Chapter Three: The Carnal Mind: A snare to Victorious Christian Living.

To better understand the peril created by the mind of the natural man, we must compare it to the mind as created by God. When we discuss the heart, it is not as the muscle that pumps blood, but the center of our being, the home of our attitudes. It is the home of the Spirit in believers. It is the vacuum of rebellion in the spiritually dead man. If we closely examine scripture, we can see the first act of that dead or carnal nature.

Adam and Eve were created to live eternally.

Genesis 3:22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--

They were clothed in the glory of God, as believers will be, in the kingdom of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:2-4 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; [3] inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. [4] For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Perhaps this passage in Galatians 3:27 will make it more obvious. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Adam and Eve were covered by the glory of God until they broke fellowship with God. Genesis 2:25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 3:6-7 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. [7] Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

For the Lord had warned Adam, before the creation of Eve, Genesis 2:17; "But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--

·        What did Adam choose? ___________________.

Adam was not tricked, as was Eve, Adam made a conscience choice. Although scripture doesn't state it, it is probable that, the moment Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, the glory of the Lord departed. She would have appeared different, just, as Adam would be a few moments later when he joined her, and they both saw themselves naked. Adam consciously chose to rebel against the word of the Lord. 1 Tim. 2:13-14 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. [14] And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.

It was not Adam who was ____________. He chose spiritual death and physical demise over continued fellowship with the Father, his spirit was a spirit of rebellion that is found in all men today. His choice affected the entire creation, for death came to all things.

John 20:31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

From the time of Adam on, natural man was in rebellion toward God, totally cut off from any spiritual input, apart from demonic influence. Man was truly held captive by the rational knowledge of the five senses, willingly accepting as total truth the information presented. Since death had come to the entire creation, the focus of the natural mind should follow suit. Listen to Paul in Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

·         The natural mind set on the things of the flesh is focused on __________. The mind being renewed, set on the Spirit brings _________ and __________. Aren't you glad that Jesus made a way for you to be restored and your mind again to be enlightened by the Spirit of God?

Dr. Gottier now points us to several similar passages, one is found in Habakkuk 2:14 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." The time factor is set too after the return of Christ.

If you answered the presence of the Holy Spirit, you are almost right! A person can have the presence of the Holy Spirit, without possessing a renewed mind, but the reverse is never true. You cannot have a renewed mind apart from God's, Holy Spirit's, indwelling presence . . . If you answered a renewed mind, congratulations, you are beginning to grasp the real problem of humanity. We will be studying in this chapter the dilemma of the carnal man, a born again man-without understanding

The Power of Calvary.

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."

The top line represents man as God created him, destined to live eternally. Remember the law in Genesis 2:17, "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

As you can see from John 10:10 above, there are only two possible courses for the universe, life and death.

You have heard it said that the only two things in life that are certain, are death and taxes, not wishing to deal with the latter, we should consider the former. From the moment of your birth you begin to die physically. The goal of the natural mind seems to be, to get from one hospital to the other without messing up too badly in-between. Jesus' victory on the Cross, won for us, not only the possibility of eternal life, but the ability to live above the sickness, brought on by our sin natures, in this life.

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely our grief’s He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But He was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.

·         The words of Isaiah, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, one thousand years before the cross, tell us that Jesus was _____________ for our _________________. He was ___________ for our _____________ and by His _____________ we are ________________.

Matthew 8:16-17 (Niv) When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

1 Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Dr. Gottier has drawn for us a chart to help us grasp the truth of the only two possibilities for mankind.

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come

From Adam's day until the cross men were born spiritually dead.1 Cor. 15:45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

Adam was created in the image of God, body, soul and spirit. After the fall, Adam, now spiritually dead, became the father of another son, Seth. Notice whose image Seth bore. Genesis 5:3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. (Niv)

Jesus confronting one of Israel's religious leaders, Nicodemus, told Him in John 3:3 . . . "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Jesus goes on to define what it means to be born again in John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (Niv)

Still looking at the chart from Adam until the cross of Christ, we realize that all men are born spiritually dead and have no hope of responding to a reciprocating fellowship with God.

Ephes. 2:1-5 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, [2] in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. [3] Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).


Col. 1:20-22 and through Him [Jesus] to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. [21] And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, [22] yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him Holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- . .

According to scripture and pictured in the chart, mankind, now has access to life. When we are born again, God puts within us, everything that is necessary to mature, to be made into the image of Jesus, to retrain our minds to think as Jesus thinks and to love as Jesus loves. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

When we are born from above, we are like a small green apple on a tree. Doesn't the apple contain everything needed to become an acceptable delicious apple? ____________

Dr. Gottier points out that through the treason of Adam, not only were his and our God given nature changed but he squandered his authority and dominion over the earth. Through the Cross of Christ, Jesus was able to recoup that dominion.

