WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.399 Someone asked the question, what is the difference 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:10.140 between the spiritual and the carnal? Paul is 00:00:10.140 --> 00:00:15.580 talking about the spiritual. He's talking about 00:00:15.580 --> 00:00:19.699 the carnal. Let me read it, please. In 1 Corinthians, 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:25.780 the third chapter. The first verse. And I, brethren. 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:30.210 Now, first of all. I want you to see that he 00:00:30.210 --> 00:00:36.070 is addressing them as brethren. He would not 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:39.750 have addressed them as brethren if he was not 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:44.049 talking to those who were Christians. Only those 00:00:44.049 --> 00:00:47.829 who are born again, born into the body of Christ, 00:00:47.909 --> 00:00:52.429 are our brethren. We have no right to address 00:00:52.429 --> 00:00:56.640 someone as my brother in the Lord. If that one 00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:00.799 has never been born again, there is no spiritual 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.719 relationship between the two of us. So I know 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:09.500 immediately that when Paul addresses them as 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:16.079 brethren, that both the carnal and the spiritual 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:24.159 are born again. Now, let us continue. And I, 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:29.420 brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:36.079 but as unto babes in Christ, whatever he's going 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:41.700 to write. Remember, he's writing to them as brethren, 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:47.140 those who are his fellow believers, but who are 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:56.579 babes, just babes. Now, Babies are lovely. Oh, 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.920 babies are the cutest thing. But is there anything 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:05.379 more disgusting, let me ask you, than to see 00:02:05.379 --> 00:02:10.740 a youngster walking around a full head of hair 00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:16.759 and carrying a bottle and every once in a while 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:22.599 he's taking a drink of milk from the bottle and 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.169 he has a nipple in his mouth. There's nothing 00:02:25.169 --> 00:02:29.870 more disgusting. Just imagine a three -year -old 00:02:29.870 --> 00:02:33.430 youngster walking around, still a baby on a bottle. 00:02:34.189 --> 00:02:38.389 A five -year -old youngster, still on a bottle. 00:02:39.810 --> 00:02:42.330 Is there anything more disgusting than that? 00:02:42.389 --> 00:02:47.490 And yet, in the spiritual family, there are men 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:53.210 and women, born again, all... three years, four 00:02:53.210 --> 00:02:56.949 years, five years, some having been Christians 00:02:56.949 --> 00:03:03.310 ten years, and they're still bottle -fed. It's 00:03:03.310 --> 00:03:09.009 just like that. And I, brethren, could not speak 00:03:09.009 --> 00:03:13.650 unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto babes 00:03:13.650 --> 00:03:19.849 in Christ. I have fed you with milk. In other 00:03:19.849 --> 00:03:24.199 words, you're... Still on the bottle. And not 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:28.580 with meat. I haven't been able to feed you. With 00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:33.680 good steaks and mashed potatoes and gravy. Why? 00:03:34.819 --> 00:03:40.319 For here too ye were not able to bear it. Neither 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:48.620 yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal. Get 00:03:48.620 --> 00:03:51.439 it? I'm giving you the word of God. For whereas 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:55.080 there is among you ending and strife and divisions, 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:01.400 are ye not carnal and walk as men? Sure you've 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:05.180 been born again. Sure you're in the body of Christ. