What is CARNAL?

 

1 Corinthians 2:14

King James Version

14 But the natural man receiveth not 

the things of the Spirit of God: 

for they are foolishness unto him: 

neither can he know them, 

because they are spiritually discerned.

What does "carnal" mean?

Who are carnal?

What does it have to do with sin?

Dictionaries define "carnal" as having fleshly desires.

Worldly desires, even to the point of gluttony.

No wonder, in my own language, we have a word called "karne".

Meat, flesh.

How would the Bible define "carnal"?

That definition matters to the born again.

Here's what we found:

Romans 7:14-21

King James Version

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: 

but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 For that which I do I allow not: 

for what I would, that do I not; 

but what I hate, that do I.

16 If then I do that which I would not, 

I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, 

but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) 

dwelleth no good thing: 

for to will is present with me; 

but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: 

but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, 

it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, 

evil is present with me.

Romans 8:5-8

King James Version

5 For they that are after the flesh 

do mind the things of the flesh; 

but they that are after the Spirit 

the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; 

but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: 

for it is not subject to the law of God, 

neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh 

cannot please God.

1 Corinthians 3:3

King James Version

3 For ye are yet carnal: 

for whereas there is among you 

envying, 

and strife, 

and divisions, 

are ye not carnal, 

and walk as men?

Galatians 5:19-21

King James Version

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, 

which are these; 

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, 

emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, 

drunkenness, revellings, and such like: 

of the which I tell you before, 

as I have also told you in time past, 

that they which do such things 

shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

In SUMMARY, "carnal" refers to these things:

in one's flesh, dwelleth no good thing

to be carnally minded is death

the carnal mind is enmity against God

they that are in the flesh cannot please God

envying, strife, and divisions, are carnal

those who commit works of the flesh shall not inherit the kingdom of God

How can we overcome carnal things?

How can we correct our carnal selves?

We need to be born again.

That we may be taught by SPIRIT.

That we may understand the teachings of JESUS.

That we may worship GOD alone.

That we may be pure in mind, body, and spirit.

Our bodies are the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

King James Version

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, 

and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 If any man defile the temple of God, 

him shall God destroy; 

for the temple of God is holy, 

which temple ye are.

As such, we are to respect ourselves, and others.

We are to be in service to the LORD, and not self.

Our goal is holiness.

That we may be worthy of the LORD.

Here are important verses to guide us:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

King James Version

3 For though we walk in the flesh, 

we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 

but mighty through God 

to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, 

and every high thing that exalteth itself 

against the knowledge of God, 

and bringing into captivity every thought 

to the obedience of Christ;

Galatians 5:16-17

King James Version

16 This I say then, 

Walk in the Spirit, 

and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, 

and the Spirit against the flesh: 

and these are contrary the one to the other: 

so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Galatians 5:22-23

King James Version

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 

gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: 

against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:24

King James Version

24 And they that are Christ's 

have crucified the flesh 

with the affections and lusts.

Galatians 5:25

King James Version

25 If we live in the Spirit, 

let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:26

King James Version

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, 

provoking one another, 

envying one another.

Related material:

"Carnal" definition

SINS of the FLESH

Sin AWARENESS

SPIRIT of GOD

HOLINESS

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On TAKING responsibility

 

Proverbs 29:23

King James Version

23 A man's pride shall bring him low: 

but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

What does man normally do, when things go wrong?

We blame others.

No one wants to take responsibility.

We don't have the courage to own our mistakes.

And that's the first mistake.

We cannot correct self, unless we accept our mistakes.

We cannot get better, unless we are humble enough to accept we were in the wrong.

That we've been duped, because we'd been asleep at the wheel.

That we've hurt others, because we did not care, or did not care to know.

As there are billions of people, there can be billions of excuses.

Consider these stock answers:

"Where's your homework?"

"The dog ate it."

"You're late!"

"Traffic."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't have the heart to tell you."

Now, I didn't mean to laugh.

But the funniest of them all was what I found in the Bible today.

It truly reflects man's nature.

GOD asked Adam:

Genesis 3:9-11

King James Version

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, 

and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, 

I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, 

because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, 

Who told thee that thou wast naked? 

Hast thou eaten of the tree, 

whereof I commanded thee 

that thou shouldest not eat?

(Can you imagine Adam trembling by now?)

Adam answers:

Genesis 3:12

King James Version

12 And the man said, 

The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, 

she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Then, GOD asks woman:

Genesis 3:13

King James Version

13a And the Lord God said unto the woman, 

What is this that thou hast done? 

The woman answers:

Genesis 3:13

King James Version

13b And the woman said, 

The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

It's always someone else's fault.

As if we have no control over our emotions.

As if we cannot think for ourselves.

As if we have handy scapegoats.

But I noticed something.

GOD did not question the serpent.