Born again believers are being made over into the image of Christ, 1 Cor. 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Col. 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; The emphasis of this passage is that we might conform to the image of Jesus. Perhaps, we could take a little test to see how well we are doing? Galatians 5:22-24 informs us that when we belong to Christ we will put to death the old nature, and begin to display the fruits of the Spirit of God, or the attributes of the person of Christ.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The test is this; if this is now your image please fill in your name.

How did you do? I see that I have a long way to go, but as I lay my flesh on the altar, day by day according to Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and Holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. I shall be changed into his glorious image. Just as one cannot learn to tell counterfeit bills by studying the counterfeit, one must study the person of Christ and His word if he desires to become like him.

Dr. Gottier put it like this: "God is not going to abridge the rules of the kingdom of God to accommodate our finite thinking, clouded by the earthly wisdom about us."

Again we can find an analogy in the little green apple. It is subject to great danger as it matures. It can be destroyed by weather, drought, disease and insects. So it is with the new born Christian, whose problem is worse than that of the natural man, for he has an enemy that seeks to destroy him. Ephes. 6:11-12 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. [12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

God, knowing the wickedness and schemes of Lucifer, has provided armor to aid man in his reaching maturity, but what good is armor unless you put it on? Ephes. 6:13-17

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [14] Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Can righteousness come through your good deeds? Listen to Paul in Philip. 1:11, "having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

NASB renders it diligent as in 2 Tim. 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. How do you think that your feet can be shod with the preparation of the gospel? __________________________________________

Dr. Gottier's point is that if we are to live victoriously, as God has called us, "living in that victory demands, on a day by day basis, the discipline of understanding His Word, His ways, His will, and requires us to order our prayers, our faith and our lives after His ways." He defines the differences in the natural man as either civilized or barbarian; the barbarian living for fleshly pleasure, his mind ruled by the desires of the body and the civilized man as a man whose mind rules the body. The Christian is found in varying degrees of submission, depending upon maturity, as one, whose mind acquiesces to the authority and knowledge of the Holy Spirit within, together demanding obedience from the flesh.

Paul's Carnal Man.

Because the Carnal man is the middle ground between the natural man and the spirit led man, our text wants us to review the traits of the natural man, that we may more clearly comprehend the devastation wrought on living a victorious Christian life.

1Cor. 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

As a result of his inability to receive course correction or spiritual insight, natural man is limited by his five senses and the diabolic influence of satanic forces.

Ephes. 2:1-3 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, [2] in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. [3] Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Romans 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

Paul continues his description of natural man in Ephes. 4:17-19

This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, [18] being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; [19] and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

2 Cor. 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Carnal Man Defined

1 Cor. 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. [2] I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, [3] for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

The book of Hebrews, further defines a babe in Christ for us, in 5:13-14 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Paul further expounds on this maturing process and its affect on the whole of the assembly.

Ephes. 4:11-17 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. [14] As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; [15] but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. [17] This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, What is the combined work of the apostle, the prophet, the evangelist and the pastor/teacher?

Paul wrote of these men, whether carnal Christians, or the "tares" of Matthew 13:25-29, is indistinguishable: holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these. [6] For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, [7] always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim. 3:5-7

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To mature as a Christian, grow up, no longer a babe in Christ, is to become more like Jesus, leaving behind the Jealousy, and insecurities about your own person-selfishness. God's desire is to remake us into the image of Christ, bearing the fruits of the Spirit, for God has trusted us with His most precious possession, the reputation of His Son Jesus.

·         The first fruit of the Spirit and primary attribute of the character of Jesus is Love. To see how well we are doing in becoming like Christ. Let's try this test again! In 1 Cor. 13:4-7, let's put our name in place of love. __________ is patient, _________ is kind, and _________ is not jealous; _________ does not brag and ___________ is not arrogant, [5] _____________does not act unbecomingly; _____________ does not seek my own, ____________ is not provoked, ___________ does not take into account a wrong suffered, [6] ________________ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; [7] _____________bears all things, ___________believes all things, ____________ hopes all things, ________________ endures all things.

Did you wince at a few of those as you put your name there, so did I? But if you can say that "I am not as bad as I use to be, then you are growing and maturing, your mind is being renewed through the process of "sanctification." Until we shed these mortal bodies, I am convinced that we will continually be learning, maturing and growing into the image of Christ.

Perhaps you can sense the frustration in Paul's dialog here as he addresses the church at Corinth.

1 Cor. 3:1-2 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. [2] I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

All of this has left the carnal man very vulnerable. 1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The Plight of the Carnal Mind.

