“For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?” 1Cor 3:3 AMP
There is a great need today for the Body of Christ to wake up and recognize the struggle that still ensues between the natural and the spirit. The goal being – once discerned, to cooperate with the leading of the Spirit of God and the word to submit more fully to God – that His victory would be manifested over the flesh whether in an individual or in a church fellowship.
How can one know such a struggle is raging? Because there can be no denying the present envying, jealously, wrangling, and factions in operation among us. That’s right! If you are witnessing in your fellowship or in your person the outbreak of such things – it indicates behavior after a human standard, that is like mere unchanged men. In other words, the natural or flesh life is rising its head in contention against the spiritual or supernatural life!
The first step, however, is to discern the actual nature of the behavior being seen. See it with clarity. The Book of James (Jam 3:11-18) gives much help towards recognizing this struggle. It shows us that as the Body of Christ our life should be singular – of one type. We should not simultaneously manifest the flesh life and the spiritual life. A fountain does not simultaneously bring forth fresh water and bitter water!
James counsels that if bitter jealousy, envy, and contention is present – not to pride ourselves on it and be in defiance of and false to the Truth. James postures this behavior as a superficial type of wisdom that is not like that which comes down from above – instead it is earthly (read of the flesh which is fashioned from the dirt), unspiritual (animal), and even devilish!
Take a moment now to remember that the flesh and the spirit, the natural and the supernatural, the carnal and the spiritual – these are words that describe our two natures. We at once have a natural fallen nature, but if we are saved we have also the redemptive nature of Jesus Christ living in us. These natures are totally adversarial. They are opposed to each other. As we allow one to rule over us – the other is suppressed and impotent. If we as a Body in Christ, or as an individual display behavior that is not spiritual – it indicates that our flesh is ruling and in charge of us. This should not be so! As that occurs it means we are resisting, or denying the life of Christ provisioned within us! We are no different at that moment than Peter who denied Christ three times! This is what the Body of Christ needs to wake up to! What nature are we truly manifesting? Is it our old fallen nature – where we behave according to a human standard and like mere unchanged men?
If that is the case what you will hear within a fellowship will be much opinion, political correctness, debate and factions even wrestling over entitlement, rights, and secularist beliefs that reflect a worldly influence. Thinking will be aligned with the philosophies of the systems of the world, and carry virtually nothing of the life or Spirit or substance of Jesus Christ. Reasoning, analysis, and strategies of the soul will inflate every effort, while faith and the leading of the Spirit will carry virtually no weight. Prayer will be present and focused, but only as a means to ask for blessing upon a work after the fact of its inspiration. It will not fully carry the power of the Spirit in freedom to be a demonstration of the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, if the Spirit is reigning in a fellowship or in an individual, you will see it evidenced in the wisdom that is from above. You will see behaviors postured in purity (they are undefiled), peace-loving, courteous, considerate and gentle. This Spirit led behavior is willing to yield to reason (wisdom of the living word – not man’s reason), it is full of compassion (compassion from the nature of Christ versus the world’s sympathy), and it is full of good fruits (fruits from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling freely within). This Spiritual wisdom is also wholehearted, straightforward, impartial and unfeigned. It is free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity – just as was the life of Abraham spoken of in Romans 4:19-24. (Abraham was postured to inherit the promises of God because he first of all believed God was able and mighty to keep His promise, so Abraham hoped in faith because human reason for hope was dead in him! Thus it was accorded to him as righteousness – and for us as well!)
So why is this recognition needful? Why is such discernment imperative? Because in these last days the enemy is posturing with his deception to attempt to deceive even the saints. His end run goal is to deceive the church – the Body of Christ into believing they are walking in the Spirit when in fact they are still operating according to the flesh. He can then bring the Body under judgment, because only where it has operated according to the Spirit is there no charge that can be brought against it. If the church is actually relying on itself – it own soul (rational processes, will, emotions) and not relying on the Spirit of God – it cannot bring life, nor increase life. Its works are in fact then dead, and it will stand condemned.
The key becomes discerning the nature that one is exhibiting, as a fellowship or as an individual. If there is behavior marked by wrangling and factions and envy and jealousy – then indeed the behavior is unspiritual and of the flesh. The remedy is to realize that we have remained unspiritual, and to bring every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God – to God as captive, as an arrested form of thinking. We then bring our thinking into the obedience of Christ – that we as a Body will conform to the Image and likeness of Christ – even His thinking, and believing and doing. It is there that we experience unity with Him. There, we are His and He is ours!
It is in this union and communion with God that love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, so we walk in confidence for the day of judgment ahead –because as He is so are we in this world. (1Jn 4:17)
Shalom!
Insolomonsporch's Blog 
Leave a Reply