He did not ask: 

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Surely, the LORD knew the nature of the perpetrator traitor.

The once beautiful cherub fell from heaven.

Nothing good can come from him.

JESUS did tell the Pharisees :

John 8:44-45

King James Version

44 Ye are of your father the devil, 

and the lusts of your father ye will do. 

He was a murderer from the beginning, 

and abode not in the truth, 

because there is no truth in him. 

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: 

for he is a liar, and the father of it.

That old serpent got what was coming to him.

Genesis 3:14-15

King James Version

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, 

Because thou hast done this, 

thou art cursed above all cattle, 

and above every beast of the field; 

upon thy belly shalt thou go, 

and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee 

and the woman, 

and between thy seed and her seed; 

it shall bruise thy head, 

and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Man, and woman, got judgment from GOD, too.

But what about you?

What do you do when you feel you've done something wrong?

What do you do when you believe you've wronged a person?

What do you do when you've failed to do something?

Do you ask for forgiveness?

Do you try to make amends?

Do you accept your error?

Are you even aware of your errors?

Or do you do what Adam, and Eve, did?

"She dunnit."

"Serpent dunnit."

Related material:

Sin AWARENESS

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PROOF of sin

 

Romans 12:3

King James Version

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, 

to every man that is among you, 

not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; 

but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt 

to every man the measure of faith.

It's something people don't like to talk about.

It makes people cringe, and become furious.

People avoid it all they can.

Even pastors don't want to call attention to it.

Lest they lose their membership base.

But a born again workman must talk about it.

This is the sticky thing people refuse to acknowledge:

We are all sinners.

And yet the Bible has proof.

"Yeah, but what about babies," they ask.

"You mean to tell me they've sinned?"

"But I've done good works, how can I sin?"

"I pray all the time; am I a sinner?"

These may be acceptable to Catholics.

But not to one tasked to study Scripture.

The true born again must be Berean in approach.

Acts 17:11

King James Version

11 These were more noble 

than those in Thessalonica, 

in that they received the word 

with all readiness of mind, 

and searched the scriptures daily, 

whether those things were so.

A born again workman must be accurate.

2 Timothy 2:15

King James Version

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, 

a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 

rightly dividing the word of truth.

A born again is taught by SPIRIT.

We live by Scripture.

SPIRIT and Scripture do not lie.

GOD's laws are clear.

Here are the facts:

Only GOD is good.

Matthew 19:17

King James Version

17 And he said unto him, 

Why callest thou me good? 

there is none good but one, that is, God: 

but if thou wilt enter into life, 

keep the commandments.

ALL have sinned.

Romans 3:23

King James Version

23 For all have sinned, 

and come short of the glory of God;

Through Adam, all of us have sinned:

Romans 5:12

King James Version

12 Wherefore, as by one man 

sin entered into the world, 

and death by sin; 

and so death passed upon all men, 

for that all have sinned:

In ONE verse, EVERYTHING about sin was defined:

"by one man sin entered into the world"

"death by sin"

"death passed upon all men"

"for that all have sinned"

We all die.

That's proof we are all sinners.

The first man's sin caused death, and hardship, upon us all.

GOD spoke these words:

Genesis 3:17-19

King James Version

17 And unto Adam he said, 

Because thou hast hearkened 

unto the voice of thy wife,

 and hast eaten of the tree, 

of which I commanded thee, saying, 

Thou shalt not eat of it: 

cursed is the ground for thy sake; 

in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; 

and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, 

till thou return unto the ground; 

for out of it wast thou taken: 

for dust thou art, 

and unto dust shalt thou return.

But GOD is merciful.

He does not want ANY to perish.

2 Peter 3:9

King James Version

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, 

as some men count slackness; 

but is longsuffering to us-ward, 

not willing that any should perish, 

but that all should come to repentance.

Through His only begotten Son, JESUS, we have forgiveness of sins, and ETERNAL LIFE.

John 3:16-17

King James Version

16 For God so loved the world, 

that he gave his only begotten Son, 

that whosoever believeth in him 

should not perish, 

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world 

to condemn the world; but that the world 

through him might be saved.

Ephesians 1:7

King James Version

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, 

the forgiveness of sins, 

according to the riches of his grace;

Hebrews 2:14

King James Version

14 Forasmuch then as the children 

are partakers of flesh and blood, 

he also himself likewise took part of the same; 

that through death he might destroy him 

that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

In JESUS is LIFE.

In the devil, is death.

In JESUS is holiness.

In the devil, is sin.

In JESUS is the RESURRECTION.

In the devil, is eternal damnation.

Unless we are born again, we cannot accept GOD's truth.

We will continue to defy, distort, or disobey.

Only through the SPIRIT of GOD can we know His laws.

JESUS made sure of that.

John 16:7-11

King James Version

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; 

It is expedient for you that I go away: 

for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; 

but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come, 

he will reprove the world of sin, 

and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, 

and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world 

is judged.

