WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US OF IS THE NATURAL, CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL MAN.
1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Cor 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Cor 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit
of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth
no man, but the Spirit of God. .
1 Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but
the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. .
1 Cor 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. .
1 Cor 2:14 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.
1 Cor 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he
himself is judged of no man.
But we have the mind of Christ. .
1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto
spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in
Christ. .
1 Cor 3:2 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.
1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and
walk as men? .
1 Cor 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of
Apollos; are ye not carnal?
In this sermon out line we see that man lives in a natural body but can live as a natural man or live as a carnal man or can be what God wants all of us to be in our Christian walk and that is a spiritual man. In this outline we look at what the Word says and how we can become a spiritual person walking in the Word and Will of God for our lives. It is only then we can be fulfilled in our lives and be truly happy. (Rom 8:6 KJV) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
I. Let us look first at the NATURAL MAN that Paul speaks of in
1 Cor 2:14 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.
A. First most important HE DOES NOT RECEIVE SPIRITUAL THINGS.
1. Why? It is because he DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE WORD.
2. The natural man tries to understand God with his five senses.
3. He looks for God with his five natural senses.
4. He considers the things of God as foolishness.
5. It was natural for man to adopt credit buying has had long experience paying now for past sins.
II. Paul then tells of the CARNAL MAN WHO IS A BABE IN CHRIST, SAVED BUT NOT MATURE. 1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. .
A. WORK OF FLESH IS MANIFEST IN THE CARNAL MAN.
1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1. Paul lists the works of the flesh in writing to the Galatians.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 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. .
B. THE CANNAL MAN USUALLY HAD THE WORD ONLY IN THE HEAD NOT HEART.
Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not
sin against thee.
1. I often say that we need the Word in our:
a. Ears, to hear the Word of God.
b. In our minds to understand the Word of God.
c. In our hearts to believe the Word.
d. In our mouths to speak the Word.
B. We remain Babes in Christ if we do not grow in the Word.
C. God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and is cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it.
III. Then Paul tells us of the SPIRITUAL MAN.
A. PAUL SAY TO BE SPIRITUAL WE NEED TO BE LED BY GOD’S SPIRIT.
Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. .
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God. .
B. THE SPIRITUAL MAN OR WOMAN WILL BRING FORTH FRUIT;
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, .
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. .
C. THE SPIRITUAL PERSON HELPS OTHERS AS CHRIST ALSO DID.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. .
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ.
1. The spiritual person will try to bring backsliders back into fellowship with the Lord.
2. He will pray for others.
3. Spiritual people will attend church and be active in the work of God.
4. "A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself."
J. Oswald Sanders writing in his book on spiritual leadership said - "If those who hold influence over others fail to lead toward the spiritual uplands, then surely the path to the lowlands will be well worn. People travel together; no one lives detached and alone."
(Rom 8:6 KJV) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
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