Cure for Carnality

cure for carnality

1 cor 6:19-20

          Scripture teaches that there are two categories of people. The lost and the saved. Then says that there are three types of individuals in those categories. First, there is the natural man, 1 Cor 2:14 (NKJV) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. He is a lost man, without Christ, without God, without hope, without heaven. He is just a natural man and is just doing what comes naturally. Then there is the spiritual man, is saved, sealed, and secure, filled with the Spirit, walking in the Spirit and controlled by the Spirit, his life is not a natural life, but a supernatural life. Doing what comes supernaturally. Third type is a strange type indeed. He has been saved, Christ is in his life, made a partaker of the divine nature, and when he dies he is going to heaven, but not filled with the Spirit of God, not living in joy, but in misery, not living as a more than conqueror, but defeated, he is what the scripture calls a carnal man, never grew in the Spirit but in the flesh. Still dominated by his old nature and the flesh. He may be the average believer but not normal believer. Not doing what comes naturally, or what comes supernaturally, but what comes unnaturally. 

          What will we do about?  be awake to the Spirits presence in us, be available to the Father’s purpose for us.

 Be aware of the Savior’s purchase of us, Jesus made you and He saved you and you do not belong to you. With his rich, red, royal blood he purchased you. A carnal person is a selfish person, that lives as he belong to himself. What he wants to thing, to do, to be, to say, to buy, to go, how he wants to act, he does. Act as though he owned himself when he does not. Cure for carnality is to be aware of the Savior’s purchase of us. See the price that was paid for you. I will speak for a moment about Calvary. As I do it is with a deep feeling of inadiqucy. I feel as I walk on holy ground. So want you to take the shoes from you feet and come quietly as we consider Calvary. 

          Anticipated sufferings of Calvary. The anticipated suffering that Jesus had of the cross. Psa 88:15 (NKJV) I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. From his youth Jesus faced bloody Calvary. Suppose took a teen age boy and told that at age 33 he would die a death that is indescribably horrible and nothing could stop it. How do think that boy would live the rest of his life? Knowing that at age 33 would die. Anticipation is not good. Remember when dad say going whip you. Law of Medes and Persians.   Jesus lived in the shadow of the cross. Handle the beams and take the nails and think of the ones that would be driven through his quivering flesh. Saw a rose and look pass the rose to the throne and knew that he would wear a crown of those. Holdman Hunt and the sun setting and a shadow of a cross. 

          Consider the suffering of Gethsemene. He prayed till the capillaries of head ruptured to pray for you. Watch with me, but they sleep as the city sleeps, but Jesus eyes will not close in sleep till his eyes close in death. Consider dark Geth as prayed, exceeding sorrowful unto death. Consider his mock trial as they lie and blaspheme, never a greater miscarriage of justice. Spoke not a word because he could not have proven himself innocent without proving you guilty. Took your shame, and stood speechless as even you would before God. The Lord of Glory lost an election to a common criminal as they cried out give us Barabus and crucify Jesus. Consider the indecency that was perpetrated upon Him. All to buy you. Took him and striped him and took some barrel chested psychopathic dungeon keeper who was probably a volunteer for the job and took a cat of nine tails and whipped him till flesh hung from his back in ribbons of flesh. Back looked like raw meat. Many of man would die under this. They put a robe on him, spit in his face, beat on the head, pulled beard out and Isa said his visage was so marred that could not be recognized. Looked as a monstrasty. See picture of Jesus and little blood. No they brutalized him. You were bought with a price. Took a timber and ripped the robe from his back and tore the flesh. Stretched out and nail him. Every nerve becomes a path upon which the feet of pain trod. Body is in convulsions and hangs as a mangled form on a bloody cross. Blessed redeemer, precious redeemer, seems now I see him on Calvary’s tree; wonder if any really have? Wounded and bleeding for sinners pleading blind and unheeding dying for me. But not over for his greatest suffering not physical. Was his spiritual suffering. The heavens darkened at noon day and the glowing face of the sun hide itself. His friends forsake him, he is there all alone suspended between heaven and earth. His enemies mock him and God the father turned his back on Jesus. Part of the hell is the separation from God. King David also suffered and knew what was to walk that narrow valley, lonesome valley but was not all alone for said yea though I walk you are with me. Jesus could not say that, walked it all alone. My God why have you forsaken me. Alone he took the sin of the world and drunk the dregs of that bitter cup and died in agony and dispair in utter midnight. You can not imagine, thousands of angles crowed over the battlements of heaven with their swords drawn and said Lord say the word and we will destroy them all! He could have call ten thousand angles but not one word did say but father forgive them. 

