1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. (2) I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; (3) for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (4) For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?”
The third characteristic that identifies baby believers is the way in which they behave. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul refers to babes in Christ as being carnal. So what does Paul mean by that statement? The bible refers to the unsaved as being carnal, for in this passage Paul tells the church at Corinth that they are behaving like mere men, referring to those who are unsaved. The unsaved are spiritually dead people and thus walk according to the course of this world (Ephesians 2:2). And so we see that to be carnal is to walk according to the course of this world, i.e. to behave in the same manner that this world behaves. When we are born again we become partakers of the divine nature of God our Father (2 Peter 1:4), nevertheless we are born again as spiritual babes and thus still spiritually weak. Not only that, but we are also still carnal in our thinking because we still think as this world thinks. It is for that reason that the bible admonishes us to renew our minds and thus change our way of thinking to fall in line with God’s word (Romans 12:2). And so because the spirits of baby Christians are still weak, they have not yet grown to the point where they can start displaying the fruit of the spirit, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Instead, Paul informs us in this passage that babes in Christ display the carnal behaviour of this world by continuing to walk in envy, strife and divisions.
Romans 7:14-25 “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. (15) For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. (16) If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. (17) But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. (19) For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. (20) Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (21) I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. (22) For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (25) I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul describes his experience as a baby Christian. As a new-born believer he wanted to do that which was pleasing to God, but found himself doing the exact opposite and he couldn’t understand why. The Lord then revealed to Paul that even though his spirit was born again and he now delighted in the law of God according to his inward man, the body that he lived in was still sinful in nature. And because he was still spiritually weak, his sinful flesh was still dominating the way he behaved. And so instead of walking in love, Paul found himself still losing his temper for example. In his frustration, he cried out to God to deliver him from his body of sin and death. The Lord then revealed to Paul that it is through faith in the transforming power of Christ in us, that enables us grow strong in spirit and thus overcome sin in the flesh by walking in the spirit (Romans 8:1). And so we see that because their flesh still dominates them, baby believers struggle to overcome sin in the flesh and thus continue to display the same behaviour that this world displays.
Galatians 5:16-23 “I say then: Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, (21) envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul explains the two options available to the believer in which they can walk. They can either walk in the spirit or they can walk in the flesh. Paul shows us in this passage that the spirit of the believer and the flesh of the believer are completely against each other. He then goes on to describe the nature of the flesh by listing the various works of the flesh, and he contrasts this by listing the nine fruits of the spirit. But I want you to notice that he lists the nature of our born-again spirit as fruit. Fruit does not grow overnight, but rather it takes time and nurturing for fruit to be produced. And so it is only once our spirits start to develop and mature, that the fruit of our spirits will start to be made manifest in our lives. Therefore all new born believers continue to display the nature of the flesh while their spirits are still relatively weak.
1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit through the apostle Peter confirms the same truth to us that He revealed through the apostle Paul, i.e. that our flesh lusts against our spirits. In this passage the translators have used the word soul instead of spirit, but the same word translated soul can also be translated spirit. Nevertheless the point remains clear, that the spirit and flesh of the born-again believer are contrary to each other, and Peter admonishes the saints to abstain from fleshly behaviour which is contrary to spiritual behaviour. Sadly however, as long as the spirit of the new born believer remains weak, their flesh will dominate their behaviour, i.e. they will continue to display the same carnal nature that this world walks in. And so we have clearly seen in this section that because of the weakness of their spirits, baby believers tend to behave in a worldly manner.
Michael E.B. Maher
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