It’s All in Your Mind

j ] ] (i}Juzp1u- 7 g1u (qa,.naf Jllind "(ltw- 1i,. ~ ttunnlly, mJ.n.ded u dt.alh... " Romans 8:6a The Bible describes three types of human beings. First, the Bible designates a group called the natural man. The Bible describes the natural man as one who has not accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He has one nature; it is the nature of Adam. The natural man has never been touched by the grace of God. First Corinthians 2:llf. reads, "(!Jul IJu. n.alum1 mo.n llllWdJ,, ""'- /Ju IJwuµ "'- IJu. Jpi,i1 o/. (i}.od: ""- lJuv, till ~ unlo- hi.nt. ,,, The second group the Bible designates is believers who are identified as carnal Christians. In order to realize this biblical term, we need to tum to 1 Corinthians 3. Certainly the book of 1 Corinthians was written to believers, but notice chapter three verse one. "ofn.d ;J., b.nlltun, «JU1.d n1'i J.IUD_k un1J,. IJ-8a tu unlo- l.pi.ri1mJ, 1ml. ill unlo- to..m.JJL..." So the Bible describes a group called brethren, believers, but designates them as carnal. The carnal believer is born again. He has the spiritual resources he needs at his command, but he minds the things of the flesh. He is concerned and dominated by what we call the carnal or fleshly mind. A believer never reverts to the natural man again, but he can live outwardly by the domination of the flesh. The third group the Bible designates is obvious. A person in this group is called a spiritual believer. He is born again; he has all the positions of the carnal believer, but his life is surrendered, controlled, and dominated by the Holy Spirit Who indwells him. Are you a miserable Christian? Are you a confused Christian? Are you a Christian with mental anguish? Romans 8:1 says, "gJuu it I.Juu/Dn n.JJm. m,. llJ~ 1.J,. IJum. mhiJt fill in eJurm (fenu, wlu,. uudk nol a/hr- tlu I/nit, 1ml a/fu. IJu dp.UiL" There is some controversy about this verse. My personal conviction is that it has a two-fold meaning. First, it shows me my position in Christ. There is no condemnation to them that know Christ Jesus as Savior. The carnal Christian has the same position as the spiritual Christian. He cannot be condemned by God. But second, the verse possibly speaks of the miserableness of some Christians. "There is therefore no [miserableness} to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but walk after the spirit." True, the word flesh refers to the body, but the verse does not say, "walk after the natural man." A carnal Christian will be miserable and this is proof 29