01/28/2026
You read your Bible, you teach Sunday school, and you might even preach sermons, but does this make you spiritual? Are you a spiritual Christian, or are you a carnal Christian at heart? So many who follow Jesus Christ do so motivated by a worldly desire; they seek Him with their minds, and intellect... much more than through relationship and meekness, not with a spiritual inclination. Which are you, and do you even know?
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:24-25 ESV
As humans we seek answers, and solutions to problems. It is easy to apply this nature to our faith and seek God in ways other than through a relationship, and in Spirit and Truth. We look for the formula of faith, or the recipe for salvation. So many of us place ourselves right back under the law because we find it easier to understand, and it demands no relationship which requires us to delve into the vaporous realm of such things as love, and faith... virtues that can be enigmatic, and challenging. Yet relationships are the means by which we are told to approach God and Jesus Christ.
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Romans 13:14 ESV
Often we become newspaper reporters of faith; we are really good at telling ourselves and others what it looks like, and how it behaves, but completely lost when it comes to the emotion that lies at its heart. We can tell you that there was a three-car pileup on the interstate, but not how a woman was heartbroken and searching for her child when she pulled in front of someone with her eyes full of tears. Listen to how Pastor Andrew Murray describes this lack of emotion and relationship in the faith of many…
“With the carnal Christian, there may be the appearance of virtue and zeal for God and His service, but it is for the most part a manifestation of human power.” - Andrew Murray
If we are carnal Christians we might seek out the formulas and facts of what a believer is, and conform to them, but neglect, for the most part, what it feels like to love, rest, have joy, or any of the other vaporous attributes involved in maintaining a relationship with God. We place our emphasis on attending church each Sunday, church growth, church finances, community service, set goals like reading the Bible once a year, or any number of measurable things, but place much less emphasis on quiet conversations in prayer, leaning on Jesus, worshipping in love, feeling the filling of the Holy Spirit, or smelling the incense of God with our hands raised towards heaven.
“With the Spiritual Christian, on the other hand, there is a complete submission to the leading of the Spirit, a sense of personal weakness and total dependence on the work of Christ - it is a life of abiding fellowship with Christ brought into being by the Spirit.” - Andrew Murray
Even pastors are not immune to being carnal in their approach to faith. They lean on the wisdom of years of commentary study, and teach the roadmap of faith, but have never actually walked the way that the lines on the map represent. They can tell you what village lies ahead by looking at the map, but not what it smells like, or the welcome that you can expect to receive when you arrive there. Like any believer they can dedicate their human nature to a spiritual vocation but miss the fullness of the experience.
Do you know which of these you are? Do you answer quickly that you are spiritual and not carnal? Well stop for a moment and reflect upon your response. You may have no truly spiritual life to which you can compare your own. Remember, our human nature is to be carnal, so most of those who surround us are probably that way. Instead, look to Jesus, and not at what He did, but at the way He did those things, His humble nature, and how He behaved. Is this how you are living your life as a Christians?
This Sunday, we will dress and go to church. As we do this, are we doing so with an anticipation of worshiping, or are we wondering if Tom or Jane will be there? Maybe we are going Sunday morning because someone would put us down for not making it if we aren’t there. Most of all let’s Be honest with ourselves because God already knows our hearts. Then let’s look at our reflection in the mirror and either say “I am a Spiritual Christian”, or “I am a carnal Christian?” Maybe we will find that we are a little of both. Then let’s pull out the map we have been using and actually walk the road we have been studying.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and the spiritual understanding He leads us to. Thank you Father for Jesus who is not only our redeemer, but our example of spirituality, and He who demonstrates for us how we should be in our relationship with you. Help us Father as we approach our faith and worship with an open heart, and a true desire for your presence in our lives. We realize that we have a carnal nature Lord, but give us the strength to overcome it and to put down the cookbook of faith and religion so that you can teach us the taste of your excellence, and the smell of true worship. We praise your name Holy Father because we know you in our hearts and feel your breath upon us. We each desire to know your touch personally, and to praise you for your kindness and goodness. As Spiritual Christians We love you Merciful Father, and long to feel your presence each morning as we rise... be with us every morning Lord… in both Spirit and truth.
Rich Forbes