Flesh or Spirit?

[0:00] Paul writes to the Romans and he says, very simple truth here, Romans 8 verse 6, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

[0:30] What is the biggest problem in the church today? To be carnally minded is death. There's a big problem with the flesh or carnality. Carnality, the flesh, it means the same thing. It's the fleshly ways, it's the way of the flesh. It's the natural inclination of the man, of a woman to do that which is wrong and fleshly and carnal.

[1:00] And the flesh, the Bible speaks about the flesh, it speaks about the flesh warring against the spirit, the Holy Spirit. There's a problem with the flesh. It's common to man, it's common since Adam. Not our Adam, but the first Adam.

[1:15] The first Adam. Flesh was there in the Garden of Eden where Eve and Adam sinned. The flesh destroys, it's destructive. It's a destroyer of Christian homes, of leaders, of churches. The flesh. It's contrary to God's spirit.

[1:34] Now in case you haven't already realised that this is a negative message. A negative message. Whoa! And there's a needful place for negative messages sometimes. Messages such as this that confront us, that challenge us, that stir us to consider the flesh sin.

[1:55] This message is not going to stroke your egos or give you your keys for health, wealth and prosperity tonight. We'll have to cover that another time. But rather this is a message for your soul.

[2:08] For deep down, for your soul, for the very core of you. A message I trust, I pray, that will communicate spiritual truth. That will do you good. It will do your soul good tonight.

[2:19] And I've heard it said that we see preachers in God's word who you could consider are negative in their preaching. Preachers that wouldn't really reach the top of the list when it came to being invited to take the leading role at certain conventions or certain churches today.

[2:39] Because they might offend some people by the negative message that they bring. We see back in the Old Testament, God's prophets of old men such as Moses, Jeremiah, Malachi and in the new John the baptiser.

[2:53] These were such men, men who in part confronted and said it like it was. And gave a heart-wrenching message that stood up against the flesh and sin.

[3:09] Nathan was such a one in the Old Testament. This prophet was one who rebuked David. He stood up against sin. In 2 Samuel 12, Nathan boldly preached a sermon using a parable to illustrate, to show to David his wickedness.

[3:30] The wickedness of David's sin. Nathan told a story of a man who had taken his neighbour's little ewe lamb. And it was an obvious offence and a wrongdoing.

[3:46] And this aroused in David in anger. As Nathan spoke of this picture, of this parable. And as David got to that point of anger against this rich man who took his neighbour's lamb.

[4:04] Nathan pointed his finger in the face of King David and said, Thou art the man. Thou art the man. You are the man. David was exposed.

[4:16] Nathan showed the horrible sin. But David had murdered Uriah and taken Uriah's wife Bathsheba. Nathan did not fear the royalty of David.

[4:27] Nathan stood up for God and openly denounced David's sin. He spoke against the flesh. John the Baptist is another example. He did not hold back from rebuke and sin.

[4:41] John the Baptist firmly said to the Jews, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Bring forth therefore fruit, meat for repentance.

[4:52] He called them to repent. He called them in the light of the wrath to come. God's anger, God's judgment to come. In Matthew 3, verses 7 and 8. And John the Baptist also told the Jewish leaders that they would be hewn down, cut down like fruitless trees, to be cast into the fire of hell.

[5:10] And John was bold too when he faced up to Herod the king and told him plainly that he had no right to take his brother's wife. In Matthew 14, verses 3 to 4.

[5:22] John the Baptist spoke against the flesh. The Lord Jesus too preached against sin. He preached against covetousness, the love of money. He preached against unbelief.

[5:33] He preached against adultery, such that even looking on a woman to lust after her was such a thing. And the Lord Jesus preached against grudges, holding grudges, and said that if men did not forgive, neither would the Father in heaven forgive them.

[5:49] That was strong language. That was strong preaching. The Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees and the scribes, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

[6:01] John 8, verse 44. We know that men hated the Lord Jesus as he preached against sin. He spoke against the flesh. Of course, we know he showed much tender mercy when he did so.

