07/25/21 A COMMON PROBLEM

07/25/21 A COMMON PROBLEM

The unenlightened often accuse the saved of self righteousness and arrogance.
Likewise, carnal Christians accuse the pure in heart.

01/29/20 THREE CONDITIONS

3 spiritual conditions:
Natural (unsaved) man.
Carnal Christian.
Spiritual man.

The following notes are an introduction to the subject, they are basic concepts, which need to be studied. If you have questions, I will try to answer you.

All unsaved people are born with two natures;
The Human Nature (the nature to be human; Body, Soul, Spirit);
The Sinful Nature (the nature to sin, aka The Old Man, Carnal Mind).

1. THE NATURAL MAN is the person who lives life in the natural realm, separate from a personal, Divinely imparted relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The Natural Man is lost, out of communications with God.

2. THE CARNAL CHRISTIAN is the person who lives life in a spiritual relationship with God, having been regenerated and having received from God the Divine Nature, but contending with an inherent evil nature.

1 Corinthians 3:1-4
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Carnal Christian still has his Human Nature, and always will.

The Carnal Christian still has his Sinful Nature, and always will until he calls on Christ in faith to deliver him from "all sin."

The Carnal Christian, at salvation, received the Divine Nature, which is created in holiness and righteousness, aka The Mind of Christ.

The Carnal Christian has two separate natures (attitudes, inclinations) which are diametrically opposed to one another and in constant conflict with one another, seeking to direct the Human Nature, thus the Carnal Christian is Double Minded.

Remember, salvation gives us a new life and a new nature that is cleansed from our sins (rebellious words, thoughts, deeds).

Salvation does not deliver us from the Sinful Nature. Through the New Man our Human Nature is enabled, empowered to trust and obey God. But since the newly converted person now has a new man (spiritual mind) and still has the old man (carnal mind), the Carnal Christian often has an inner battle, desiring to please God, but also having an inner desire to disobey God. This inner battle is addressed in Romans chapter 7.

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BELIEVING that God leaves the believer in a Double Minded condition. HE DOES NOT. The end of Romans 7 and then Romans 8 (with Romans 6) clearly teaches that God delivers the Carnal Christian from the, "Body of death," "The Law of Sin and Death" (the sinful nature).

The Carnal Christian is saved, but struggles with the tyranny of the sinful nature. God has provided for the Carnal Christian to be delivered from ALL SIN, through the Blood of Christ, the Fire of the Holy Spirit, the Washing of the Word.

3. THE SPIRITUAL MAN is the person who has received Christ and His salvation by faith, but has continued to follow Christ in obedience, bringing him to the realization that God not only forgives sins committed, but purifies from inherent sin nature.

1 Corinthians 3:1
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

The Spiritual Person has crucified the Old Man, has died to sin, died to the world and the world to him.

The Spiritual Person is living in his physical flesh, but is no longer living in "the flesh" (the mind of the flesh), he is no longer Carnal or Carnally Minded, Double Minded.

The Spiritual Man still has his Human Nature and his New, Divine Nature, but he has been delivered from the Sinful Nature.

The Spiritual Man is pure, even as Christ is pure. He loves with pure and perfect love. He is still attacked by Satan and he must still confront and resist temptation, but the corruption is from outside of himself, not within.

The Spiritual Man walks in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the light of the word of God and in the footsteps of Jesus. As long as the Spiritual Man walks in the light, he is cleansed from all sin.

The life of the Spiritual Man is always dependent on a continuing, constant and consistent relationship with God, through faith.