What I trying to tell you is that we are bought with a price. Not your own, how can I be carnal and understand that he died and paid that price for me? Reason the song writer said, Love so amazing so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all. The carnal Christian is someone that needs to revisit and become aware of the Saviour purchase of him. 

          Be awakened to the Spirits Presence in you. Carnal Christian not only has forgotten that he has been bought with a price but forgotten that he has been inhabited by the Holy Spirit. What know you not. God is alive in me. The sin of the old testament was the rejection of God the Father, the sin of new testament was the rejection was the rejection of God the Son, but the sin of today is the rejection of God the Holy Spirit. Now our bodies are temples of God. Where does God live? He is the substance of your life.  partakers of the divine nature. Your faith is a crutch, wrong its an iron lung. In him I live and breath and have my being! He is the substance of my life. Without him I have no life, I merely have existence. In him is life. He is the strength of your service. How am I going to find the strength to service God. Just soon try to go to the moon in a model t ford than try to stand up and preach in my own strength. You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. Billy Sunday used to lay his sermon notes upon Isa 61 says the spirit of the Lord God is upon me for the Lord has anointed me to preach. The strength of Sunday’s life was the power of the Holy Spirit. No wonder carnal trying to service in our weakness instead of his power.

          Four stages. Gets saved, this is easy. After sees demands of discipleship and feels the opposition of the devil and says this hard. Then says this is impossible. Then discovers the spirits power and he says this is glorious. Which stage are you in. Easy, hard, impossible, glorious. Christ in me the hope of glory. He is the secret of the Christians victory. How going to over come the flesh, world and the devil? Greater is he that is within you than he that is in the world. Little girl got saved and ask what she do when the devil knocked at her heart door. Jesus would you please answer the door. He is the seal of your security. Sealed with the spirit of promise. Rather be a saved sinner than an innocent angel. Adam was innocent, I am righteous, Adam could loose what he had I can not. Angels never know the joy that my salvation brings. He is the source of your knowledge.   Natural doesn’t understand. Eye has not seen. And use as funeral text but God not talking about sweet by and by but the nasty now and now. But God has revealed them unto us by his spirit. How know Jesus? Don’t pray at Jesus but pray to him. Because he is real to you. For the Holy Spirit takes the things of God and makes them real to you. He is the sustainer of your faith. How can keep on? 1 Pet 4:14 (NKJV) If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. How face the hard times? Will come. May be given a chance to seal with your blood what you say with your lips. Sing Jesus is all the world to me. Faith of our fathers holy faith, we will be true to thee til death. Will you? Wont get back night. Wont tithe. What do when the hard time comes. If contended with footmen and they have wearied you what do when the horsemen come and what will do in the swelling of the Jordan? If don’t awaken to the Spirits prescene in you have it tough. Stephen was a man filled with the Holy Spirit and when they stoned him his face shone like the face of an angel. Somebody said that the trouble with Christians in America is that nobody wants to kill them anymore. Awaken and let the Holy Spirit who is resident become president, dormant become dominate, present become preiminate. 

          be available for the father’s purpose through us. Therefore glorify God. What is God’s purpose? That he through you will get glory. What is all about. My glory will I not share with another. God did not buy you with the blood of his Son and fill you with his spirit to have you serve your own carnal ambitions. A carnal person is seeking his own glory. All kind of formulas to be filled with the spirit but.… Spirit is singular minded. May be great preacher...not intrested....may serve people....understand Word… great soul winner....pray better.… Oh God I want by life or by death that you will be glorified in me.… God says I am interested. The Holy Spirit is interested in? He shall glorify Me.  Holy Spirit says that is what I want. God’s purpose is not to make you or me great or confortable but it is to glorify God and you may glorify God on a sick bed.   Sometimes people want to be great preacher, or singer or servant so people say look great singer, and be just as ego filled doing that as anything else. But when says I want God glorified in my life he ceases to be a carnal Christian. Lot a carnal Christian that go to bible class and split a theological hair in 12 equal parts, but not glorifying God. 

          Be aware of the price paid for you, be awake to the presence in you, and be available to the purpose of the Father through you. God will not be a moon lighting king on a part time throne, his palace will not be a duplex.