Becoming spiritual; guarding against the flesh
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. – John. 15:4
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. – Gal 5:25
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. – 1 Cor. 2:14
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 1 Cor. 3:1
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? – 1 Cor 3:3
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? – 1 Cor. 3:4
The Corinthian church was written to by the Apostle Paul in two epistles recorded in the New Testament. They were commended for their spiritual gifts, and he verified miraculous things beyond mere human capability were taking place there. However, he also rebuked them, and said early in the third chapter of First Corinthians three times over that he considered them “carnal” and he called them “babes.”
Today, how many churches can even lay claim to what the Corinthians had – authentic Holy Spirit power in their midst? And, even if we do, can we see also how it is possible to yet be immature (a babe) and fleshly (carnal)?
Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle was essentially grieved over this state of affairs. It is like when James said, “brethren, these things ought not to be so.”
All Christians may have an element of spirituality. The Word says “if any one has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” But, if we do have the Spirit, we are by definition real Christians.
The Word says also the righteous are “scarcely saved.” We rest on the merits of another, and are called to holiness.
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” – 1 Thess. 4:7
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” – Heb 12:14
Guard Against the Flesh
The flesh – who we were in Adam – is the natural man. He is fallen. There are an uncountable number of ways the flesh may manifest itself.
“The flesh profits nothing,” said the Lord Jesus Christ in John 6:63, “the Spirit gives life.”
As those alive from the dead, we are called to align with God, and believe Him unto the full salvation of our souls. This means godliness and self control, and being moved by our spirit, not by the Old Man.
If we were likened to an automobile, our engine (what moves us) should not be the flesh. Our engine should be the new spirit, united with God’s Spirit as one.
There is a very definite knowing of this reality that we either enter into by faith, or we may not abide in this state.
Not Fleshly; But Rather Spiritual
Manifestations of the flesh may include lots of character traits you may be familiar with.
Traits of flesh include pride, lust, vainness (vanity), selfishness, self-focus, and egotistical attitudes. Works of the flesh Paul mentioned to the Galatians in chapter 5 are:
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Note some of these traits are things we’ve been warned to watch out for in church by Christians – actions like making things an idol, wrath, strife, and heresy. Yes HERESY is a work of the flesh. Only a person who thinks he is serving God commits heresy. We should take care!
Jesus said, “If the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”
Do you have ears to hear this Christian?
Paul also speaks in Second Corinthians of fleshly motives and actions:
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 2 Cor. 1:12
Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? 2 Cor. 1:17
Paul who also said “imitate me,” taught a higher way that was known to the early Christians – not acting out from or doing from the flesh – and that is what this article is about. It is about being in Christ, of the spirit, acting out from the Spirit.
All natural people of the flesh are by the Word’s estimation giving place to the flesh, instead of abiding in Christ in His rest.
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” – Heb. 4:1
The flesh and nature in Adam is a sickness that the Great Physician came to cure. In fact, the Father crucified us on the cross (Rom. 6:6) in Christ which means he is NOT trying to reform the flesh in Adam. Rather, He replaces it with Himself in the New Man, but this only works by faith, for “the just shall live by his faith.”
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
His remedy is for us to have faith in a higher order of life – spirituality.
If we live our “Christian” lives without having seen this, and/or have not faith for it so as to lay hold of this promise, our default programming of mind and soul are what moves us. By default we walk according to the flesh. It is only by illumination and faith that we may walk according to the Spirit.
This is because really, we disciples of Jesus are only crucified in the mind of God. Godliness is not automatic, and we are yet flesh, not literally crucified. If we do not see this, and walk by faith, we resort to type.
In other words, we are naturally fleshly, and in order to abide in Christ for real – not just declaring an abstraction that does not actually change us – is by faith and trust. One must lean on the Faithful one who said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Avoid the Deception of Pseudo Christianity
God is the keeping power of spiritual Israel; He is our strength, and this restores the severed relationship that took place in the Garden. Nothing less than this healed relationship based in love (obedience) and trust will satisfy God’s heart.
To those who do not know this, the work of the Holy Spirit is to show us our own hateful selves, that we may repent and flee the iniquity of it.
The flesh is a sin factory. It produces sin. Sin is not necessarily the glaring stand-out-like-a-sore-thumb sins like addiction, greed, lust, hate, murder, theft, adultery, and so on.
Even a mind independent of God is in sin! Even a religiously minded person who seeks to rely on his own strength is yet not pleasing to God, and this is ultimately sin.
It is sin because it denies God’s true way, and seeks to please Him in the power of the Old Creation, the natural man. It actually attempts to steal glory from God like Frank Sinatra who crooned “and I did it myyyyy way.”
Such “Christianity” denies God, has self on the throne, not Christ, even if in ignorance and/or unbelief. It is grievous to the Father to see His children stumble around in darkness like this. That was NOT why He sent His Son to rescue us!
This is not saying it is wrong for a true young believer to be a babe, but if we who name the name of Christ remain as babes and immature for years, there is something definitely wrong. For some, they do not even know.
