The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1953-01-15
s e r m O neffe
Three Types of Men


men spoken of in the Word of
God. All men, regardless of ma
tionality, color, religion, culture
or education are included in one
of these classifications. They are
known as the natural man, the
carnal man, and the spiritual
man.
The natural man is unregen-
crate; he has not experienced the
new birth. This one lives in the
natural realm. He is sensual and
lives for the flesh. This man can
not comprehend spiritual things.
Il Corinthians 2:14) He knows
many things within the circle in
which he dWells; but outside that
circle he is an utter stranger . :.
To understand the things of the
Spirit is impossible. Keen though
he may be Intellectually, bril-
liant and trained in mind, mighty
in brain power when it comes
to spiritual things he is like a
little child. He has never expert
enced what he seeks to appre-
hend." He must be translated
from the natural to the spiritual.
Everything of a spiritual nature
seems utter fooliShness to this
type of person. He has no ap-
petite for the things of God;
hence he does not relish Gods
menu. 1t is not question of in
tellectural apprehension, it is
question of appetite.
The Apostle Paul was lead to
describe the carnal man in |
Corinthians 3:l-4. He is one who
has experienced the new birth.
He has acknowledged Jesus
Christ as his Lord and Saviour,
but he is still a babe. There has
been little or no growth. He is
spiritually immature. He cannot
feed himself; others must do it
for him. So the Bible is a closed
book unless he can find someone
to explain it.
The marks Of a carnal Chris
tian are given as "envying, and
strife, and divisions" In other
words, there is too much of a re-
semblance to the natural man
(read, also, James 3:14 and Is,
and Jude 16-19.) TT matters not
how wonderful your testimony
may sound, if there is envy in
your heart. If you are at strife
with your neighbor, if you are
not on speaking terms with some
one against whom you cherish
grudge, if you refuse to shake
hands, forgive and forget, if your
life is marked by division, you
are not spiritual; you are carnal.
For these are the signs of carna-
lity." In Roman 81 we learn
that "the carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed
can be-" No Christian can afford
to give place to it.
The Spiritual man is mention
ed in / Corinthians 2:l5. He is
a Christian who is able to dis
Germ. He can detect false doc
trines and false worship; it mat
ters not how much truth may be
intermixed, if there is error he
knows it. This man is not always
able to meet and combat error,
but he can recognize and avoid
it. He can warn others and thus
protect the flock from the wolves
who go about in sleeps cloth
ing. The spiritual man is one who
is able to help one who is over
taken in a fault Galatians GID.
There is a natural man, a car
nal man, a spiritual man. Which
are you? Are you living in the
world - that sphere which is an
tagonistic to God and the things
of the Spirit the sphere Of the
natural man. Or have you been
delivered from the bondage of
sin but have not entered into
full Christian experience; are you
carnal? Or have you claimed the
promised blessings which God
has reserved for them who love
Him? Is your life controlled by
the Holy Spirit? Is your life
lived in the spiritual realm?
ROV f. Wikander