1 Corinthians 3:1
Ps Paul Cheng
Dear Bethelites,
In our previous pastoral chats, we focused on the Apostle Paul’s description of two kinds of people in this world; the natural man and the spiritual man. Then he moved on to explain that within the spiritual people, there were also two kinds; those who were mature and immature.
The immature believer lives for the things of the flesh and has very little interest in the things of God. Obviously, some believers are immature because they have just come to know the Lord, but that is not what Paul was discussing here. He was referring to believers who were supposed to have grown spiritually but they did not.
As their spiritual father, Paul had nursed the Corinthians lovingly from the time they were born again. He was delighted to see them being nourished by the milk of God’s Word, and he looked forward to seeing them grow unto spiritual maturity. Unfortunately, they did not grow spiritually as they should. It was a very sad and painful experience for Paul, and he used three terms to describe their abnormal spiritual condition. The first term was the word carnal.
I. Carnal
1 Corinthians 3:1; And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
The word spiritual was a reference to the believers, and when it was used in their relationship to God, it could mean either positionally or practically. The Corinthians were spiritual positionally (they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit), but they were behaving unspiritual, practically. The word carnal means to be fleshy, or to be controlled by the flesh (the lustful appetites of the sinful nature).
When the believer is saved, he is given a new spirit, a new nature and a new heart, but his flesh is not removed. He is a new creature living in this mortal body known as the flesh. Though he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He will remain in him and work in him to accomplish God’s sovereign purpose, but due to his disobedience and resistance, sometimes he can cause many unnecessary heartaches and delays to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Though the flesh cannot dominate or destroy the believer, it can still influence him greatly. That is the reason why the believer who struggles with the flesh constantly will cry out for the redemption of the body which is the glorification (c.f. Romans 8:23). Justification is the transformation of the inner being, while glorification is the full transformation of both the inner and outer being.
Therefore, even though the believer is a new man and no longer dominated by sin, he is still capable of falling into sin. Whenever he sins, he is living just like the unbeliever, a man of the flesh. That was why Paul was compelled to speak to the Corinthians as if they were unbelievers - they were carnal. They were manifesting the works of the flesh in their lives just like the unbelievers. Galatians 5:19-21, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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. Notice the three
works of the flesh were all mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:3, envying, strife and divisions.
A person who is carnal will manifest the works of the flesh. The remedy that is given to us to counteract the works of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). The Holy Spirit dwells within every true believer and his responsibility is to walk in step with Him. The believer who walks according to the Holy Spirit’s leading, will produce the fruit of the Spirit, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). This process of growing into spiritual maturity is known as sanctification which is God’s will for the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God is the One who justifies, sanctifies and glorifies him.
My friend, are you growing into spiritual maturity? If you are not growing, something is wrong with your sanctification process? Has there been a manifestation of the works of the flesh in your life? Has there been a manifestation of the fruit of the spirit in your life? Or are you like the Corinthians who were carnal?
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
(To be continued in the next pastoral chat)