THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE

The Natural Man: Psuchikos, of the senses, is unrenewed man in communion with the world, the nature we are born with. Sarkikos, carnal or fleshly, is the propensity to indulge and satisfy our Natural Man with the sinful appetites and desires of this fallen world, to live according to the flesh -- what John called the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Desire for the world’s material things, physical appetites, pride, prestige, independence, power..., these are the tentacles of carnality that draw us to the world. The Natural Man loves to be in control and is naturally carnal, naturally lives life in concert with the desires of his flesh. The Natural Man’s real name is Self.

The Spiritual Man: Pneumatikos, spiritual, is renewed man in communion with God, the nature Christ died to provide for us. Spiritual Man is the product of one’s new birth into God’s Kingdom through a willful heartfelt confession in the atoning work of Jesus and repentance for sin. The Spiritual Man is the implanted nature of Christ... the Christ-Life, which will be made manifest by the Holy Spirit in the new believer’s life.  This, in essence, is what makes one a “New Creation” upon their confession of faith: Their enslavement to sin is broken and the nature of our Savior is downloaded into their spirit.

Self will want to maintain control and will resist the immergence of Christ’s nature, setting the stage for a lifelong battle between Self and the Christ-Life. Self must die or his carnal nature will bleed over into the Christ-Life producing “Carnal Christians”. Self will not go quickly or quietly... it won’t be a quick death.   “I am crucified with Christ … I die daily.” The daily moment by moment choices we make determine which nature is immerging and in control. This is the process of being conformed... molded, into the image of God’s Son, sharing inwardly His nature. This is progressive transformation, the normal Christian life.

PROGRESSIVE TRANSFORMATION

CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,  that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

If we are to follow Jesus' example here in 1 Peter 4:1-2 we must arm ourselves in the same manner, with the same thought and purpose, willing to endure suffering rather than fail to please God. Paul did and shared this weapon with his disciples, the elders of Ephesus: “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.” (Acts 20:22-23) How would we respond to prophetic words of persecution, hardship and tribulation awaiting us at every turn? I am not implying that all messages from God will be of this nature, but there is an oblivious imbalance to the possibility of this reality in the church today. Much of the five-fold ministry within Christ’s Body focuses on prosperity, health, and peace, as if God’s only concern is for our physical well-being and material happiness. This encourages people to seek God for what He can do for them, to seek only His hands of provisioning. The foundation of their love for Him shifts from who He is to what He can provide. They seek to fulfill ministry’s proclamations rather than obey the God who “gave gifts to men”, who gave ministry to the church. They are not interested in magnifying Jesus, whether by life or death (Phil. 1:20). They want the good life now!

Notice how powerfully this verse speaks to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, and the power of suffering as a tool of transformation: Suffering moves the saint from living for his human appetites and fleshly desires into living for the will of God... the mind of Christ. And notice that intentional sin ceases when we stop pleasing our Self with the world’s pleasures and begin to please God.

There are two Christian best sellers, one called “Your Best Life Now” and the other called “Love Your Life.” Have you thought about how misplaced these concepts are? Jesus said “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” As Christians our “Best Life” can only be our Blessed Hope of eternal life with our Savior; our “Best Life” can never be now... in this life... in this world. Saints who want their best life now and love their life here on planet earth have forgotten they are strangers and pilgrims in a hostile land, and are living without God’s greatest survival weapon... the mind of Christ. They are literally unarmed...

The Apostle Paul warned of a time when people... the church, would not tolerate or endure sound and wholesome truth, but with ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying would gather to themselves teachers and ministries chosen to satisfy their own desires – wandering off into myths and man-made fictions. (2 Tim. 4:1-4) I think the time is now...

“ARM YOURSELVES ALSO WITH THE SAME MIND”