We may have started out with original sin.

We may have continued as sinners.

But we don't have to die as sinners.

Related material:

JESUS and Satan

Sin AWARENESS

REPENTANCE

SALVATION

BORN AGAIN articles

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CLASSIC preacher

 

2 Timothy 4:2

King James Version

2 Preach the word; 

be instant in season, out of season; 

reprove, rebuke, exhort 

with all long suffering and doctrine.

There are many modern-day preachers.

And I've listened to many of them.

For me, David Wilkerson stands out.

His teachings are clear, classic, and compelling.

He talks about revival.

Whether it's personal, or church revival.

And we do need a GREAT dose of that in these last days.

And what is revival but of the HOLY SPIRIT?

Only the HOLY SPIRIT can make things happen.

Many preachers talk about current events.

David Wilkerson's talks are classics.

He really feeds you the WORD of GOD.

A "fiery preacher" for sure, making us address our sins.

He considers himself a "watchman".

And a very devoted watchman he was.

You find strength, clarity, and courage when you listen to his sermons.

His reverberating voice sounds clear, and strong.

His anger at sin and man's continuing disobedience fills the room.

He talks briefly about his trials, and gives people REAL hope.

Through JESUS CHRIST.

And what is the WORD, but CHRIST.

Let his sermons about JESUS speak.

Listen to these now.

Prepare to be astounded.

Related material:

REVIVAL

SPIRIT and the 7 churches

EDUCATION from SPIRIT

WAKE UP series

GODLY men and women

SPIRIT and SANCTIFICATION

why must we repent?

On repentance

SOUL-saving WORD

Image: Sermon Index

WAGES of sin

 

Romans 6:23

King James Version

23 For the wages of sin is death; 

but the gift of God is eternal life 

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I've always wondered what "the wages of sin is death" really meant.

I want to make sure I got it right.

Here to help me are other Bible versions:

Romans 6:23

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

23 For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Common English Bible

23 The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Complete Jewish Bible

23 For what one earns from sin is death; but eternal life is what one receives as a free gift from God, in union with the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Contemporary English Version

23 Sin pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Easy-to-Read Version

23 When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Expanded Bible

23 [L For; Because] The ·payment [wages] for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of ·life forever [eternal life] in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

GOD’S WORD Translation

23 The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Good News Translation

23 For sin pays its wage—death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

J.B. Phillips New Testament

23 Sin pays its servants: the wage is death. But God gives to those who serve him: his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Lexham English Bible

23 For the compensation due sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

The Message

Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

Romans 6:23

New English Translation

23 For the payoff[a] of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

New International Reader's Version

23 When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.

Romans 6:23

New Life Version

23 You get what is coming to you when you sin. It is death! But God’s free gift is life that lasts forever. It is given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23

New Matthew Bible

23 For the reward of sin is death, but eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

New Testament for Everyone

23 The wages paid by sin, you see, are death; but God’s free gift is the life of the age to come, in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord.

Kehillah in Rome 6:23

Orthodox Jewish Bible

23 For the loin (wages) that [slave master] Chet (Sin) pays out of its own payroll is mavet (death); however, the gracious matnat hachesed Hashem (the gift of the grace of G-d) is Chayyei Olam baMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu.

Romans 6:23

Tree of Life Version

23 For sin’s payment[a] is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.

Romans 6:23

The Voice

23 The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.

Romans 6:23

Worldwide English (New Testament)

23 The reward that wrong ways give is to die. But the gift which God gives is to live for ever. Christ Jesus our Lord has done this for us.

In SUMMARY, "the wages of sin is death" means:

the wages which sin pays is death

The wages that sin pays are death

what one earns from sin is death

Sin pays off with death.

When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death.

The ·payment [wages] for sin is death.

The payment for sin is death

sin pays its wage—death

Sin pays its servants: the wage is death.

the compensation due sin is death

Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. 

the payoff[a] of sin is death

When you sin, the pay you get is death.

You get what is coming to you when you sin. It is death!

the reward of sin is death

The wages paid by sin, you see, are death

the loin (wages) that [slave master] Chet (Sin) pays out of its own payroll is mavet (death)

sin’s payment[a] is death

The payoff for a life of sin is death

The reward that wrong ways give is to die.

Death referred to here is "spiritual death".

A deadening of our lives.

A dimming of our light.

A falling into sin.

A corrupting of our bodies.

A path led by the enemy, bound for eternal fire.

JESUS conquered death at the cross.

Hebrews 2:14

King James Version

14 Forasmuch then as the children 

are partakers of flesh and blood, 

he also himself likewise took part of the same; 

that through death he might destroy him 

that had the power of death, 

that is, the devil;

Which has also been discussed on "REAL life zombies".

Related material:

Sin AWARENESS 

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