God’s Word differentiates between three groups of people with respect to their personal relationships with God. Within each of these groups, there are many different shades depending on parental training, character, training of oneself, age, culture, education, etc. But even with all the differences there are only three basic attitudes towards God:
- No relationship — the Bible calls this the natural or worldly man.
- Full, real relationship — the Bible calls this person spiritual or spirit filled.
- Divided or feigned relationship — the Bible describes this as a person of the flesh or carnal.
The terms “natural,” “spiritual” and “carnal” in God’s Word are not evaluations in this case. They merely describe a person’s personal relationship to God. These three groups are described in 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. Right now, we only want to touch lightly on the subject of the natural man. He lives in the world. A quick glance at the two groups within the church will help us realize where the problem is mainly hidden. The most important thing to realize is to which group I myself belong. Thus our examination also helps our self-diagnosis. We want to take a look at our own lives and not the lives of others. What is the criteria for designation to one group or the other? What determines which group I am currently in? We will see that in all three groups the designation occurs according to one’s personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
The Natural Man
“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” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
The natural man has absolutely no relationship with the Holy Spirit. He lives in the world and doesn’t inquire about God at all or only rarely inquires about God.
The Spiritual Church Member
Let’s read 1 Corinthians 2:15-16: “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." The spiritual person is the true Christian. He is called “spiritual” because he is filled with the Holy Spirit. Here too, the relationship with the Holy Spirit is the criteria needed for the designation of a spiritual person. He has a good and growing relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is “in the center of his life”; we also say sometimes that Jesus reigns in our hearts. The spiritual person has committed himself essentially and completely to Jesus and as a general rule, this is confirmed daily by surrendering himself to Jesus every morning with everything he is and has. In the message to the Laodicean church, this Christian is called “hot,” in the parable about the 10 virgins he is called “wise.” Romans 8:1-17 and Galatians 5 say even more about him. He experiences life “more abundantly” (John 10:10).
The Carnal Church Member
A person can be a member for a short time or for many years and still be a carnal Christian. If to your surprise you find that you are a carnal Christian now, then don’t be upset about it, but rather be glad, because you have the possibility of changing it immediately. You will experience great joy through a life with the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that most carnal Christians are unknowingly in this condition and have a desire to experience more in their faith. Their ignorance is often not even their fault.
Let’s read what the apostle Paul had to say to carnal church members in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul’, and another, ‘I am of Apollos’, are you not carnal?” Can you clearly see here that the criteria for the designation into this group is the personal relationship with the Holy Spirit? In these few verses the apostle Paul mentions four times that they are carnal.
What Does Carnal Mean?
It means: this person lives from the power of the flesh, that is the normal strength and abilities a person has. Furthermore, it means that he isn’t filled with the Holy Spirit or isn’t sufficiently filled with the Holy Spirit. Some people think this group only consists of people who live in blatant sin. But that is only one of the many shades within this group. I want to stress again that there are a lot of differences within each of these groups. Paul addressed the carnal people as “dear brothers.” This shows that he was dealing with church members. Paul couldn’t speak to them “as to spiritual people.” That means that: They weren’t filled with the Holy Spirit or weren’t sufficiently filled with the Holy Spirit. He had to speak to them “as babes in Christ.” This shows that they haven’t grown in faith as they should have.
A person can have great biblical knowledge and still not grow spiritually. Spiritual growth has to do with our complete dedication to Jesus and a constant life in the Holy Spirit. Many carnal Christians feel dissatisfaction, disappointment, purposelessness, or are under constant stress in their spiritual life. Other carnal church members have gotten used to this condition or are satisfied with this condition. They might say: “We are just sinners! We can’t do anything about it!” Again other carnal Christians might be enthusiastic. They are glad that they know Biblical truth. Carnal church members can be very active and even have leading positions in the local church or even in the church administration. They may even do a lot for God. Matthew 7:22-23: “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Where did the problem lie? Jesus said that He didn’t know them. They didn’t have a real relationship with Christ, but rather only a feigned relationship. Either there hadn’t been a real commitment or it hadn’t been maintained. Jesus didn’t live in their hearts through the Holy Spirit. Thus they had no personal relationship with Christ. I want to point out that we can be free from the following things if we live a life with the Holy Spirit: “A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evil speaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them.”1
Call to Pray & Surrender
Dear Father in heaven, please make me willing to ask myself this question. If I am a carnal Christian, then please help me to realize this right away. Make me willing to be willing for everything you want. Please lead me to a happy Christian life — to the promised life in abundance and to eternal life. Please renew my heart. Thank you for answering my prayer. Amen.
The above is an excerpt from Steps to Personal Revival.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
- Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898), 357.
