OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 1/11/2013 - CARNALITY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CARNALITY

MEMORY VERSE

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

1 Corinthians 3:3

READ

1 Corinthians 3:1-5

1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:2 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.

1 Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

1 Corinthians 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

1 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

MESSAGE

Besides pride, another evidence of not being broken is carnality and worldliness.

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

1 Corinthians 3:3

If you love the world and the things of the world, you are not broken. If you are envious of what God has given to others, you are not yet broken. If your local assembly is operating camps along economic or tribal lines, those taking part in such divisive groups are carnal. Are you so strife-prone? Any little thing you are cursing, swearing or ready to exchange blows? It shows you are yet to be broken. James 4:1-5 talks of believers who do anything to achieve their aim. They do not mind mudslinging, backbiting and character assassination as long as it gives them what they want. It is an unbroken Christian that will offer bribe for spiritual elevation or ordination. It is an unbroken fellow that will join in or even spearhead a revolt against the church authority. How broken are you?

Moreover, if you find it difficult to mature in faith to the point of leaving milk for meat or bones of God's Word, it is because you are not broken. This was the state of the church in Corinth. Paul was disappointed at them because as at the time they should be taking the harder stuff they were still inclined to milk. Those who are unbroken select what they receive from God. They choose the Bible passages they like to read and they have some others they will not go near. They choose what to obey and what to disobey from God's commands. If you love to read the blessings of Deuteronomy 28:1-13 but ignore reading Malachi 3, it shows you are still not broken. Can you look at yourself and say you are broken? An unbroken believer is one who finds it difficult to forgive. As you carry out an examination of your conduct, attitude and desires, fish out every sign of carnality and go yield completely to the Lord.

KEY POINT

Your spiritual maturity can be measured by how much love, peace and unity your presence brings wherever you are.