In these passages, Paul, writing to born-again man, is apparently reflecting back on his own struggles with the carnal mind and records it for our perusal.

Romans 7:15 For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:16-19 But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. [17] So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin, which indwells me. [18] For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. [19] For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.

Romans 7:20-23 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. [21] I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. [22] For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, [23] but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

Romans 8:5-8. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [6] For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, [7] because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; [8] and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The carnal mind is best characterized by Paul's declaration that it is hostile toward God. Earlier we looked at 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, at the fruit of their carnality which is jealousy and strife, Paul addresses their immaturity calling them carnal. Let's look again at this verse to determine the source of that immaturity. 1 Cor. 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. [2] I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, [3] for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

2 Cor. 11:1-3 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. [2] For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. [3] But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his [Satan's] craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Paul expresses a similar concern to the Colossians in chapter 2 verses 18-19 of that book. Col. 2:18-19 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, [19] and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

1 Tim. 6:20-21 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge"-- [21] which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. . . .

Dr. Gottier notes that these next two passages in the book of James are among the keenest insights into the plight of the carnal mind.

James 1:5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. [6] But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. [7] For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, [8] being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

God is opposed to the person who builds himself up based on worldly knowledge, who by a bodacious display of human wisdom and persuasive arguments, coerces and entices, the spiritually immature. James, in the power of the Holy Spirit, gives sound counsel on how to continue to mature past the place of carnality. James 4:6-8 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [7] Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

In Romans 7: Paul reflects on this struggle, fought in the battlefield of his mind, as he passed through it, on his journey to maturity in Christ.

Romans 7:15-16 For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. [16] But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good.

Romans 7:18-19 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. [19] For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.

Romans 7:21-24 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. [22] For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, [23] but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Let me quote directly from the book at this juncture: "The carnal mind remains immature, always rejecting the things of the Word." "Carnal man has decided to follow Christ, but his eternal battle is the war he wages with unbelief." (Pg. 96)

The Tragic Dualism of Most Christians

The truth so far surmised is that all men, born spiritually dead, receive the Holy Spirit of God upon a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin, are made spiritually alive. All new Christians begin with a carnal mind. No Christian goes on to receive a renewed mind without much deep careful searching of the Word through study or teaching.

We must understand that a Christian will never, by accident, achieve a renewed mind, one dependant on revealed knowledge from the Holy Spirit. The life-long habitual use of the five senses coupled with satanic influence, hinders and will prevent it from ever happening. It can come only as we study the Word and are tested by trials that we are able to trust and have the faith that will build the renewed mind.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. [4] Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Frustrated by the church at Galatia, who apparently turned back from grace to follow the law again, Paul asks this question in Galatians 3:2: This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

Galatians 3:5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?


·         God's power to work His will through our lives is accomplished as we _______ the Word of Christ and combine it with ___________ in that Word.

By the trials that we go through, we learn to trust God, live by the kingdom laws, and listen to the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. When we are able to accept the truth of this passage, then we have truly submitted our will, and flesh to the Father.

Romans 6:19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Niv)

1 Thes. 4:3-4 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; [4] that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is Holy and honorable, (Niv)

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

(Collectively what would God's wisdom, psalms, hymns and songs be called?)

We have the written word today; in the day that Paul was formulating this letter to the Corinthians they had only the spoken word. The problem was still the same, carnal man must through faith, allow the truth of the word to move from his mind to his heart, the center of our being, symbolized by the heart. The heart is the home of attitudes, either Godly or rebellious.

2 Cor. 3:3 . . . that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

John 16:13-14 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. [14] "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, [Jesus] and shall disclose it to you.

To move from the carnal minded person to the Spirit filled, mature Christian, requires time in the Word, in prayer and in worship. Christian maturity and godly reactions to situations is not the product of time as with the physical body. Dr. Gottier states on pg. 98 "We have had it drilled into us so many times always to trust the reasonable, the sensible, that we find that placing full confidence in revealed knowledge, stretches our faith to the very limits." This is clearly illustrated in Peter's walk on the water.

Matthew 14:26-31 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. [27] But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." [28] And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." [29] And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [30] But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" [31] And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Satan's most fundamental trick is to get us to trust our own reason, strength, and effort (carnality), in virtually every situation.

Most churches view sin with a list of do's and don'ts, and label the each fleshly act as sin. Not doing those dirty deeds assures one of salvation. This seems reasonable and enables people to feel good about accomplishing righteous living in their own strength and effort, but it is not scriptural.

John 16:8-9 "And He, when He [The Holy Spirit] comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; [9] concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me."