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:13.740 But you're not spiritual. You're carnal. You 00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:18.480 steal. Not strong enough to take the real meat 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:22.680 of the word. Nothing stronger than just milk. 00:04:23.720 --> 00:04:29.459 And you walk as men. You walk as those who've 00:04:29.459 --> 00:04:34.339 never been born again. There's envy. There's 00:04:34.339 --> 00:04:39.639 jealousy in your heart. You're critical. You're 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:45.399 backbiting. You're finding fault. You cause disturbances. 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:51.709 You're not spiritual. Another one in the Great 00:04:51.709 --> 00:04:56.769 Open Forum asked the question, what is the difference 00:04:56.769 --> 00:05:06.189 between the spiritual and the carnal? What was 00:05:06.189 --> 00:05:13.970 the difference? You know, I want to turn to one 00:05:13.970 --> 00:05:16.709 of the most beautiful things in the New Testament, 00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:21.860 the analysis of personality. that came from Paul's 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:25.600 pen when he was writing to the Thessalonians. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:31.839 Paul certainly understood men and human nature. 00:05:33.180 --> 00:05:36.060 And I'm going to read you one verse of scripture 00:05:36.060 --> 00:05:41.120 that to my way of thinking are some of the most 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:50.290 beautiful words that Paul ever wrote. 1 Thessalonians, 00:05:50.329 --> 00:05:57.990 the fifth chapter, the 23rd verse. I want you 00:05:57.990 --> 00:06:02.629 to mark it in your Bible. Even as I read it, 00:06:02.750 --> 00:06:06.149 there will be those who will have no understanding 00:06:06.149 --> 00:06:13.490 whatsoever. Because you're carnal now. You'll 00:06:13.490 --> 00:06:19.000 remain carnal. You'll never understand. what 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:26.939 it means to be spiritual, deeply spiritual. And 00:06:26.939 --> 00:06:30.920 to the very last hour that you live, Paul will 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:35.699 say unto you, I could not speak unto you as spiritual, 00:06:36.019 --> 00:06:49.050 but as carnal. And the very God of peace. Sanctify 00:06:49.050 --> 00:06:59.709 you wholly. W -H -O -L -L -Y. It means completely. 00:07:00.949 --> 00:07:10.569 All of you being immersed. Completely sanctified 00:07:10.569 --> 00:07:18.000 unto God. I'm talking to Christians who will 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:25.439 live and die, never having known the fullness 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:32.160 of that which Paul was talking about. And the 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:39.639 very God of peace, Paul's right there. When you 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:45.589 have experienced that one... wonderful state 00:07:45.589 --> 00:07:52.189 of knowing that you have surrendered unto him 00:07:52.189 --> 00:07:58.449 body, soul, and spirit, everything. You have 00:07:58.449 --> 00:08:01.930 withheld nothing from him, absolutely nothing. 00:08:03.589 --> 00:08:10.290 There will be peace of mind and peace of soul. 00:08:12.490 --> 00:08:16.110 It'll not make any difference to you how the 00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:20.910 enemy of your soul may accuse you. Circumstances 00:08:20.910 --> 00:08:26.509 will have nothing to do with that wonderful peace 00:08:26.509 --> 00:08:30.149 that he gives you. It isn't a peace that the 00:08:30.149 --> 00:08:33.169 world can give. It isn't a peace that any man 00:08:33.169 --> 00:08:37.909 can give. It isn't a peace or a satisfaction 00:08:37.909 --> 00:08:44.159 or a security that wealth gives you. It's a different 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:48.279 kind of peace. It's a different kind of security. 00:08:49.500 --> 00:08:56.159 It's something that comes from the very God of 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:02.019 peace. You can lie down at night, regardless 00:09:02.019 --> 00:09:06.100 of what has happened during the day, and before 00:09:06.100 --> 00:09:11.490 your eyes close in sleep, there's a... Peace 00:09:11.490 --> 00:09:16.809 that completely immerses you. You can awaken 00:09:16.809 --> 00:09:20.950 in the middle of the night, regardless of circumstances 00:09:20.950 --> 00:09:28.169 or the happenings of the past day. You may even 00:09:28.169 --> 00:09:33.070 face a very trying tomorrow. But through it all, 00:09:33.350 --> 00:09:41.419 the very god of peace. will give you his peace. 