I really liked today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
Am I Carnally Minded?
Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are
you not carnal…? —1 Corinthians 3:3
The natural man, or unbeliever, knows nothing about
carnality. The desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit
warring against the flesh, which began at rebirth, are what produce carnality
and the awareness of it. But Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). In other words, carnality will
disappear.
Are you quarrelsome and easily upset over small things? Do
you think that no one who is a Christian is ever like that? Paul said they are,
and he connected these attitudes with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible
that instantly awakens a spirit of malice or resentment in you? If so, that is
proof that you are still carnal. If the process of sanctification is continuing
in your life, there will be no trace of that kind of spirit remaining.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong,
He doesn’t ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of
truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin
instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness
will say, “Oh, I can explain that.” When the light shines and the Spirit brings
conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God
will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself
to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive
yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it— it is the most real thing
you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities
to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical
test. You will find yourself saying, “If this had happened before, I would have
had the spirit of resentment!” And you will never cease to be the most amazed
person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
When we were born again, we became a new creation! We are spirit beings, who have souls (minds, emotions and wills) and we live in a human body. The new creation is in our spirits. Our souls are renewed daily by the Word of God and our bodies will be made new at the Rapture of the Church! In the meantime, in this life, we still have the nature of the flesh to deal with! THIS is where the carnality shows up. This lesson helps to clarify what to be aware of, but also that it is Holy Spirit Who is doing that good work in us that is needed to be rid of carnality! Trust HIM and HIS work and you will find yourself walking continually freer of that and more and more led by ths Spirit of God! Then we can really, by faith, sing THIS song with honesty! Hillsong's "Oceans":
Shalom in Him!
