Romans 8:6
To be of a carnal mind brings on death; while life and peace are found in being spiritually minded. In light of the end results that each mindset brings, it would be a wise thing to understand what it means to be carnally minded and to be spiritually minded.
Carnality is often viewed as things that are sinful. People declare certain movies or music to be carnal or dressing inappropriately or cursing to be things of a “carnal nature”. If this definition is correct then carnal minded must be sinful thinking. What would constitute sinful thinking? That is a little tougher to answer than it is to ask. Thank God the Bible tells us what carnality is so that all of this is cleared up.
Paul addressed the church at Corinth with some heavy instruction due to some of the things that they were doing. This church had an incestuous fornicator in their midst (5:1); they were getting drunk on communion wine (11:21); they were suing one another in court (6:1); they were sleeping with temple harlots (6:16) and they were abusing the gifts of the Spirit in worship services (chapter 14). In light of all of this, Paul never evoked the power of the Law to get them to live right, but rather reminded them of their righteousness in Christ and said, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not” (1 Corinthians 15:34).
Before any of these other things were mentioned, Paul called the Corinthian church “carnal”, but it was for none of these sins that he referred to them this way. Their carnality was wrapped up in their identification. “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:4). It was for identifying themselves through any other means than as God’s righteousness that Paul called them carnal. He never said it over their lawsuits, their fornication or their drunkenness, but he said it over their divisions.
For the believer to see themselves through any other lens than the finished work of Jesus Christ is to be carnally minded. To face your trials and troubles and your sins and failures as if the cross never happened is to be carnally minded. To lean upon the arm of the flesh, trusting in your reading, praying, fasting, giving and going to bring you life and peace is to be carnally minded. Carnal minded Christians are never at peace, because they never have a sense of fulfillment that is found only through the cross of Christ.
To think with a carnal mind is to ignore the finished work of Jesus and place yourself under the judgment of God. This way of thinking is an enemy of God (Romans 8:7), incapable of producing righteousness. To walk in this way of thinking is to live according to your talents and abilities, with little or no regard as to who you really are in Christ. It is impossible to be pleasing to God in this state, and you will see no “life and peace”.
This does not mean that you are backslidden from God and that you are going to go to hell because you have leaned on the arm of the flesh. You do not lose relationship with God, even though you go about your Christian walk by your works. You DO however hinder fellowship with God when you trust your works for righteousness. He loves you just the same, but thinking that you have to earn His love will only lead to frustration and separation, neither of which are God’s will for your life. Jesus has paid for you to have no condemnation. Think this way and live in life and peace!
To be of a carnal mind brings on death; while life and peace are found in being spiritually minded. In light of the end results that each mindset brings, it would be a wise thing to understand what it means to be carnally minded and to be spiritually minded.
Carnality is often viewed as things that are sinful. People declare certain movies or music to be carnal or dressing inappropriately or cursing to be things of a “carnal nature”. If this definition is correct then carnal minded must be sinful thinking. What would constitute sinful thinking? That is a little tougher to answer than it is to ask. Thank God the Bible tells us what carnality is so that all of this is cleared up.
Paul addressed the church at Corinth with some heavy instruction due to some of the things that they were doing. This church had an incestuous fornicator in their midst (5:1); they were getting drunk on communion wine (11:21); they were suing one another in court (6:1); they were sleeping with temple harlots (6:16) and they were abusing the gifts of the Spirit in worship services (chapter 14). In light of all of this, Paul never evoked the power of the Law to get them to live right, but rather reminded them of their righteousness in Christ and said, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not” (1 Corinthians 15:34).
Before any of these other things were mentioned, Paul called the Corinthian church “carnal”, but it was for none of these sins that he referred to them this way. Their carnality was wrapped up in their identification. “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:4). It was for identifying themselves through any other means than as God’s righteousness that Paul called them carnal. He never said it over their lawsuits, their fornication or their drunkenness, but he said it over their divisions.
For the believer to see themselves through any other lens than the finished work of Jesus Christ is to be carnally minded. To face your trials and troubles and your sins and failures as if the cross never happened is to be carnally minded. To lean upon the arm of the flesh, trusting in your reading, praying, fasting, giving and going to bring you life and peace is to be carnally minded. Carnal minded Christians are never at peace, because they never have a sense of fulfillment that is found only through the cross of Christ.
To think with a carnal mind is to ignore the finished work of Jesus and place yourself under the judgment of God. This way of thinking is an enemy of God (Romans 8:7), incapable of producing righteousness. To walk in this way of thinking is to live according to your talents and abilities, with little or no regard as to who you really are in Christ. It is impossible to be pleasing to God in this state, and you will see no “life and peace”.
This does not mean that you are backslidden from God and that you are going to go to hell because you have leaned on the arm of the flesh. You do not lose relationship with God, even though you go about your Christian walk by your works. You DO however hinder fellowship with God when you trust your works for righteousness. He loves you just the same, but thinking that you have to earn His love will only lead to frustration and separation, neither of which are God’s will for your life. Jesus has paid for you to have no condemnation. Think this way and live in life and peace!