00:09:41.820 --> 00:09:48.179 Peace not only of soul, but peace of mind. Why? 00:09:50.179 --> 00:09:59.559 Because he has sanctified you whole. And you 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:03.720 have been sanctified wholly, completely, because 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:11.059 you have yielded unto him everything. the soul 00:10:11.059 --> 00:10:16.840 and spirit. Do you know what I'm talking about? 00:10:18.220 --> 00:10:24.679 Do you really know what I'm talking about? Do 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:30.879 you really know what Paul was writing when he 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:35.820 wrote those words to the Thessalonians? He knew. 00:10:38.059 --> 00:10:41.860 There was a reason why God entrusted to Paul 00:10:41.860 --> 00:10:46.799 some of the greatest spiritual truths that he 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:52.659 has ever entrusted to any human being. So great 00:10:52.659 --> 00:10:57.360 was the knowledge that God gave to Paul that 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:00.799 there were some things that Paul never wrote. 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:08.370 There were things that God gave to Paul. that 00:11:08.370 --> 00:11:13.789 he never spoke of. They were so precious, and 00:11:13.789 --> 00:11:17.950 he knew it would almost be like casting pearls 00:11:17.950 --> 00:11:22.250 before swine were he to give them to just anyone. 00:11:23.070 --> 00:11:29.070 They were sacred. And God is not promiscuous 00:11:29.070 --> 00:11:34.750 in his giving. Always know that. God is very 00:11:34.750 --> 00:11:42.769 careful to whom he gives certain gifts. He's 00:11:42.769 --> 00:11:49.610 never promiscuous in his giving. He knows those 00:11:49.610 --> 00:11:54.870 that he can trust. And there's always a price 00:11:54.870 --> 00:12:00.309 to be paid for anything that we receive from 00:12:00.309 --> 00:12:10.559 him. Gifts are cheap that come cheap. Blessings 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:16.039 are cheap that come cheap. But the greater the 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:19.740 price that we pay for a blessing, the more priceless 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:24.740 is that blessing to us. Things don't just happen 00:12:24.740 --> 00:12:31.399 with God. Paul knew the price that he had paid. 00:12:32.429 --> 00:12:39.950 for the spirituals. He knew. He understood. But 00:12:39.950 --> 00:12:43.450 he also knew that in paying the price, the God 00:12:43.450 --> 00:12:47.389 of all peace had given him the most priceless 00:12:47.389 --> 00:12:50.190 thing in the world, peace of mind and peace of 00:12:50.190 --> 00:12:56.990 soul. But he didn't stop there. And you and I 00:12:56.990 --> 00:13:05.710 are not to stop there. God of peace, sanctify 00:13:05.710 --> 00:13:17.570 you wholly. And I pray, God, your whole spirit 00:13:17.570 --> 00:13:27.509 and soul and body be preserved blameless unto 00:13:27.509 --> 00:13:34.460 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I still 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:40.179 contend, my friend, that the most beautiful words 00:13:40.179 --> 00:13:45.600 that ever left Paul's pen were the words that 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:49.860 I've just read to you. I've just read one of 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:52.139 the most wonderful things in the New Testament, 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:57.919 the analysis of personality that came from Paul's 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:01.179 pen when he was writing to the Thessalonians. 00:14:02.509 --> 00:14:09.549 He understood human nature perfectly. Man is 00:14:09.549 --> 00:14:13.590 a trinity. You are a trinity. I do not care who 00:14:13.590 --> 00:14:19.230 you are, rich or poor. I don't care nationality, 00:14:19.289 --> 00:14:25.850 color. Remember, if you have had that physical 00:14:25.850 --> 00:14:31.570 birth, if you are a part of humanity, you... 