Topic: The Dangers of Carnality  [Church of God Mission International] Above Only Daily Devotional 6 August 2021

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The Dangers of Carnality

1 Corinthians 3:2-3 (AMPC)
I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it],
For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?

Carnality is the opposite of spirituality. While spirituality relates to setting your mind on Christ and your oneness with Him, carnality is about setting your mind on the flesh and things of this world. It is allowing your life to be saturated and controlled by the trappings and desires of your flesh. While the foundation of spirituality is putting all your faith and confidence in Christ, the foundation of carnality is putting your faith and confidence in your flesh and human efforts.

Placing confidence in your flesh and human efforts cuts you out of the life of God. On the contrary, placing your confidence in Christ and in His works fills you with the life and peace of God. Many believers do not realize that every time they place their confidence in their flesh, they are trying to position themselves as a god to themselves. This is why a carnality minded person cannot submit to the ways of God or please God (Rom.8:6-8). When we place our confidence in our abilities, our flesh starts to lead us and we end up fulfilling its lusts. The only way to overcome the lusts of the flesh is to focus on Christ and what He has done for you and yield to the leading of His Spirit (Gal.5:16).

Carnality hinders spiritual growth, hunger and sensitivity to God. It makes believers unable to understand and grasp the revelation of Christ. Carnality produces lukewarmness and negative attitudes like envy, jealousy and fighting, as we see in our text above. When our identities and reactions to one another are based on who we are in Christ, we will not envy, divide and fight with each other. Carnality can lure believers into sin, lead to a seared conscience and shipwreck their faith (1Tim.1:19).

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help me to keep my focus and faith in Christ alone. I yield to your Spirit. Help me to grow and become more like Christ.

Bible in One Year Reading Plan
Ezra 3:1-4:23, 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4, Psalm 28:1-9, Proverbs 20:24-25