From Carnal to Spiritual: How to Live the True Christian Life | Andrew Murray

"The core purpose of the discussion is to explore the possibilities of the Christian life, identify the obstacles keeping believers from it, and outline the necessary steps to take full possession of that life. This spiritual journey involves two stages: the lower stage, under the power of the flesh (carnal), and the stage of the true life, in the power of the spirit (spiritual). The Apostle Paul considered it crucial to determine which stage a person was in, as giving ""spiritual food"" to the carnal would do them no good.
The Carnal State
To move forward, a believer must first undergo a thorough ""diagnosis"" and realize their ""carnal State,"" as heavenly truths cannot help until the ailment is recognized. The carnal state means being ""not spiritual"", identified by doing the ""works of the flesh"" and walking ""as men"".
The sources identify four principal marks of the carnal state:
1. Protracted Infancy: This is a state where there is no healthy growth, even after six months, a year, or ten years as a Christian. If a person remains where they started, they suffer from a ""terrible disease"" called the carnal mind. Like a baby, these Christians always require others to help and care for them, and they are incapable of genuinely helping others through their spiritual experience.
2. Sin and Failure (No Victory Over Sin): The carnal state is marked by failures like envying, strife, and divisions, as seen in the Corinthian church's quarreling and religious party divisions. If the spirit is not ruling, the flesh is, leading to sins such as pride, self-conceit, worldliness, and the inability to conquer one's temper or love the unlovable.
3. Coexistence with Spiritual Gifts: A person may possess significant spiritual gifts (such as prophecy, tongues, utterance, or knowledge) and even lead hundreds to Christ, yet still be carnal. If their private life lacks humility and gentleness, or is filled with pride, selfishness, or quarreling, they are carnal, even if they have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a ""spirit of power and a spirit of zeal"". Being able to exercise spiritual gifts is not proof of being spiritual.
4. Incapacity for Receiving Spiritual Truth: Because a carnal person takes spiritual truth into a ""carnal mind and intellect,"" it can injure them. Paul was unable to speak deep spiritual truth to the Corinthians, even though they were a cultured and thoughtful people who sought wisdom.
The Way from Carnal to Spiritual
The transition from the carnal state to the spiritual state involves four key steps:
1. Conviction and Confession: Just as a sinner must be convicted of transgression, a believer must be brought to conviction regarding the ""shame and evil"" of their carnal state. This ""second conviction"" focuses on the utter impotence of the flesh to do any good and its mighty power to work evil. This process reveals ""hidden heart sins"" like pride, unloving thoughts, and self-pleasing, demonstrating the need for deliverance from the power of sin.
2. Belief in the Possibility of the Spiritual Life: A person must move beyond an intellectual belief in the Holy Spirit and actively believe that the spiritual life is a possibility, a duty, and something they may claim. They must believe that the Holy Spirit can lead them into a place of ""absolute helplessness"" where Christ will live in them and renew their nature.
3. Giving Up Everything: To buy the ""pearl of great price"" (the spiritual life), one must be willing to pay the price: giving up ""every sin and every Folly,"" including temper, and placing their entire life in the possession of Christ. This process involves being fully cleansed so the Holy Spirit can work.
4. Claiming It by Faith: After giving up all, the final step is to claim the promise by faith, looking to Jesus. By bowing in deep humility and submission and believing the promise, God, who is a Spirit and gives the spirit, will make the believer a spiritual man."