[6:15] When he met with the woman in John 8, caught in the act, he showed tenderness to her and extended love and grace to her. He still said, Go and sin no more.

[6:25] Yet he reached out in grace and showed grace beyond what the crowd did who wanted to kill her. The flesh, it's a negative subject tonight. This is a negative subject that we're going to address today.

[6:39] The flesh, the carnal man, carnality. So Paul writes, For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

[6:51] He goes on, Because the carnal mind is enmity, hostility against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

[7:05] That's Romans 8, 6-8. For to be carnally minded speaks of walking in the flesh. It means that mindset, that thinking, that thought pattern that is constantly indulging in the things that the flesh can relate to.

[7:22] And when the flesh, the worldly preoccupations have control over our minds, our lives, we neglect that which is spiritual, that which is of God, that which will bless our soul and help us spiritually.

[7:35] When someone is in the flesh, God is not in the picture in their lives. And friends, today some people are dominated by the flesh. It's got a grip on them.

[7:46] It's got this savage hold upon them. And the Bible describes such a place that a man can be where they are under this domination, the works of the flesh.

[7:57] It says that in Galatians 5, if you want to turn there, Galatians 5 from verse 19. It defines, it describes these manifestations, these outcomes of the flesh, these results of the flesh, what the flesh produces.

[8:16] The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these. You could break it down into certain categories, if you like, certain types of works of the flesh.

[8:30] For example, sins of immorality. Immorality. Paul says adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. These are all sins of immorality.

[8:41] It's that immoral conduct. Verse 20, it goes on to sins of false religion, idolatry, witchcraft. They're obvious things that are of false religion.

[8:54] Idolatry, witchcraft. And then it goes on to sins contrary to love. It goes on hatred, variance or contentions. Emulations, or if you like, jealousies.

[9:06] Wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. Sins contrary to love, when we're in a setting with others, these are things against others.

[9:22] Of which I tell you before, as I have told you also in the past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. So we see these things, the works of the flesh are manifest.

[9:34] It's evident. We don't have to be a brain surgeon to see. These things, it's obviously the flesh at work. You know, we know it's quite apparent what's behind such things.

[9:47] Whether it be immorality, a false religion, false doctrine, or sinful conduct that's contrary to love. And these things are manifest, they're evident, it's quite plain to see.

[9:59] The flesh, what is it? What is the flesh all about? And how can we combat this thing called the flesh? The flesh is full of pride and vanity and self-will.

[10:14] There's many scriptures that talk about the flesh. It's right, it's a theme that's quite apparent in the Bible, right through, from Genesis through Revelation. The flesh, the flesh is destructive, causes divisions, envy, strife.

[10:30] It accommodates worldliness, it's got that preoccupation with pleasing yourself and pleasing such that you accommodate to others and fit in with the crowd.

[10:42] When someone is controlled by the flesh, the focus is on earthly pleasures, on the world below, rather than things above. It's setting your mind on those things that will preoccupy and really distract from eternal things.

[11:01] And when such pleasures and things become that preoccupation, when they become that primary passion for our lives, it's the flesh at work. It's the flesh. We need to recognise that.

[11:13] And when someone is under this domination, this control, the motives of their lives are earthly. It's like that's all they think about, is earthly things. just pleasing themselves with pleasures, with aspirations, with ambitions, without a thought for whether it's any pleasure to God.

[11:36] And with carnal people, what makes them get out of bed in the morning, if you like, and what they invest their lives in is earthly. It's a preoccupation with that.

[11:48] Now, of course, we all have to make a living. We all have natural, practical needs to supply. It's not saying we don't have to work for a living and make necessary preparations for such things.

[12:05] But it's when the world becomes that dominating factor that that just eats into our whole mindset and takes control.

[12:16] And someone has said, suggested a way that we can measure whether we are carnal or spiritual. Of course, this is just one person's idea of how you might make a self-assessment, if you like.

