1 Cor 3:1-3—"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
The longer a person is saved, the more spiritually mature he should become. A carnal Christian is a baby spiritually. Spiritual maturity is dependent upon a spiritual diet (1 Pet. 2:2; Matt. 4:4; Acts 20:32).
Five years had passed since Paul founded the Corinthian church, yet they were still spiritual infants.
TRAITS OF BABIES:
1) Cannot control their temper.
2) Cannot digest meat (v. 2; Heb. 5:12-6:2).
3) Cannot be content (envy— v. 3)
4) Fighting amongst themselves (v. 3)
5) No sense of value—time; money; souls
6) Impatience
7) No sense of danger or harm
8) Self-centered (inconsiderate of others needs)
9) Personality focus—"Who is better?" "My preacher is better than yours."
...are ye not carnal, and walk as MEN," meaning as unsaved men.
3:4-5—"For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?"
Preacher, unfortunately, you have described most Christians. The Lord must be so displeased with us. It's no wonder very few of us have treasure laid up in Heaven
ReplyDeleteThat's a great outline. That has described most Christians here in Croatia.
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