Someone asked the question, what is the difference
between the spiritual and the carnal? Paul is
talking about the spiritual. He's talking about
the carnal. Let me read it, please. In 1 Corinthians,
the third chapter. The first verse. And I, brethren.
Now, first of all. I want you to see that he
is addressing them as brethren. He would not
have addressed them as brethren if he was not
talking to those who were Christians. Only those
who are born again, born into the body of Christ,
are our brethren. We have no right to address
someone as my brother in the Lord. If that one
has never been born again, there is no spiritual
relationship between the two of us. So I know
immediately that when Paul addresses them as
brethren, that both the carnal and the spiritual
are born again. Now, let us continue. And I,
brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,
but as unto babes in Christ, whatever he's going
to write. Remember, he's writing to them as brethren,
those who are his fellow believers, but who are
babes, just babes. Now, Babies are lovely. Oh,
babies are the cutest thing. But is there anything
more disgusting, let me ask you, than to see
a youngster walking around a full head of hair
and carrying a bottle and every once in a while
he's taking a drink of milk from the bottle and
he has a nipple in his mouth. There's nothing
more disgusting. Just imagine a three -year -old
youngster walking around, still a baby on a bottle.
A five -year -old youngster, still on a bottle.
Is there anything more disgusting than that?
And yet, in the spiritual family, there are men
and women, born again, all... three years, four
years, five years, some having been Christians
ten years, and they're still bottle -fed. It's
just like that. And I, brethren, could not speak
unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto babes
in Christ. I have fed you with milk. In other
words, you're... Still on the bottle. And not
with meat. I haven't been able to feed you. With
good steaks and mashed potatoes and gravy. Why?
For here too ye were not able to bear it. Neither
yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal. Get
it? I'm giving you the word of God. For whereas
there is among you ending and strife and divisions,
are ye not carnal and walk as men? Sure you've
been born again. Sure you're in the body of Christ.
But you're not spiritual. You're carnal. You
steal. Not strong enough to take the real meat
of the word. Nothing stronger than just milk.
And you walk as men. You walk as those who've
never been born again. There's envy. There's
jealousy in your heart. You're critical. You're
backbiting. You're finding fault. You cause disturbances.
You're not spiritual. Another one in the Great
Open Forum asked the question, what is the difference
between the spiritual and the carnal? What was
the difference? You know, I want to turn to one
of the most beautiful things in the New Testament,
the analysis of personality. that came from Paul's
pen when he was writing to the Thessalonians.
Paul certainly understood men and human nature.
And I'm going to read you one verse of scripture
that to my way of thinking are some of the most
beautiful words that Paul ever wrote. 1 Thessalonians,
the fifth chapter, the 23rd verse. I want you
to mark it in your Bible. Even as I read it,
there will be those who will have no understanding
whatsoever. Because you're carnal now. You'll
remain carnal. You'll never understand. what
it means to be spiritual, deeply spiritual. And
to the very last hour that you live, Paul will
say unto you, I could not speak unto you as spiritual,
but as carnal. And the very God of peace. Sanctify
you wholly. W -H -O -L -L -Y. It means completely.
All of you being immersed. Completely sanctified
unto God. I'm talking to Christians who will
live and die, never having known the fullness
of that which Paul was talking about. And the
very God of peace, Paul's right there. When you
have experienced that one... wonderful state
of knowing that you have surrendered unto him
body, soul, and spirit, everything. You have
withheld nothing from him, absolutely nothing.
There will be peace of mind and peace of soul.
It'll not make any difference to you how the
enemy of your soul may accuse you. Circumstances
will have nothing to do with that wonderful peace
that he gives you. It isn't a peace that the
world can give. It isn't a peace that any man
can give. It isn't a peace or a satisfaction
or a security that wealth gives you. It's a different
kind of peace. It's a different kind of security.
It's something that comes from the very God of
peace. You can lie down at night, regardless
of what has happened during the day, and before
your eyes close in sleep, there's a... Peace
that completely immerses you. You can awaken
in the middle of the night, regardless of circumstances
or the happenings of the past day. You may even
face a very trying tomorrow. But through it all,
the very god of peace. will give you his peace.