The Sick Must Know That He is Sick
Here’s a hypothetical for you: If you went to the doctor and he told you that you have cancer, then showed you x-rays, or other proofs, and explained all about it what would you do?
Would you snap your fingers and say, “I don’t want this anymore, so I will that it disappear instantly, and I be perfectly healed right now!”
You may wish and declare all day long, but it is not that easy unless a miracle takes place.
And so it is with becoming Christlike, and walking in the Spirit of Jesus, and keeping one’s self pure if your fleshly soul – natural mind, will, emotions – are your strength.
What is impossible for man is possible for God however. This is the gospel; the Good News!
We Need God Moment by Moment
While God DOES promise us we may transcend above our natural tendencies and traits, we must also stand guard.
Christian: Along with a made-new spirit, you also carry with you a “sin-sick soul,” as the gospel songs say. We have a soul that we brought with us to the Cross, and though declared dead, it is well able to raise its ugly head.
Our soul was trained in sinful ways, it was a nest of iniquities we never knew because we were blind before the Cross. All of our ways and means prior to coming to the Cross – the good, the bad, and seemingly OK – ALL were learned as natural men, living in Adam, not in Christ before we met Jesus.
Jesus said this: You are either for me or against Me; you are either gathering or scattering abroad. You cannot serve two masters. So, if when you were not serving the Master, who was your master?
By definition therefore, even those who “tried hard” and were comparatively “good” people were of their father the devil, and his desires they wanted to do. We were in the world, and the “whole world lies under the sway of the evil one.”
It is abominable for a person to remain as a Christian and yet be fleshly and thus serve the other default master. Those who practice “Christianity” on this basis are essentially acting as workers of iniquity, whether they know it or not.
Sadly, they are not under the law of God in the power of God’s keeping Spirit, instead they say they serve God while doing it in their own strength; by their own way, not actually abiding in the vine in spirit and in truth.
Have you met Jesus? The real Jesus? If you have, you love Him. You will want to do what is pleasing to Him, and He desires clean disciples – not just declared righteous clean while we go on sinning and stumbling daily. He desires spiritual ones to grow up, and not remain babes and carnal.
Actually, many a carnal Christian has never learned more than to haltingly walk in God’s Spirit, if they ever have consistently walked in the true Spirit willfully at all, and more often they operate according to the Old Man.
Brethren, these things ought not to be so!
But the proof is in their fruits. By their fruits you will know them. Do they emanate the fragrance of Jesus while they declare themselves His disciple? Or does their own natural nature too often come forth as their most prominent feature – be it pride, shyness, depression, boastfulness, emotional exuberance, you name it – a blend of their natural man with some of God’s Spirit mixed in, maybe?
Anyone who wants to say this brushes up against judgmentalism, or denies grace, ought first to rebuke Paul, because he called the Corinthians babes and carnal three times over in quick succession.
This is not judgmentalism, but the sick must first know he is sick, if he hopes to find a cure. It is love to tell a person their need, and not leave them in the dark.
The purpose of grace is not for us to be sloppy and spiritually useless to God, or actually work against Him. Yes of course God works in all things. Yes of course what Satan means for evil God uses for God. But our call is not to use liberty as a cloak for vice.
The first Christians were accused of this taking grace too far, and Paul corrected the record saying the false accusers would be judged.
And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. – Rom. 3:8
God forbid that we should even hint that we may be careless in this Christian life when people are dying all around us and think if we do the wrong thing, Father will come clean up our messes for us as though we are spoiled children. He may, but that is not what the gospel teaches as the correct pattern for living, as Paul said so strongly.
But today, many yet walk in the flesh. Do you think you are immune to the Corinthians’ error?
The Corinthians show us that carnality can be a religious mindset. Here these people were, declaring themselves God’s own people, meeting together, breaking bread, declaring Jesus is Lord, singing songs, winning souls, about the work of the Lord, and yet they were doing so much in their flesh.
God’s Cure
Who can rectify this terrible state of affairs? Who can make himself spiritual?
Who can snap his fingers and be cleared of cancer of the soul?
Sin is a cancer of the soul, but we as new creations are promised this miracle is possible in Christ!
God DOES declare us positionally righteous in Christ when we are born again, and forgiven, and in grace. So, our sins and lawless deeds He remembers no more. However, He also says He is here to enable us to be spiritual, with self control, love, peace, and not in delusion.
It is possible to feel happy in your soul, to feel like you are at peace with God, and yet these can also be manifestations of the natural man’s soul we may mistake as from the Spirit.
The real test is real fruit.
The Corinthians probably thought all was well until Paul gave them a reality check of where that supposed fruit was coming from.
God is not pleased with carnality, and there is no reward in it. It is altogether unprofitable. We may choose to be obtuse, and try to get away with pleading “grace grace” but “to him who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.”
Good in this case is seeking the Lord’s face, seeking His revelation, and enablement.
If you love God, even with a baby’s needy love, you will come to Him. He is waiting for those who have not seen this to wake up.
Deep calls unto deep. Let us transcend from being head-knowledge Christians, chock full of knowledge about God, and seek the narrow way whereby we know Him in spirit and truth.
If you are born again, this is why you live.
