1 Corinthians 10:5
Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
A SPIRITUAL MAN is born again and had moved past the indulgences of the flesh. He recognizes his struggle in the flesh, and daily strive for perfection through the help of the Holy Spirit by daily renewing his mind in the word of God. He is being progressively sanctified and bearing the fruit of the spirit. A spiritual person is not perfect but he is daily pressing to know Christ. A spiritual person is not just living in the Spirit but he daily walks in the Spirit. He lives by the judgement of God's word and to him, God's word is the rule of his life and his final authority.
Romans 8:12-14
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For further spiritual edification, shop for my books @
http://amazon.com/author/oluwasinaoluwaleke
