What are indications of a transformed life? There can be much evidence pointing to the fact that we are changed people. For example, we may develop a hunger to know the Word of God, a desire to put God first in all our affairs, or a longing to see people reconciled to God and one another. These are all indications of transformation. There are also evidences that our transformation is blocked or is underdeveloped. I would like to highlight a couple of these areas.
For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? 1Corinthians 3:4
Defintion of Carnal: Greek 4559- governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God.
Another term for being carnal is being “soulish.” A soulish believer is one who is ruled by their soul rather than their spirit. Watchman Nee explains this concept as follows:
The soul comprises three faculties: the mind (intellect), the will, and the emotions. These are gifts from God but can become barriers to spiritual growth when not surrendered to Him. The soul often attempts to dominate, leading to a life governed by human reasoning, personal desires, or emotional fluctuations instead of the Spirit of God.
- Mind: Over-reliance on intellect leads to rationalizing spiritual matters, rejecting truths that cannot be logically explained, and doubting God’s ways.
- Will: A stubborn or independent will resists God’s leading, resulting in self-will, disobedience, and taking matters into one’s own hands.
- Emotions: Being ruled by emotions causes instability, leading to emotional highs and lows. Feelings often conflict with the truth of God’s Word.
One of the major evidences of transformation is moving away from carnality and being ruled by the soul, allowing the Spirit of God to govern us instead. However, this is far more challenging than it seems!
On the other hand, carnality is one of the greatest obstacles to spiritual growth. In the scripture above, Paul expresses displeasure with the believers’ small-mindedness in aligning themselves with a specific spiritual leader, saying, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos.” This is carnality impacting the individual’s spiritual progress. Jesus must remain the focal point in the life of a believer.
The body of Christ suffers greatly from carnality, evidenced by church splits, factions, and divisions. These often arise when individuals operate based on what they see with natural eyes or how they feel about someone. A transformed life, however, is led by the Spirit of God and evaluates everything in the light of truth, not through the lens of personal relationships, preferences, or self-interest.
Do you find yourself viewing situations through natural eyes? What steps do you take to move beyond the natural and surrender yourself to the leading of the Spirit?
One major obstacle that keeps us soulish and carnal is the fear of man. This fear is not limited to being afraid of someone, though it can manifest that way. More often, it stems from an obsession with being impressive, acceptable, and included in the eyes of others.
When the fear of man captures our hearts, it becomes exceedingly difficult to be led by the Spirit because the soul has its own agenda. It resists surrender, fearing the loss of something it holds dear. This in turn inhibits one’s spiritual growth and causes arrested development. The danger is that the person may say all the right things but their spirit man has remained immature and their soul in control being influenced by their environment and those around them.
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