[12:33] And so, to know if we are carnal, we can easily answer this by asking a few pointed questions. And this is what someone has put.

[12:44] which brings us greater joy, to be with God and His people or to be with worldly friends, to sing praises to God or to be attending a worldly concert, to see an improvement in our spiritual life or to acquire a new thing.

[13:04] You know, what the latest advert's plugging that you absolutely desperately need this new product. You know, you've got to get that new phone. You know, the one you've got is just not updated enough. It's like, then that becomes your whole, you know, nothing wrong with getting a new phone.

[13:19] But I'm just saying, it's how you, that's where your whole desires and emphasis is instead of improving your spiritual life and what matters in the spiritual sense. It's about motive.

[13:30] It's about what is important to me. What matters most to us? What really gets us excited and energised? What do we love to talk about? And answering those questions will help us get a bit of a feel for how am I spiritually today?

[13:46] Whether I'm carnal or not. A fleshly person builds their life upon the pleasure or the attainment of things. Of things.

[13:58] You know, has someone said something like the one who wins is the one who dies with the most toys or something like that? You know, it's like your whole life is consumed with getting, getting, going and going, acquiring, acquiring, amassing, amassing, and then, well, we're all going to end up in the grave.

[14:14] And it's almost like, well, should we put such energy into that? And this is what defines their happiness with some people. They've got to be having their latest and greatest. Their sense of personal worth is all about things.

[14:28] And the flesh can show when we choose worldly things over the things of God. The things of God. God. It's not to say if you've got a new car you're a sinful person or anything, but it's about what the motive is.

[14:43] It's about what is predominating in the mindset. And the word says that whosoever will be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Now, sometimes people, it's all about keeping up with the Joneses, the latest fashions and fans, and we've got to have the latest whatever it be, accessories.

[15:04] And it's about pleasing others instead of really thinking what really matters, what really counts. Here's another set of questions someone has put together. From what group do most of our closest friends come from?

[15:17] The world or the church? Now, that's not to say we can have lots of friends who are not Christians. Don't get me wrong, this is just someone's list. But among which group do we feel most at home?

[15:30] Upon what do we depend for our security? Is it cultivating the right earthly relationships or staying in good favour with the boss? Do we feel ever pressured to compromise to fit in?

[15:42] Do we do some things we wouldn't want church people to know that we were doing? Just so we could be with the in crowd. You know, these are things to consider, aren't they?

[15:54] We should be an open book. We should be 24 by 7 above reproach so that if someone was to scrutinise what we do through our life, that we're not one thing amongst church people and something other than that elsewhere, as if we change like a chameleon.

[16:14] And when the world has its sway over us, we're following the flesh instead of the spirit. Now, this world, we're just passing through. It shouldn't hang on to us or control us.

[16:25] But what rather should motivate us is what is God's will for my life? What is God's will for my life? When making decisions, what do I put thoughts about what God wants?

[16:37] Is God in my thoughts? Is God in my planning? You know, the message this morning was planning to pray, planning to read the Bible, having that definite commitment to, hey, I'm going to put some time aside so I don't miss this because it's important.

[16:55] Now, when something's important, you put it in your diary and you don't forget. And it's an important decision to make. Do we stop and pray or do we just maybe pray at the end of it all?

[17:07] You know, just hope that God will bless the decision that we made. These are things to consider as to whether our mindset is fleshly and carnal, kind of consumed with that, or spiritual, thinking about what does God want?

[17:20] What does God ask for me? What is God wanting me to do? Is God important in our thinking and decision making? And look, just to tempt what I just said, having worldly friends, there's nothing wrong with having worldly friends.

[17:34] Absolutely not. We should have friends who do not know the Saviour so we can erase them, so we can be salt, so we can be light. I'm not saying not to do that. It's about what motivates us.

