The Natural Man & Carnal Minded Christians
In the What is a Christian section, we reviewed the three groups of people Christians should be mindful that Paul spoke about in the bible: The Natural Man, The Spiritual Man and the Carnal Man but our focus was on the Christian. In this book we will review the Natural Man, the Carnal Man and Carnal Minded Christians.
The Natural Man
This is the person what has not received Christ or who has chosen to not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The “Natural Man” or those who choose to live their lives governed by their emotions and their fleshly desires feel justified in doing whatever feels right for them and to them. 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else(Ephesians 2:1-3). It is difficult to try and talk to people who have no regard for moral principles concerning what is right or wrong, or acceptable behavior because for them everything is acceptable and every human being has the right to do what they choose to do; good, bad or indifferent. 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 Corinthians 2:14).
Carnal Minded Christians
In the Book of Galatians, Paul also tells us about the Carnal Man; And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ (KJV 1 Corinthians 3:1). For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (KJV 1 Corinthians 3:3)? Paul also lists the works of the flesh in his writing to the Galatians; Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (KJV Galatians 5:19), idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (KJV Galatians 5:20), envying, 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 (KJV Galatians 5:21). In these verses, Paul acknowledges that they are “babes in Christ”, which means he recognizes they acknowledged and accepted who he was. He also recognizes that he could not speak to them about the things of the spirit, because their actions were “carnal”. The carnal man receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior yet, they live like they haven’t. They say they are Christians and yet their behavior models that of carnality. We all know a few people who live like this; they go to church, read their bible and can even hold an “intelligent” conversation with other believers about faith, but they choose to live their life as though they do not know who Jesus Christ is or have accepted to live their lives according to the principles outlined in the holy bible. They are carnal in their thoughts and in their ways thus The Carnal Minded Christian.
Today, Carnal Minded Christians find themselves struggling with trying to “justify” their actions. For we know we all fall short, and that we are forgiven of our sins, but as Christians we must remember that the 1st step to being saved was repenting of your Sins. When we let go, but then pick up the sin and the behavior that is not becoming of a Christian, time after time in those moments we find ourselves engaging in carnal behavior thus the label Carnal Minded Christians.