"Carnal Christians?"
INTRODUCTION
I trust we are all ready to lose our minds and gain the mind of Christ. I hope that we are all, likewise, eager to rid ourselves of stinkin’ thinkin’. But before we can hope to develop our “Godly” minds and hearts and will, we must ascertain whether or not we actually possess the possibility of the mind of Christ. In other words, how do we know if we have genuinely been “born again” to a new life, adopted as children of the living God, and given the Holy Spirit? This is a crucial analysis, because, if we have not, then we have previously established the impossibility of understanding the things of God.
CARNAL CHRISTIANS OR UNSAVED?
What about those people who, throughout most of the week, do not live their lives for Christ? They do not think about God each day or consciously and actively attempt to follow His will. They are not so interested in spending time with God. Therefore, they rarely read the Bible or pray. They seldom attend church and are not involved in any ministry. They do not seek God before making decisions in order to find God’s will. Their speech and actions are not distinguishable from those in the world who do not believe in God.
What is your opinion? Are they unbelievers or carnal, worldly, unspiritual Christians? Would you include yourself in this company? If so, then it is imperative…it is a life or death situation…I cannot express enough the urgency…to determine which of the two categories we belong.
THE CORINTHIAN DILEMMA
Throughout this series I have used the Corinthian Church members from the Bible as an example for us. Although the members of the church had been “saved” for a lengthy period of time, the Apostle Paul rebuked them for being “carnal minded” rather than “spiritual minded.” In other words, by this time they should have renewed their minds and hearts and actively sought to understand the deeper things of God. They should have been talking, feeling, acting, and thinking like Christ. Yet Paul refers to them as “babies in Christ.”
Normally in the Scriptures, descriptions like “carnal” and “fleshly” and “worldly” are reserved for unbelievers. So it is quite astonishing that Paul describes church members with these terms. What is going on?
Well, in this case, Paul recognizes the fact that these Corinthians have truly accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior because he was the one who preached salvation to them. He knew they were “born again.” However, he also recognizes the conundrum facing the church of that day which is the same situation facing the church of Christ today.
I have previously explained the transformation process. Once again, here is how it works. I put my faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, surrender my heart to Him, and commit to following Him the rest of my life. From that time forward, we continually grow in faith. Day by day we become more like Christ. The Holy Spirit is the agent who guides us in this spiritual transformation.
Nevertheless, that process was not being followed by the Corinthian Church just as it is not being followed in large part by the church of Jesus Christ today. Therefore Paul attempted throughout his first letter to them (I Corinthians) to explain how they have not achieved the level of spiritual maturity that is expected of them because of their refusal to surrender their selfish and carnal natures to the Spirit of God.
Here is the point. The immature Corinthian Christians were not renewing their minds daily in Christ. They were not actively seeking, hunting, or pursuing Christ with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul. Therefore they were not thinking like Christ. Therefore they were not talking like Christ, feeling like Christ, or acting like Christ. Therefore their lifestyles were not much different than those of the pagans of their day. Their sinful “symptoms” were the exact same as those without Christ in their hearts and lives.
It is difficult to discern between the lifestyles of unbelievers and carnal Christians who are not renewing their minds and hearts daily.
I trust we are all ready to lose our minds and gain the mind of Christ. I hope that we are all, likewise, eager to rid ourselves of stinkin’ thinkin’. But before we can hope to develop our “Godly” minds and hearts and will, we must ascertain whether or not we actually possess the possibility of the mind of Christ. In other words, how do we know if we have genuinely been “born again” to a new life, adopted as children of the living God, and given the Holy Spirit? This is a crucial analysis, because, if we have not, then we have previously established the impossibility of understanding the things of God.
CARNAL CHRISTIANS OR UNSAVED?
What about those people who, throughout most of the week, do not live their lives for Christ? They do not think about God each day or consciously and actively attempt to follow His will. They are not so interested in spending time with God. Therefore, they rarely read the Bible or pray. They seldom attend church and are not involved in any ministry. They do not seek God before making decisions in order to find God’s will. Their speech and actions are not distinguishable from those in the world who do not believe in God.
What is your opinion? Are they unbelievers or carnal, worldly, unspiritual Christians? Would you include yourself in this company? If so, then it is imperative…it is a life or death situation…I cannot express enough the urgency…to determine which of the two categories we belong.
THE CORINTHIAN DILEMMA
Throughout this series I have used the Corinthian Church members from the Bible as an example for us. Although the members of the church had been “saved” for a lengthy period of time, the Apostle Paul rebuked them for being “carnal minded” rather than “spiritual minded.” In other words, by this time they should have renewed their minds and hearts and actively sought to understand the deeper things of God. They should have been talking, feeling, acting, and thinking like Christ. Yet Paul refers to them as “babies in Christ.”
Normally in the Scriptures, descriptions like “carnal” and “fleshly” and “worldly” are reserved for unbelievers. So it is quite astonishing that Paul describes church members with these terms. What is going on?
Well, in this case, Paul recognizes the fact that these Corinthians have truly accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior because he was the one who preached salvation to them. He knew they were “born again.” However, he also recognizes the conundrum facing the church of that day which is the same situation facing the church of Christ today.
I have previously explained the transformation process. Once again, here is how it works. I put my faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, surrender my heart to Him, and commit to following Him the rest of my life. From that time forward, we continually grow in faith. Day by day we become more like Christ. The Holy Spirit is the agent who guides us in this spiritual transformation.
Nevertheless, that process was not being followed by the Corinthian Church just as it is not being followed in large part by the church of Jesus Christ today. Therefore Paul attempted throughout his first letter to them (I Corinthians) to explain how they have not achieved the level of spiritual maturity that is expected of them because of their refusal to surrender their selfish and carnal natures to the Spirit of God.
Here is the point. The immature Corinthian Christians were not renewing their minds daily in Christ. They were not actively seeking, hunting, or pursuing Christ with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul. Therefore they were not thinking like Christ. Therefore they were not talking like Christ, feeling like Christ, or acting like Christ. Therefore their lifestyles were not much different than those of the pagans of their day. Their sinful “symptoms” were the exact same as those without Christ in their hearts and lives.
It is difficult to discern between the lifestyles of unbelievers and carnal Christians who are not renewing their minds and hearts daily.