[17:47] What motivates us. We're not motivated to fit in with the crowd but to reach them because we're ambassadors, we're evangelists, we're sent as his messengers into this world to reach people.

[18:01] Godless Esau was an example for us of that carnal way of thinking such that his appetites, his motives were skewed such that he sold the inheritance that he had, his inheritance rights, he sold for a single meal, a mess of pottage or just a bowl of some substance to eat.

[18:28] He fed his stomach rather than think that he was selling out what was really so important, his birthright and he was more motivated by the flesh than by what God wanted for his life.

[18:43] So the flesh is destructive, it consumes us such that it destroys our relationship with the Lord and our genuine fellowship with other believers. Carnality brings death as Paul said to be carnally minded is death.

[18:59] Paul addresses the Corinthians further in 1 Corinthians 3 verse 1. He says and I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ.

[19:17] Notice he says and I brethren could not speak unto you. He described them as fellow believers as brethren as much as some of them were carnal they were still brothers.

[19:34] It's an interesting thought. I know there's some controversy about such things about carnality but essentially I believe it can be said that a Christian can at times be carnal.

[19:48] A Christian fleshly way. I know some dear Christian people who have been very carnal at times.

[20:00] I've had some very carnal treatment from Christians. They're still my brothers and sisters in Christ but they need to wake up and grow up. Paul is rebuking these fellow believers.

[20:13] You could say he's another of those negative preachers. Here he goes again another negative preacher. Why can't we have some positive feel good stroke my ego kind of preaching. How to be healthy wealthy and wise.

[20:27] But as someone has put it a Christian is not characterised by sin. It no longer represents his basic nature but he is still able to sin. And his sin is just as sinful as the sin of an unbeliever.

[20:41] Sin is sin. And the quote goes on when a Christian sins he is being practically unspiritual. Living on the same practical level as an unbeliever.

[20:52] consequently Paul is compelled to speak to the Corinthian believers much as if they were unbelievers. They were just really lost it. Many churches like to follow the church at Corinth surprisingly still today.

[21:07] But we see that the church at Corinth was a basket case. It was in a lot of trouble as we see had much to be desired that was going on because it was in a woeful mess a lot of the time in some of the things that were going on there.

[21:23] And Paul was accusing these believers in Corinth of acting like non-Christians of being carnal or following the way of the flesh.

[21:35] I'll just repeat that. I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ. They were acting like they had just become a Christian like they didn't have really much maturity in their faith.

[21:54] And we all start that way don't we? We all start that way as a new Christian. And it's a growing experience when we become a Christian. It's a walk, it's a pilgrimage, it's a journey.

[22:06] As we trusted Christ we walk with him and we grow. Paul says so these Corinthian believers they were pretty much still our first base. they'd really not made much progress in their spiritual life and so he calls them karma.

[22:22] There's some Christians like that. Sadly, I've said it in other messages before, it's like some Christians you've got to give them a dummy and a little bottle and shake them a little bit and just sing a lullaby to them and pat them on the head like they're a little baby.

[22:44] Because they're so immature and this can happen when Christians have been Christians for many, many years. Sadly, they're not growing. They're still wearing spiritual nappies.

[22:56] And friends, there's a battle going on today where some Christians are like this. They're fleshly. They're not growing. Their growth is stunted.

[23:08] When they should be teachers, they're still learning their ABCs. A Christian has this battle going on of both the fleshly and the spiritual natures.

[23:20] There's a battle going on. In 1 Peter 2 verse 11, Peter says, Dearly beloved, I beseech you. The strong words there, he's urging, he's imploring.

[23:31] He says, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. In other words, we're just visiting this planet. abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

[23:43] Abstain, keep yourself, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. There's a war on. It's a war. And it's clear that some Christians can at times be what is called carnal.

[23:57] And this is a shameful state to be in. The flesh is destructive. If you're one who is carnal, as a Christian, it means you've got a sloppy testimony. You know, some people go blab, blab, blab, I'm a Christian, and you see what else comes out of their mouth and you think, we'd be better if they hadn't even said that.

