The Demise of the Carnal Mind

Dennis D. Williams-Mitchell

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Introduction:

Brothers and Sisters I am afraid that the church AT LARGE has become carnal...

With many becoming carnal it has caused many to lose their effectiveness within the church.

It seems as if many of them who have confessed to being apart of the church have began to adopt practices in which are ungodly.

Many have began to implemant these ungodly practices within the church, in hopes of gaining the attention of the unregenrated soul and or the backslidder.

But I am afraid that in the process of trying to win the unregenrated soul, it has caused many to lose their identity.

By losing their idenity, it has also caused for their TOLERANCE for sin to increase… Meaning? They have become unbothered with being around darkness or wordliness

EX: I remeber growing up we would be over at different family members house and at any given moment my mother would tell my sister and I “Get your things, it’s time to go.” and I was a little boy I wanted to stay and continue to play with my cousins. Well, I didn’t understand why my mother wouldn’t stay places long.

What I found it is when you are allowing the SPIRIT to lead you won’t be okay with being around darkness and or worldiness.

It seems that by the tolerance for worldiness increasing it has caused a shift in our posture… Meaning? We have gone from a posture of worship to a posture of RESERVATION

Anytime you can feel the Lord pulling on you to pray and or fast and you say “I’ll do it tomorrow”… You need to check your POSTURE.

Anytime you can lie and feel no conviction you need to check your POSTURE.

Anytime you can gossip and or sow discord and feel no conviction you need to check your POSTURE.

LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY CHECK YOUR POSTURE!!!

So, the result of many increasing in their tolerance for sin and a shift in their posture. It has caused for many to become CARNAL MINDED

THE TERM CARNAL DEFINED:

Carnal: The term carnal is derived from the greek word Sarkos meaning “flesh”.

So if carnal means flesh then we know it is the opposite of the greek word Pneuma meaning “spirit”.

Others would define the term as being “wordly”.

In which we know that is exactly how the enemy wants for us to be. Having a “wordly mindset” even after being baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost

The enemy does not want us for to be subject to the Law of God but instead fulfill the works of the Flesh.

Many has set their focus on the things of this world rather than on the things of God.

I thought Apostle John said “Love NOT the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15 KJV

It saddens me because so many of us have become lovers of this world instead of being the LIGHT of this world…

I am afraid that we have become so carnal in our way of thinking which reflects outwardly that if you stood an unregerated and regerated person next to each other you would not be able to tell which one is saved and not saved.

That is why when a person is seeking to be saved and or delivered today it’s such a pull because theirs too many that’s carnal

A soul is trying to pull through and no one is praying and intereccedding that God will save the soul. Instead, we have our mind miles and miles.

That is why when God shows up and saints begin to rejoice. They start to clap their hands and stomp their feet. You can sit there right amongst them and can’t even feel the presence of God in the room.

THAT IS DANGEROUS, TO BE SO FAR AWAY FROM GOD TO THE POINT YOU CAN’T FEEL GOD’S PRESENCE

BODY: Background about leading up to the verse of scripture (v.6-8)

You must know that Apostle Paul begins chapter 8 with connecting the closing verses of Romans. 7.

He is trying to let this church know that the Law could NOT effect deliverance from sin. Instead, deliverance can only come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, he starts off the chapter by saying “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

But the problem with many of us (which leads me to my first point) has shifted our mind to focus more on walking after the Spirit.

POINT 1: A Carnal Mind will cause for you to lie to yourself.

What do you mean preacher?

First, when one becomes carnal minded it allows the enemy to decieve you into believing that the very things that will help you to walk after SPIRIT and not the flesh is of no importance.

Ex: FASTING and Prayer.

When was the last time you fasted until it brought about a change?

I am not talking about fasting only from food…

Because what I have learned is that we can a certain amount of time (days and even weeks without eating) and get off the fast and go back to doing the same thing you were doing before the fast.

