INTRODUCTION

The Lord frequently uses comparison and contrast to provide insight for discovering biblical definitions. For instance, our text verse contrasts the carnal with the spiritual. This truth is not limited to our text as 1 Corinthians 3:1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
See All... also sets forth this teaching and contrast. In a related study, the Bible repeatedly contrasts the spirit and flesh (Isaiah 31:3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
See All...; Matthew 26:41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
See All...; John 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
See All...; John 6:63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
See All...; Galatians 5:17For 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.
See All...). By considering these truths together, we find that the Lord defined a “carnal mind” (Romans 8:7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
See All...) as someone who is “in the flesh” (Romans 8:8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
See All...). Based upon these verses and others, we understand the word carnal to mean that which is earthly, natural, or fleshly.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): People love to go to the zoo and there is nothing wrong with going; however, if you go on Sunday morning, where would the Lord rather you be? Spiritually speaking, being carnal means doing that which comes to you naturally rather than obeying God. For instance, Eve ate a piece of fruit from a certain tree. Though fruit is healthy and Eve was hungry, God had already told her not to eat of that tree.
• (For everyone):  “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
  See All...) . Since God wants man to worship Him in this fashion, we know that being carnal opposes God's expectation and demands. What does God want us to understand concerning carnality and worship?
• Do you think God cares about man's carnality? Do you think He is at all pleased when we walk in a carnal manner? How important should walking after the Spirit become for every sincere Christian?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask the Lord to show you when you are walking after the flesh.
• Ask God to teach you to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

HYMN

Yield Not to Temptation

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