[24:16] Because they're a sloppy testimony in how they conduct themselves. The flesh does not yield to God's will. It takes the pathway of self and self-will.

[24:29] The flesh, something we should be alert to, the flesh does not follow God's word, it neglects God's truth, just puts it on the shelf, lets it gather dust, that hinders spiritual growth.

[24:41] Paul says, for to be carnally, carnally, fleshly, carnally minded is death, death, death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

[24:52] What a contrast. Where there is fleshliness, there is death. You know, when a Christian acts in a carnal, fleshly way, it can kill. It can kill preachers when you get fleshly people doing fleshly things.

[25:06] The flesh can kill a youth ministry when the flesh comes in. The flesh can kill music ministry. The flesh can kill a church leadership. The flesh can kill a prayer meeting.

[25:17] The flesh can kill a choir. The flesh can kill fellowship. The flesh can kill a worship service. The flesh can kill a testimony service. And so on. Everything the flesh touches dies.

[25:31] To be carnally minded, fleshly is death. We need to deal with the flesh. It's deathly. It's dangerous. It's fatal.

[25:41] And so we need to deal with the flesh. The flesh can hinder our prayer life as well. And our own spiritual walk. It can hinder us from being a witness for Christ.

[25:53] It can hinder us from studying God's word. From making time to get together with other Christians. So the flesh, it's something we need to be very mindful of.

[26:08] The flesh destroys spiritual power. And it hinders God's spirit filling us and using us. When the flesh dominates our lives, everything that God calls us to be is compromised.

[26:20] The flesh gets in the way. It's an obstacle. It's a blockage that stops us from growing. The flesh or carnality can be like a spreading infection. You know, we can get infected.

[26:33] You know, there's Ebola at the moment. I don't know if anyone here has been to Africa lately. I'll just keep away from you for a little while just to make sure you're not contagious.

[26:44] And we might be like that when Peter and the company come back from Kenya. You know, they might be contagious. They might be infectious. You know, the flesh can have an infectious nature to it.

[26:58] It's like the world. You know, it kind of just creeps up on us and kind of overtakes us. It's like infection that comes and sometimes we don't even know we're infected.

[27:10] And it spreads. It hurts the body. So too, carnality. The flesh, as in the way of the flesh, can destroy the soul. It's destructive.

[27:21] And as someone has said too, when we're infected, we can become a carrier and infect others also. So we've got to be careful of that. What about you here tonight and me?

[27:36] It's a good thing for all of us, each one of us individually, to take stock and reflect how am I spiritually? Am I carnal? Parents, what influence do you have?

[27:49] In what you allow into your home and into the minds of your children? Are they things that are pure, noble, true or dark, demonic and false?

[28:02] And it amazes me some of the things, you know, these are questions of conscience. But brothers and sisters, some of these video games you hear about, it's just shocking.

[28:15] And they're just getting worse, you know. It's just mind-blowing. What might be a car race and then it's just total immorality that takes over. I don't want to... It's a shame to speak to such things.

[28:28] But this is what's going on, brothers and sisters. Because even in what's seen harmless, seemingly harmless video games and whatnot, there's something behind them.

[28:39] Something behind them. Kind of hidden. Dark, demonic. These are things to be alert to. Because they can infect our family.

[28:51] The flesh. It's contradictory to the spirit. To be carnally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is the opposite. It's life and peace. It's contradictory.

[29:03] It opposes the Holy Spirit. And churches can get infected with a carnal mindset. Where it's all about the flesh. Pleasing the flesh. Attracting that fleshly kind of thinking and emotion and feeling.

[29:18] There's nothing wrong with emotion. I get emotional sometimes. That's, you know, it's a good thing to get emotional. That's, we're built that way. There's nothing wrong with emotions.

[29:30] Entertainment. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with entertainment too. But it's where it leads to. It's what it's based in. It's what's behind it. What is it driving us to?

