Philippians 3 [Spiritual, Normal and Carnal Man]

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

First of all…for the natural man growth is impossible

The natural man has NO life in Christ...

Ephesians 2:3 (ESV)…among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

A natural man doesn’t have God’s spirit within him. He is a spiritual being, there is a part of Him that is not tangible… but has not been reborn in Christ. He doesn’t possess the Spirit of God!

Folks…know today that if you have only ever been born once…the day will come when you will wish you had never been born at all!

Because if you are born once…you’ll die twice..

But if you’re born twice…you can only ever die once!!

And this is what Jesus is conveying to Nicodemus in John 3

John 3:3–5 (ESV)…Jesus answered him [Nicodemus], “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

A natural man cannot grow in Christ because He has no activation with the Holy Spirit of God!

1 cor 2:14 - the text tells us that the natural man does not accept [He does not have the capacity to appreciate] the ways of God…He doesn’t welcome the things of God …the things of the spirit of God…

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

But not only does he not welcome the Spirit of God…but He is incapable of welcoming the spirit of God…the natural man just doesn’t understand it…He is incapable of understanding it…because God’s spirit is not there!

John 8:47 - Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

They have the device…but no service!

You know…I can carry this iphone around…I can hold this iphone…I can be happy to have this iphone…I can talk about taking calls on this iphone…receiving information via this iphone…but if I have not purchased any cellular service…then my iphone is what we would like to call…out of order!

There is no service…I can receive no information!!!

The same with humanity… God’s will would be that man would surrender to his will, accept the salvation that He so eagerly wants to bestow upon us…and allow His spirit to change us as he tunes our hearts to the W.O.R.D. podcast for our lives.

The natural man can never grow in the Lord because He doesn’t have the Lord!

1 Corinthians 3:1 (ESV - But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh [carnal], as infants in Christ.

Carnal - if you are a carnal christian then you are ruled by your fleshly desires, your natural impulses….your default position finds its priority in what you want. What you desire.

Now what is wrong with being a Carnal Christian?

They possess Impaired Development - paul says I cannot address you as spiritual people but I have to engage you as if you were babies!

And its not wrong to be a baby christian…its wrong to stay a baby christian!!!

God expects you to grow up….He loves you as a baby in Christ!!!

I loved my Children…and when they were some younger…I was impressed when they would call me Da-Da….

But as impressed as I was with that…if Levi walks in when he’s 19 and calls me Da-Da…I’ll slap the snot out of him!!!

We are supposed to grow up!!!

Not only impaired development….But the carnal christian possesses a restricted diet…

1 Corinthians 3:2 (ESV)

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

Lots of us…only recieve the word of God when we come to church and the pastor spoon feeds it to you and burps you on the way out…

Your suppose to grow up…grow past the milk and onto the meat…you ought to have a ministry…you ought to be teaching people…

Hebrews 5:12 (ESV)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,

1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV

for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

THE CARNAL CHRISTIAN CAUSES REPEATED DIVISION…CARNALITY CAUSES IT…AS IF THE CHRISTIAN WAS A NATURAL MAN!