It is crucial that everyone who is carnal realizes this, or they will not be able to ask for God’s help to change.

God in His love wants to richly bless us through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

As result, great loss can be avoided and immeasurable blessing can be experienced. And the wonderful thing is that we can quickly remedy the situation with God’s help.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO DESCRIBE IT

The problem of carnal Christianity is described in the Bible in different ways. Individual groups and the people in the groups can have very different focal points, but the central problem is the same. The different descriptions are,

• “in the flesh or carnal”, Romans 8:1-17; 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Galatians 5:16-21, just to mention a few.

• “foolish”, the parable of the ten virgins, Matthew 25:1-13.
  “The state of the Church represented by the foolish virgins, is also spo- ken of as the Laodicean state.” Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Aug. 19, 1890

• “lukewarm”, the letter to Laodicea, Revelation 3:14-21
  “I wish you were cold or hot.” (Revelation 3:15) Isn’t it amazing? Jesus prefers cold to lukewarm. What is His reason for this? “Halfhearted Christians are worse than infidels; for their deceptive words and noncommittal position lead many astray. The infidel shows his colors. The lukewarm Christian deceives both parties. He is neither a good worldling nor a good Christian. Satan uses him to do a work that no one else can do.” Ellen G. White, Letter 44, 1903, quoted in the Seventh Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 963 on Rev 3:15,16

• not “born again” or hasn’t remained in this condition, John 3:1-21. “The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the rea- son why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ.” Ellen G. White, MS 148, 1897, quoted in the Seventh Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1075

• a form of godliness, “Having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5). About this Arthur G. Daniells says the following, “... But formalism is something extremely deceptive and destructive. It is the hid- den, unexpected cliff, which the church has threatened to shatter on many times throughout the centuries. Paul warned us that this ‘form of Godliness’ (2 Tim 3:5) without God’s power [without being filled by the Holy Spirit] would be one of the dangers of the last days and admonishes us not to be taken in by this comfortable, self-deceiving attitude.” A. G. Daniells, Christ our Righteousness, p. 20
  
  

A FEW SERIOUS QUOTES TO THINK

Here are some statements about the carnal person. They are being added for us to understand and comprehend (grasp, take in, apprehend, follow, make sense of…) how serious is this issue, even if sometimes we think it is not.

Very, very few
“In my dream a sentinel stood at the door of an important building, and asked every one who came for entrance, ‘Have ye received the Holy Spirit?’ A measuring line was in his hand, and only very, very few were admitted into the building.” Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1 (1958), p.109

Not one in twenty are ready
“It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.“ Ellen G. White, Christian Service (1925), p. 41

Why are we so sleepy?
“Why are the soldiers of Christ so sleepy and indifferent? Because they have so little real connection with Christ; because they are so destitute of His Spirit.” Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (1911), p. 507.3

A great danger
“I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible danger — a danger not sufficiently understood — in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is.” Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1 (1958), p. 109.2

TO FOLLOW HIM IN EVERYTHING

What is at the core of sin? “Because they do not believe in Me.” (John 16:9)

The sign that we really believe and trust Jesus is that we completely surrender ourselves to Him. It has to do with our complete surrender; our willingness to follow Him in everything.

Today we had a very serious message because it has to do with our personal happiness now and in eternity. It is also a hugely important factor in how we influence others, especially in our marriages, families, communities and churches.

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION & DEVOTION

1. Why do you think the Bible has so many different ways to describe this issue?

2. After the reading today, what is your opinion on why the carnal person loses his/hers connection with Jesus?

3. What are you missing to complete surrender your life to God?