There is a group that has gone down another road and teaches faith as a power and force available to Christians and non-Christians alike. The faith that we are interested in is "saving faith," an absolute reliance on the finished work of Christ to empower us to live godly lives in His righteousness, not by our own power. Sin is always the result of unbelief: Romans 14:23 b . . . and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Yet this new attitude (righteousness) cannot come from our own self-effort. Scripture is adamant that we have no righteousness of our own. Philip. 3:9 and may (I) be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Galatians 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by FAITH."

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.

Here is another path that some have traveled: because we are justified by faith, they ignore God's laws and live like the devil. God's laws, principles and commandments are unchangeable, and are still the laws of the kingdom to which we must adhere.

One of the enemy's favorite tricks is to muddle clear Biblical teachings. While many denominations teach the baptism of the Holy Spirit, many have misconstrued the when and how!

Until the cross of Christ, men had no hope of the indwelling power or person of the Holy Spirit. Luke 3:16 John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

In this passage Jesus is speaking to His disciples (believers) before the cross, or their purification, by His work on the cross. John 14:17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.

John 17:21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father--that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. [NLT]

Satan will make every effort to insure that we stay focused upon the rational knowledge, ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit within. Satanic influence, couple with years of depending upon our five senses, offers the most plain path to solutions. Thus a person who refuses the correction of the Holy Spirit, can remain double minded, he is as fluid as the waves on the ocean, "seeking revelation results by rational means." (Pg. 99)

The Problem Illustrated.

We have already touched on some aspects of the passage in Matthew 14:24-32. This is a clear illustration of the dualism of the carnal man and would be worth revisiting.

Matthew 14:24-32 But the boat was already many stadia away from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. [25] And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. [26] And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. [27] But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." [28] And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." [29] And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [30] But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" [31] And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" [32] And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped.


Jesus, reveals this disparity between revealed knowledge an rational knowledge, in Matthew 16:1-4 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Him asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. [2] But He answered and said to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' [3] "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? [4] "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them, and went away.

A sign is in the realm of sense knowledge, and they wanted to see a violation of physical laws. Jesus never performed a miracle for the sake of displaying the miraculous.

In this harangue by some of the religious leaders, in verse 29, Jesus rejects an attempt to understand the kingdom of God through the natural senses.

Matthew 22:23-32 On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Him and questioned Him, [24] saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up an offspring to his brother.' [25] "Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother; [26] so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. [27] "And last of all, the woman died. [28] "In the resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be? For they all had her." [29] But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God. [30] "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. [31] "But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, [32] 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

In the Mark account of Jesus walking on water, writing after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, shows great spiritual insight on how stubbornly we cling to rational, sensory understanding. These fellows had just witnessed Jesus' feeding of the five thousand, and now when they encounter Him walking on the water they were astonished.

Mark 6:49-52 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; [50] for they all saw Him and were frightened. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid." [51] And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished, [52] for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

Dr. Gottier points out on pg. 103 that "when the mind is fixed on rational knowledge all of the time, observing one miracle, won't help you to understand the next one. The carnal mind simply is not set on the spirit, but it is set on the flesh."

In this next passage, as the Pharisees criticize Jesus' disciples for not following ceremonial practice of washing their hands before they eat, Jesus responds giving us important understanding in relation to the carnal mind.

Mark 7:5-9 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" [6] And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. [7] 'But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' [8] "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." [9] He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

The book of Acts, as well as the Epistles, speaks well of Peter as a mature Christian leader. These next few passages deal with the fleshly, carnal Peter (Simon Barjona).

Matthew 16:13-17 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" [14] And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." [15] He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17] And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."

So Peter's mind is functioning in the spiritual realm. But now look at the next passage, which happened as little as a few minutes later.

Matthew 16:21-23 From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. [22] And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." [23] But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

To further illustrate Peters change from carnality to a Spirit filled Christian; think of Peter, when our Lord was taken. A young girl accused him of being one of the disciples, at which juncture; Peter began to deny he was one and to prove it began to curse. After Pentecost we see a different Peter. Jailed for public witnessing, an angel frees Peter and his companion. Instead of running away and hiding, the following morning we find them back in the temple courts witnessing. Brought before the authorities again in Acts 5:28-30 we find the leaders saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." [29] But Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We must obey God rather than men. [30] "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.

The born again man, with the Holy Spirit of God indwelling him, now has the possibility of close fellowship with the Father, counseled by the Holy Spirit, empowered to live a life pleasing to God.

As we have seen, the now carnal man has serious challenges ahead if He is to mature into an over-comer. He has the voice of the Spirit communicating with the human spirit, speaking to the mind, but will the mind listen? It has been programmed since natural birth to respond to the five senses, and now, with an increased intensity, satanic deception will occur. The very question that Paul asked, in his diatribe, in Romans, "Who shall deliver me from this body of living death?"

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