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:39.539 are a trinity body soul and spirit you are not 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:49.419 just body and soul you are body soul and spirit 00:14:49.419 --> 00:14:58.019 and paul continues by saying and i pray god that 00:14:58.019 --> 00:15:02.809 your whole spirit just a part of your spirit 00:15:02.809 --> 00:15:08.470 not just two -thirds of your spirit but to your 00:15:08.470 --> 00:15:14.309 whole spirit be preserved blameless under the 00:15:14.309 --> 00:15:17.169 coming of our lord jesus christ does he stop 00:15:17.169 --> 00:15:24.049 there no i pray god that your whole soul not 00:15:24.049 --> 00:15:29.049 just a part but all that there is of your soul 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:33.679 shall be preserved blameless unto the coming 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:39.379 of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray God, your whole 00:15:39.379 --> 00:15:47.159 body. Now it's coming to where it hurts. Now 00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:52.659 it's coming to where man really has to pay the 00:15:52.659 --> 00:15:59.240 price for anything that affects the body. hurts 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:03.639 most. That's the reason I've seen it over and 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:06.480 over again. Where when we come to this thing 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:12.320 of even fasting, oh, it sounds good. It sounds 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:19.159 easy. And every man wants the result of having 00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:25.080 fasted. But when it comes right down to fasting, 00:16:25.610 --> 00:16:29.250 Many a man would rather put $10 in the offering 00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:35.450 plate than to do without three meals a day. It 00:16:35.450 --> 00:16:39.090 kills him. He looks up and said, well, dear Lord, 00:16:39.169 --> 00:16:41.990 I can't possibly. How can I do without my breakfast? 00:16:42.110 --> 00:16:45.409 How can I do without my lunch? It'll kill me. 00:16:47.250 --> 00:16:53.129 You ask too much when you ask me to do without 00:16:53.129 --> 00:16:59.090 my dinner. How can I possibly fast for a day? 00:17:00.769 --> 00:17:04.589 And he'll proposition God and say, just between 00:17:04.589 --> 00:17:07.369 the two of us, wouldn't it be much better if 00:17:07.369 --> 00:17:10.829 I put $10 in the offering plate and let me eat? 00:17:13.809 --> 00:17:19.549 Uh -huh. Why? Because the flesh and the satisfying 00:17:19.549 --> 00:17:23.529 of the flesh is the most important thing to him. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:30.920 I can prove that in our miracle services. Oh, 00:17:31.099 --> 00:17:35.640 sure. The thousands come by the loaves and the 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:39.519 fishes. It's the body. And yet you've heard me 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.859 say over and over and over again, there's something 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:45.740 far more important than the healing of the body. 00:17:46.220 --> 00:17:49.859 There's something far more important than the 00:17:49.859 --> 00:17:55.369 flesh. Because, you see, the body is only temporal. 00:17:56.609 --> 00:18:02.390 Oh, I do thrill. And believe me, I'm not underestimating 00:18:02.390 --> 00:18:05.910 the healing of cancer, the healing of the body. 00:18:06.049 --> 00:18:09.450 I stand there just as thrilled as the one who 00:18:09.450 --> 00:18:13.950 is healed, whose body has been healed. I'm thrilled 00:18:13.950 --> 00:18:16.309 as thrilled and as thankful to God as to any 00:18:16.309 --> 00:18:18.089 person in the whole world. But what I'm trying 00:18:18.089 --> 00:18:23.410 to say is... The body is still temporal. And 00:18:23.410 --> 00:18:25.910 you can well afford to go through life with a 00:18:25.910 --> 00:18:28.849 sick body, but you cannot afford to go through 00:18:28.849 --> 00:18:32.609 life without the spiritual healing. And the spiritual 00:18:32.609 --> 00:18:37.250 is far more important than the physical healing. 00:18:38.990 --> 00:18:44.529 But Paul is saying something. I pray to God that 00:18:44.529 --> 00:18:55.390 your whole body Body, soul, and spirit. Be preserved 00:18:55.390 --> 00:18:58.329 blameless unto the coming of our Lord and Savior, 00:18:58.390 --> 00:19:07.069 Jesus Christ. Have you ever surrendered that 00:19:07.069 --> 00:19:12.549 whole body? I'm talking about the physical. Oh, 00:19:12.549 --> 00:19:18.720 sure you surrender to him your spirit. your soul. 00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:24.900 But remember, it was also Paul who said, it's 00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:30.039 the most reasonable thing in the world for you 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:37.759 to present your body unto him as a living sacrifice. 00:19:40.180 --> 00:19:46.299 And you'll still be in the carnal state. and 00:19:46.299 --> 00:19:50.000 you never will reach the spirituals until you 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:55.180 surrender unto him, body, soul, and spirit.