1 Corinthians 3:1-4 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 title in
which I have chosen for this devotional is a relatively new phrase to me. I have known of the context, (what the topic is,)
just had never heard the phrase. Many of
you will liken this to the term “backslidden.”
However, they could be synonymous, but in the context of these verses,
they are not.
The
actual definition from The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is: “1. Pertaining to flesh; fleshly; sensual; opposed to spiritual; as
carnal pleasure. 2. Being in the natural state; unregenerate. 3. Lecherous; lustful; libidinous; given to
sensual indulgence.”
We as
Christians generally define carnal as The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. However, most Christians divide sin into many
categories: (It is just a white lie, a
little lie.) Yet, it is still a lie. Carnality, in our minds, is as divided as our
judicial system’s range of murders. (Murder
unintentional or intentional is still murder.
This is NOT a treatise against self-defense, or against the police
officer, or soldier.) God has never
allowed varying degrees of punishment. We are the ones who want “Kings” to
preside instead of God.
Carnality
is ANYTHING that you put between yourself and God with no intention of changing
(repentance, unregenerate.) Whatever is
keeping you away from God isn’t necessarily sin. For example, boating, fishing, or any other
activity (in itself is not necessarily sinful) that keeps you from worshipping
God, (but knowing what it is doing without any intention of changing,) is the
problem. (It is the location, which is
the problem.) Again, it is anything that
you allow to get between you and God. Consequently,
you are a Carnal Christian.
In pondering these things, it came
to my mind that ALL Christians are Carnal.
There has been only One non-Carnal Christian on earth and that was Jesus
The Christ.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(These verses tell us the truth.) All Churches are carnal as all members within
are “The Church,” and every member is carnal, some more, some less.
In
the Parable of The Sower, Jesus defines the make-up of our average Church. As a soul-winning Christian, (vv 3, 14) (“sower”) we present God’s Word:
Mark 4:3
Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Mark 4:14
The sower soweth the word.
As we preach, knock on doors, and hand out tracts, we will
reach these four groups. The majority we meet are possibly those described below
in (vv 4, 15.) They are “by the way
side”
and are, (for the most part,) courteous, respectful, not saved nor concerned, a
carnal worldly person, but not a Christian.
Mark 4:4
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the
fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Mark 4:15
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when
they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was
sown in their hearts.
The “stony ground” group (vv
5-6, 16-17) are those who gladly receive God’s Word. They believe for a while, but later realizing
the cost: of their tithe, their time, and teaching/learning, they become
offended and leave.
Mark 4:5-6
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and
immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: (6)
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it
withered away.
Mark 4:16-17
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when
they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17)
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward,
when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they
are offended.
The third group are those (vv 7-8, 18-19) who “fell among thorns,” hear God’s Word, but too much is going on in their
lives to concern themselves with eternity.
Mark 4:7-8
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and
it yielded no fruit.
Mark 4:18-19
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the
word, (19) And the cares of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the
word, and it becometh unfruitful.
The last group (vv 8, 20) that “fell on good ground” is the core of our Churches. They are the tithers, soul-winners, musicians,
and/or workers who keep the Church working under Pastoral leadership.
Mark 4:8
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and
increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mark 4:20)
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word,
and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and
some an hundred.
The first three groups described may be a part of our
congregation, and for a period of time a member of our Church, but they are not
necessarily Christians. They may have
professed, (as I did when I was nineteen,) but never had a personal relationship
with Christ, just the head knowledge.
We
must keep in mind as Christians: we are
all carnal to some degree, some more than others. This knowledge must not be used as an excuse
to walk in our iniquities.
Romans 6:15
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid.
My attempt in
this brief dissertation is to get every Christian to look at his individual
walk, and determine what he has placed between him and God.
Romans 8:7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
We must strive to remove the roadblocks so we can
receive God’s blessings and answers to our prayers. We might even find fewer trials in our lives. Jesus tells us:
John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:
and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and
will manifest myself to him.
“We as Christians have The Commandments of Christ
Jesus within His Word, The King James Bible.
We claim Jesus as our Saviour, as our King. So, what keeps us out of Church, out of
reading our King James Bible, from tithing, helping, soul winning?”
I
know the answer Christian, just as Paul knew, and as you know. It is sin.
It is whatever you consider more important than God.
Paul
teaches in our verses (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) that we must continue to grow. We grow from babes to children, and then to adults
in The Lord Jesus.
“Where
are you? Do you still require the milk
and Pablum™ (H. J. Heinz Company), or can you
grow with the meat of God’s Word?”
Bro John R. E Chastain, Evangelist
Wylie, Texas