But I am talking about fasting from talking on the phone? Because you know everytime you get on the phone you start to GOSSIP and SOW DISCORD (CARNAL)

I am talking about fasting from social media? Because you know everytime you log on you spend more time on their than reading your word. (CARNAL)

I am talking about fasting from that very thing that you have told yourself you can’t live without.

That is why Jesus told the discples in Matthew 16:24 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”.

Meaning? If you desire to follow Jesus you must be willing to surrender your WILL, AFFECTIONS, BODY, AND SOUL.

Seeking NOT after your own WORLDY pleasures but being willing to renounce all and after the things of the spirit.

But the enemy will cause you to believe it’s not neccesary.

That is why Paul is letting them know in Romans 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

I remeber growing hearing my Great Aunt, the late Dr. Frankie B. Minor always tell individuals in our family and from her church “to get a mind”.

When those indivuduals would begin to talk foolishness and carnal she would tell them “Get a mind” and I didn’t understand why she would say that but now I relaize that our mind is so powerful if you spend time on fleshly (carnal) things that it what you will go after.

But my assignment today is pull someone out of this place of carnality where you have LIED to yourself.

Look at your neighbor and tell them to GET A MIND!

Point 2: A Carnal Mind Brings forth death… (Both Spirtually and Naturally).

Now as I began to study these verses of scripture, I became very perplexed.

What made me perplexed is that how could Apostle Paul say “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”.

When I know MANY carnal minded people sitting right in the church and they are most defiently “alive”…

They drive what they want to drive but they are carnal...

They travel where they want to travel but they are carnal...

They dance and shout with the best of them but they are carnal

So, I begin to ask God can this be when these people are not dead?

The Lord brought back to my rememberance about to indivudals in the bible… ADAM and EVE

You remember God gave Adam dominon over every creature over the earth...

But one day a serpent came to his wife, EVE and tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit. After being tempted she then took it to Adam and he too ate the forbidden fruit.

I still was perplexed “So I said Lord, yes, I do remember but what I don’t understand how does it connect to when one is carnally minded it bringeth forth death? Especially after Adam lived another couple hundred years after he disobeyed your instructions?”

He replied “Son, that is true I did for Adam to remain alive NATURALLY, but the moment he disobeyed me he became SPIRTUALLY dead.”

Which leads me to my second and final point “when you take on a carnal mind, it bringeth forth dead BOTH spiritually and naturally.

That is why you have many people operating in the church but they are of no effect because they have and or on the verge of becoming Spiritually dead.

Your daily should be the words Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Look at your neighbor and tell them I WILL NOT DIE SPIRITUALLY because due to carnality being in my mind.

POINT 3: There is GRACE for the carnal minded.

As I close, I want to present something to someone who is either saved or unsaved that has a carnal mind. But after listening to this message they want to repent and take on the mind of christ.

I present to you my brother and my sister, something called GRACE.

By still being able to listen to this message God is extending unto you “GRACE” to get it right.

With that, I wonder if there’s anybody here that share the same words of Paul in Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Paul says the carnal mind is enmity against God. Do you know what Enmity means?

Enmity: It means that such a regard to the flesh is in fact hostility to God. Why? Because it is opposed to His Law, and to His plan for purifying the soul.

Also, when you mind the things of the flesh over the things of the spirit it can also lead to hatred of God himself. How? If God has already expressed that NO FLESH can tarry in his sight and you remain dwelling on the things of the flesh it shows a sense of hatred. Because why would you continue to do the very things to a person that you love?

Come out of CARNALITY. There’s grace for you.

Come out of LUST. There’s grace for you.

Come out WORLDLINESS. There’s grace for you.

Come out HATRED. There’s grace for you.

Come out of FORNICATION. There’s grace for you.

Come out of HOMOSEXUALITY. There’s grace for you

How do I know you can come out?

How do I know you can put to death (demise) your carnal mind?

TALK ABOUT THE CROSS

He died for your insercuties

He died for your shortcomings

EXTRA SCRIPTURES:

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Galatians 5:24 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

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