[29:41] And some churches can get infected with this carnal mindset. This fleshly... The way of the flesh just takes over. And it starts to control people. We've got to make the church like a nightclub.

[29:53] Like a mosh pit. Why? What's that got to do with God? Some people try to operate the church as if it was some kind of a country club. Now a country club operates for the benefit of its members.

[30:06] So it's all about you. I've got to please you. And tease you. And tickle your ears. And make you smile at me. And make you happy. And bright. And cheery. And everything's got to be bright and glowing and perfect.

[30:19] Or in some churches it's all got to be dark. And all the spotlights on this man up here is so great and wonderful. It's the flesh. The flesh takes over. And when a church becomes a country club.

[30:31] So it operates for the benefit of its members. It's all about pleasing the audience. Instead of pleasing who we're here for. Who's God. The church is meant to be different.

[30:42] Not some kind of glorified social club. It's meant for the instrument of God to reach a degraded, defeated, discouraged world. So churches can get carnal too.

[30:56] Preachers can get carnal. Bringing all the thinking of the world into the church. And thinking that the church should be some kind of democracy. As if the final authority rested with the people.

[31:07] So if everybody puts it to a vote. Who wants to do this? Okay that's what we're going to do. As if the final authority rested with the people. As if it's about what's popular.

[31:20] Or accepted. Or what's trendy. It's not about that. This is not a democracy. It's about being biblical.

[31:31] It's about the final authority. Right here. God's word. And yet some churches adopt this worldly thinking. Methods and systems.

[31:43] And they end up fleshly. And it just snowballs. Friends tonight. We are waged in a war. It is a war. Paul tells us of a battle between the flesh and the spirit.

[31:57] He uses battle terminology. In Romans 7 he says. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God. But with the flesh the law of sin.

[32:09] He saw this conflict within himself. This is the apostle Paul. He says there's a war. With my mind I serve the law of God. I want to do what God says. And with the flesh the law of sin.

[32:21] There's this inclination. There's this battle that's going on. There's boxing match within you. Within me. There's opposing forces to neglect God.

[32:33] Or to follow God. To oppose God. To incline to sin. Or to submit to God. It's a battle. It is a war.

[32:44] It is a war. God calls us to a war. He calls us to a war. Romans 8 verse 1. It says. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

[32:55] Some Bibles cut it off there. But it goes on. Who walk not after the flesh. But after the spirit. There's a sense of a new walk. Not after the flesh. But after the spirit.

[33:06] There's a new walking. A walking in accord with the spirit. So there's a wonderful truth here. None of us have arrived yet. You know.

[33:16] I've not yet apprehended. I'm still running towards that mark. Yet ahead. And it ties it all together to consider that. There's a war. There's a battle. The flesh and the spirit. The lusts and the passions.

[33:28] The fighting off of the ensanglements that will hold us back. And snare us. And hinder us from the race. And there's a war. Where it's an actual conflict. A hand to hand. Face to face combat.

[33:41] Where do we stand individually now? Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 2. About different kinds of ways people can act. He speaks of people acting in different kinds of ways.

[33:54] Natural. Spiritual. Carnal. 1 Corinthians 2.14. He tells of the natural man. The unsaved man. The lost man. He says. But the natural man.

[34:04] Receiveth not the things of the spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto him. The unsaved man. Cannot.

[34:17] Receive. The things of the spirit of God. They are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them. Because they are spiritually discerned. He needs God's holy spirit.

[34:28] To show. To reveal. So help understand. But he that is spiritual. Judges all things. He discerns all things. Yet he himself is judged. Of no man.

[34:38] For who hath known. The mind of the Lord. That he may know. Instruct him. But we have the mind of Christ. So we see here. 1 Corinthians 2. The natural man.

[34:48] The spiritual man. The carnal man. And we see. Someone has put it this way. Mr. Natural. Mr. Natural. The lost man. Mr. Natural. Cannot.

