THREE TYPES OF MEN MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE

THE THREE TYPES OF MEN MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE

IN Romans 8: 1-26 we read a little of these three men – the natural man, the carnal man and the spiritual man.  We will look at each of them briefly.

The Natural Man – all men born in this world are sinners.  “All have sinned & come short of the glory of God”  Roman 3: 23                                                                                                                                                                         

They are ruled by the law of sin and death as stated in Verse 2                                                                 

Again,  in Matt.18: 3  “Verily I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of God.”                                                                                                                         

 Again, in John 3: 3 we read,   “Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily I say unto you except a man be born-again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”                                                                

The Carnal Man – though he is converted, he still lives like the natural man. His dead spirit has received eternal life and he desires to follow the Lord but he still allows his senses to rule him.   He is a babe in Christ and needs to grow in the knowledge of God.  The only way to grow is to feed on the Word of God which is spiritual food.  A new convert will hunger for more of God and needs to do the Word.                                                                                                                                                                     

 He needs to know this reference 1 Cor.6: 9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, no adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves,  nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified by the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.            

Again, Gal. 5: 19-26 says “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance.  Emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveliings and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in the past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law.   And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.     

Again, Rev. 21: 6 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”                                                                                                              The babe in Christ needs to know that he has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and not with silver or gold. 1 Peter 18, 19.                                                                                                                                         Also Rev. 5: 9 says, “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people and nation.’

Many times the devil uses the carnal believers to cause strife and sow discord among the believers for they are not yet governed by the Word.  The old nature pops up often when they allow their fleshly or carnal ways to rule them.

The Spiritual Man – he is a believer who loves the Lord and is thankful for his salvation when he was divinely changed by surrendering himself unto the Savior.  He feeds on the Word of God and allows the Word to govern him and begins doing the Word.  His life style keeps changing as he applies the Word personally and becomes an object of being strange or peculiar to the world.   All worldly pleasures lose their grip over him, for he learns that his love for the world makes him an enemy of God.                    “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.”     1 John 2: 15                                                                                                                                                                           He knows that in James 4: 4 it says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God?       

The Spiritual man now has new desires to please the Father as in Col. 3 : 1-10 “ If you then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.  Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth.  For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ Who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory.  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness,  inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and  covetousness which is idolatry;  For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which you also walked sometime, when you lived in them.  BIUT now you also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.   Lie not one to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:”          

 As the Spiritual Man studies the Word of God  to be approved of God he will find himself being changed from glory to glory and from strength to strength and from victory to victory.                                                              He gets baptized in the Holy Ghost and the fruit of the Spirit is manifested in his life and he is being changed to be more and more like Jesus.  Daily he denies self and takes up his cross and follows the Lord.  He soon learns that he is a son of God and an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ and begins to act like a son of God.                                                                                                                                                        He enjoys gatherings with God’s people around the Word and in prayer – the place of power.  He also learns his authority and seeks to do the will of His Heavenly Father no matter the cost.    The Word says in the world you will have tribulation and he will not be moved by every wind of doctrine but he is grounded on the Word of God.                                                                                   Obedience is the key to all blessings in the kingdom of God.                                                                                       He learns he been made righteous and holy and so he walks accordingly.  He prays in secret and God answers him openly.     He regularly fasts and prays and is witnessing for the Lord and winning souls for the Kingdom.   He becomes a threat to the kingdom of darkness for he knows that He that is within him is greater.                                                      The Spiritual Man knows that Christ is alive and has promised never to leave nor forsake him.                                                  

 He knows that the enemy has been eternally defeated and through the Name of Jesus Christ he has authority over the works of the devil.                                                                                                                                   

 He acts on the Word and lays hands on the sick knowing that Jesus promised when he obeys they shall recover!                                                                                                                                                                                              

 He knows that God loved the world and through Calvary has redeemed everyone and therefore prays for all men.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 He prays for Israel and for all rulers.  He prays for the Body of Christ and all leaders and for the persecuted so their faith will not fail in their trails.                                                                                                            

He is obedient in giving his portion to the Lord and helping the poor and serving the Lord in every way possible.

I believe that we do know that the Bible is God’s Word and you will know into which category you find yourself.  Now is the time to make the adjustments, if necessary so that the coming of the Lord will motivate us to be occupied in winning souls from darkness to light.                                                                                    

  Should you live as a natural man you have no hope of eternal life but you could be born-again now by turning to the Lord in true repentance and surrendering yourself to Him.

If you find yourself in the category of the carnal man, then repent and begin to be in earnest and put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man and live like a son/daughter of God in this sinful world.  Allow the Word of God to govern you and follow Jesus in obedience.

Praise God for those who are Spiritual you will bring glory to the Father as you continue to live a separated life from the world, and the flesh and you can plunder the kingdom of darkness  and populate the kingdom of heaven.

Let us all be about the Father’s business for our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ is soon to come and His rewards are with Him

Margaret Wright