The means by which any individual seeks and finds pleasure exposes the condition of his heart. The Bible points to those who find pleasure in rioting, while others in backbiting or carnality, and yet others in selfish indulgences. At first, the individual tries to hide his carnal pleasures. As these things become more amusing to the carnal Christian, he begins to do them in the open, or as the scripture says, “in the day time.” All these things point to a cold heart toward the ways of God and a warming toward the things of the world. Yet, the people of God should find pleasure in spiritual things such as Bible reading, talking with the Lord, singing His praises, fellowshipping with like-minded believers, and witnessing to others of God’s goodness.
Every believer battling temptation faces an inward struggle. A part of him (his spirit) wants to do right and to please the Lord, while another part of him (his flesh) loves sin and self more than the Saviour. If this struggle goes unchecked, the flesh will certainly win every time. Man’s spirit requires reinforcements in order to win this battle. According to Matthew 26:41, two of these resources include watchfulness and prayer. It is imperative for each believer to implement both, for one without the other leaves a person with certain vulnerabilities when temptations arise. Watchfulness demonstrates the saint’s personal responsibility, while prayer demonstrates his need for God’s intervention.
Christians sometimes focus most upon the benefits believers will enjoy after this life is over, yet the benefits of salvation enjoyed in this present life are just as grand as those yet in the future. Perhaps the lack of focus on present benefits has caused some individuals to put off their salvation. Thus it is important to emphasize that salvation changes a person’s present circumstances just as much as it will his future. Salvation does not change a man’s surroundings; it changes the man. When it does, it brings things like love, joy, and peace to the individual. The very things that the average lost person expresses as his greatest needs can only be found through a present, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Although the Bible repeatedly warns against fretting, believers fret because of others. Sadly, one’s worry can make the sin of others seem more desirable. We should not fret because of “evildoers” (Psalm 37:1), or “him who prospereth in his way (Psalm 37:7), or “the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass” (Psalm 37:7), or even “evil men” (Proverbs 24:19). Some believers may fret about these people because of their fears, but the scripture offers another reason why believers fret over the wicked. According to Psalm 37:1 and Proverbs 24:19, fretting over the wicked is directly associated to one’s envy toward them. Perhaps believers worry about these people so much because there is a deep-rooted desire to become like them. This desire can be rooted in the fact that those whom we fear are viewed as more powerful, more in control, and even more confident. Eliminate the envy and you will eliminate the fear.
The Christian’s relationship at times is unfathomable. For this reason, it may be difficult to conceive that believers can actually minister to the Lord. Yet, the pages of God’s word declare that it is not only possible but a big part of being saved. Ministering to the Lord is done by fulfilling the ministry of the word, the ministry of reconciliation, and the ministry of the saints. Additionally, you can visualize it by considering that ministering to the Lord is accomplished when believers do anything that offers God the praise and honour due Him. In Acts chapter 13, the believers “ministered unto the Lord” and though the passage does not offer specifics on what this entailed, an understanding of the previously mentioned ministries sheds light on their efforts.
God designed and willed for the Christian home and the local body of believers to function as two of the closest experiences to heaven on this side of eternity. As believers, we ought to love one another (John 13:34-35) and serve one another by that love (Galatians 5:13). Rather than backbiting and devouring each other (Galatians 5:15), believers ought to give themselves to ministering to each other. In Paul’s epistle to the Corinthian believers, God led Paul to mention a family addicted to the ministry. At some point, this family decided to sacrifice their own gain for the sake of ministering to others. Because of this commitment, the Bible says that Stephanas refreshed the spirit of other believers.
The Lord frequently uses comparison and contrast to provide insight for discovering biblical definitions. For instance, our text verse contrasts the carnal with the spiritual. This truth is not limited to our text as 1 Corinthians 3:1 also sets forth this teaching and contrast. In a related study, the Bible repeatedly contrasts the spirit and flesh (Isaiah 31:3; Matthew 26:41; John 3:6; John 6:63; Galatians 5:17). By considering these truths together, we find that the Lord defined a “carnal mind” (Romans 8:7) as someone who is “in the flesh” (Romans 8:8). Based upon these verses and others, we understand the word carnal to mean that which is earthly, natural, or fleshly.
If you bite and chew your food enough times it will break down into small pieces and disappear into your stomach. In our passage, the apostle Paul informs us that our relationships with others bear the same truth. If we bite and devour one another, we will eventually consume each other. Many believers have quit attending the house of God and given up on serving the Lord because Christians have allowed their words to devour and consume. Just as food can only withstand so many bites before it is fully consumed, other believers can only take so much backbiting before weakened beyond their willingness to withstand. As the people of God, we are responsible for strengthening each other and surely will answer to God for any backbiting.
A zealous person is contagious, both positively and negatively. The apostle Paul cautioned that the early believers had been zealously affected, but not in a good way. Those who opposed the gospel were adamant, yet they unwisely waged war against the truth. Night and day, they zealously fought in order to hinder the ministry of the believers. Ultimately, their zeal affected the people of God. These believers who started strong were hindered by the enemies' efforts to the point that it affected their race for the Lord (Galatians 5:7). Modern day enemies of the gospel are aware of this potential pitfall for the believers. They often display more zeal than those who knowingly possess the truth. Yet, today's passage also teaches that “it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.” Zeal breeds zeal. Zeal in righteousness will yield righteous results.
God's children are supposed to be easily recognizable through their love one for another (John 13:35). Today's passage teaches Christians to be both kind and forgiving. In the midst of these two exemplary qualities, the Lord desires His children to show forth a tender heart. This means that our hearts ought to be easily moved when other believers are experiencing either joy or distress in their lives (Romans 12:15). Unfortunately, instead of exemplifying a tender heart, far too many believers are becoming more like the world by displaying a divisive spirit and by devouring one another (Galatians 5:15). Believers who are hard-hearted toward others are generally hard-hearted toward the Lord as well (1 John 3:17).