[34:59] Receive. The things of God. The things of the spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto him. He can't. He cannot know them. Because he needs that. Help of God's spirit. To know them.

[35:11] The natural man. The unsaved man. Then we have the spiritual man. Mr. Spiritual. If you like. Mr. Spiritual. The saved man. Then we have this third man. Mr. Carnal.

[35:22] Mr. Carnal. This man has two natures. Just like the spiritual man. But he's dominated. By the odd nature. Now of course we know. Someone's dominated.

[35:33] Totally by the carnal nature. He's lost too. But there's a sense where some Christians. I believe. Can spend some. Seasons in that place. Of carnality. Where they're dominated.

[35:45] By the old nature. There's this tug of war. Going on. There's the influence of the spirit. On his life. There's that conviction of sin. There's that sense of. Wow. I shouldn't be in this place.

[35:55] I shouldn't be doing this thing. And there's times where you can hardly discern. Any difference. You know. Someone was telling me lately. I know a Christian. And the unsaved man she's with.

[36:07] Is. Acts more like a Christian than he does. Than she does rather. So there's times where. It doesn't even look like they're a Christian. As an example of this.

[36:18] We could consider Lot. Genesis 13 and 19. Lot acts a lot. Like a lost man. When we see that. Lot lived.

[36:29] In Sodom. He acted carnally. He chose Sodom. Which is a place of sin. As we know Sodom. What it stands for today. Most apparently. A place of sin.

[36:40] And he chose to act carnal. To live there. He made an unwise choice. A carnal choice. But he never became a Sodomite. He was grieved. He was tormented.

[36:51] He was oppressed. He was convicted over the sin. That was all around him. And he didn't feel at home there. When it came down to it. But he had that carnal season.

[37:02] If you like. Of his life. That can happen to you and me. We can have those carnal times. Where we might strain. And it's a shameful thing.

[37:14] Yet God chastises his children. When they stray. The Lord rescued Lot. There was a severe chastisement. He lost his testimony. He lost his home.

[37:25] His wife was killed. By divine judgment. His daughters disgraced. And shamed him. And he paid a terrible price. For his sin. He was tormented day by day. It says.

[37:35] He had that turmoil within him. In that place. That he knew he shouldn't have been. And Lot's story shows us. That sometimes. God's true believers.

[37:47] Have this. Failing. Of being in the wrong place. Of carnality. And Lot had to battle his flesh. But there was victory.

[37:58] He came out. God let him out. God brought him out. From the death and destruction. Into life. To be carnally minded. Is death. The ones who stayed in Sodden.

[38:09] They were destroyed. They were killed. But Lot was saved. He was called righteous. Just. Despite his failings. So it's important. That we don't spend too much time.

[38:20] Standing. In Mr. Carnal's shoes. If you have those moments. In your life. Where you know you're not. In that place with God. That you need to be. Then change your shoes.

[38:32] Get out of Mr. Carnal's shoes. And put on. Mr. Spiritual shoes. If you like. Now friends. Just to. Come to a close here. Paul describes.

[38:42] These carnal ones. As acting like babies. I brethren. Could not speak unto you. As unto spiritual. But as unto carnal. As unto. Even as unto babes. In Christ.

[38:53] Mr. Carnal. Lacks maturity. He acts like a baby. Spiritually. He's still on milk. He's not growing spiritually. Friends. Let's not stagnate. In our Christian growth.

[39:04] Let's not stagnate. But let's keep on growing. Let's not act like. Christian. Spiritual babies. You know. When you. See babies sometimes.

[39:15] As much as they. Goo goo. And gar gar. And they're so cute. And nice. Sometimes babies are selfish. Aren't they? You know. I want that drink. And I want it now. I want that food.

[39:25] And I want it now. I want my nappy changed. They don't say it in so many words. But you know what they're screaming at you for. Because they are selfish. And carnal Christians.