Peace not only of soul, but peace of mind. Why?
Because he has sanctified you whole. And you
have been sanctified wholly, completely, because
you have yielded unto him everything. the soul
and spirit. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Do you really know what I'm talking about? Do
you really know what Paul was writing when he
wrote those words to the Thessalonians? He knew.
There was a reason why God entrusted to Paul
some of the greatest spiritual truths that he
has ever entrusted to any human being. So great
was the knowledge that God gave to Paul that
there were some things that Paul never wrote.
There were things that God gave to Paul. that
he never spoke of. They were so precious, and
he knew it would almost be like casting pearls
before swine were he to give them to just anyone.
They were sacred. And God is not promiscuous
in his giving. Always know that. God is very
careful to whom he gives certain gifts. He's
never promiscuous in his giving. He knows those
that he can trust. And there's always a price
to be paid for anything that we receive from
him. Gifts are cheap that come cheap. Blessings
are cheap that come cheap. But the greater the
price that we pay for a blessing, the more priceless
is that blessing to us. Things don't just happen
with God. Paul knew the price that he had paid.
for the spirituals. He knew. He understood. But
he also knew that in paying the price, the God
of all peace had given him the most priceless
thing in the world, peace of mind and peace of
soul. But he didn't stop there. And you and I
are not to stop there. God of peace, sanctify
you wholly. And I pray, God, your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I still
contend, my friend, that the most beautiful words
that ever left Paul's pen were the words that
I've just read to you. I've just read one of
the most wonderful things in the New Testament,
the analysis of personality that came from Paul's
pen when he was writing to the Thessalonians.
He understood human nature perfectly. Man is
a trinity. You are a trinity. I do not care who
you are, rich or poor. I don't care nationality,
color. Remember, if you have had that physical
birth, if you are a part of humanity, you...
are a trinity body soul and spirit you are not
just body and soul you are body soul and spirit
and paul continues by saying and i pray god that
your whole spirit just a part of your spirit
not just two -thirds of your spirit but to your
whole spirit be preserved blameless under the
coming of our lord jesus christ does he stop
there no i pray god that your whole soul not
just a part but all that there is of your soul
shall be preserved blameless unto the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray God, your whole
body. Now it's coming to where it hurts. Now
it's coming to where man really has to pay the
price for anything that affects the body. hurts
most. That's the reason I've seen it over and
over again. Where when we come to this thing
of even fasting, oh, it sounds good. It sounds
easy. And every man wants the result of having
fasted. But when it comes right down to fasting,
Many a man would rather put $10 in the offering
plate than to do without three meals a day. It
kills him. He looks up and said, well, dear Lord,
I can't possibly. How can I do without my breakfast?
How can I do without my lunch? It'll kill me.
You ask too much when you ask me to do without
my dinner. How can I possibly fast for a day?
And he'll proposition God and say, just between
the two of us, wouldn't it be much better if
I put $10 in the offering plate and let me eat?
Uh -huh. Why? Because the flesh and the satisfying
of the flesh is the most important thing to him.
I can prove that in our miracle services. Oh,
sure. The thousands come by the loaves and the
fishes. It's the body. And yet you've heard me
say over and over and over again, there's something
far more important than the healing of the body.
There's something far more important than the
flesh. Because, you see, the body is only temporal.
Oh, I do thrill. And believe me, I'm not underestimating
the healing of cancer, the healing of the body.
I stand there just as thrilled as the one who
is healed, whose body has been healed. I'm thrilled
as thrilled and as thankful to God as to any
person in the whole world. But what I'm trying
to say is... The body is still temporal. And
you can well afford to go through life with a
sick body, but you cannot afford to go through
life without the spiritual healing. And the spiritual
is far more important than the physical healing.
But Paul is saying something. I pray to God that
your whole body Body, soul, and spirit. Be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Have you ever surrendered that
whole body? I'm talking about the physical. Oh,
sure you surrender to him your spirit. your soul.
But remember, it was also Paul who said, it's
the most reasonable thing in the world for you
to present your body unto him as a living sacrifice.
And you'll still be in the carnal state. and
you never will reach the spirituals until you
surrender unto him, body, soul, and spirit.