[39:37] If you like. Christians who have times where they act carnally. Can act like babies too. They're selfish. I would urge each one of us to consider. Am I acting spiritually?

[39:52] It's a big question isn't it? Don't stay in carnality. Don't be retarded in your spiritual growth. So friends. We've seen the natural. The unsaved. They can't even understand this.

[40:04] It's just foreign language to them. The carnal. They're the ones kind of. You don't know where they're at. Death. The spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2.15.

[40:15] It says. The he that is spiritual. Judges all things. There's a sense where the spiritual man or woman. Will discern what is right. And what is wrong. By what? The word of God. They will discern.

[40:26] They will judge all things. By the word of truth. It will bring. That sense of truth. For to be carnally minded is death.

[40:39] But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The opposite of being carnal or fleshly is to be spiritual. I'm not talking being super spiritual. Like you're just holier than thou.

[40:51] Looking down on everybody else. But you're truly spiritual. You've got a humility before God and man. That you know you're unworthy of his gift. And you try by his grace to help live it.

[41:03] We that are truly spiritual. Will base our thinking and living on God's principles. And there will be life and peace for us. Life and peace. What greater joy.

[41:14] What greater ambition than to have life and peace. To have life worth living. To have a peace beyond what this world can give. A peace that passes all understanding.

[41:25] Beyond every comprehension. And so what is the spiritual man. The spiritual woman. They are one who allows Christ to rule their lives.

[41:36] Where the Lord Jesus is not only present. But he is preeminent. He is Lord. Where the Lord Jesus does not just reside. In the spiritual man's life. But he presides.

[41:48] Over that life. He presides. He is king. Okay. We have heard about Mr. Natural. Mr. Spiritual. And Mr. Carnal. Who are you tonight?

[42:00] Are you saved? Or are you still a natural man? Unsaved. Are you spiritual? Do you know God? Are you following him? Or are you carnal?

[42:11] Well you don't know quite where you are at. Now we all may be carnal from time to time. Even Paul. Romans 7.14. He says. For we know that the law. God's word is spiritual.

[42:23] But I am carnal. Sold under sin. There is a sense where carnality is a battle. And what is the answer? Crucify the flesh. Put it to death.

[42:34] The carnal nature. Ask God prayerfully to help you. To fight the battle with the flesh. And this battle will not be over until we see his face.

[42:45] This battle that you and I face against the flesh. Will not cease until we see his face. Until the Lord returns. The Christian life is a perpetual state of battle.

[42:58] Christians still struggle with their flesh. Because God's plan is not fully complete. The work of Christ on the cross. The finished work of the cross to save us is complete. But we look forward to that time when our bodies will be transformed.

[43:13] Will be glorified. Will be given new bodies. New and seamless. One day it says our body will be transformed. Now that body that you've got. You're going to get an even better looking one.

[43:25] Isn't that amazing? Some of you here that are such specimens of physical perfection. You'll have an even more perfect body. Ian, I can't imagine that body can be perfected even more.

[43:37] But one day it will be. The Bible says so. Amen. The Bible says it will be. Philippians 3. It says for our conversation. Our way of life. The way we live. Is in heaven.

[43:48] Our conversation is in heaven. Our citizenship. If you like. Is in heaven. From whence we look for the Saviour. The Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body.

[43:59] It's an extreme makeover isn't it? Total makeover. He shall change our vile body. That it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.

[44:10] According to the working whereby he is able. Even to subdue all things. Unto himself. Aren't you looking forward to that day? No more grey hair.

[44:21] Or bald spots. Or aches and pains. It'll just be. You'll be like Jesus. Like him. Help us Lord to get victory. Help us Lord to battle on.

[44:34] To recognise the flesh for what it is. And to keep a wide berth. To keep clear. Lord to recognise it and renounce it. Lord I repent where I've strayed in that fleshly place.

[44:46] Help me Lord. Help each one. That we might know the victory. That overcomes the world. Even our faith. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[44:58] Thank you.