Pt1

Pt. 1 The carnal man: identifying with the old nature Romans 8:5

The things of the old nature: 1. Comprised of Colossians 3:5 a. Sexual immorality i.e. ungodly joining or unions Ephesians 5:3,5; Galatians 5:19; b. Impurity i.e. a lack of holiness Ephesians 5:5; Galatians 5:19; c. Deceptive desires Ephesians 4:22; Galatians 5:19; i. Lust i.e. God given desires gone warped ii. Evil desires obtained from Satan d. Idolatry/greed i.e. worship of someone or thing other than God Ephesians 5:5; 2. Its ways a. Galatians 5:19-21 (occult, drugs, feuds, fighting, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, intrigue, envy, drunkenness, orgies) b. Ephesians 4:25-31 (falsehood, anger, theft, harmful ungracious language/speech, bitterness, rage, violent assertiveness, slander, various types of spitefulness) c. Colossians 3:8-11 (anger, exasperation, meanness, slander, obscene talk, lies, discrimination) d. 1 Peter 2:1 (various types of malice, various types of deceit, hypocrisy, envy, various ways of speaking against people) e. 1 Peter 4:2,3 (debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, wild parties, idol worship) f. James 1:21 (vulgarity) g. 2 Peter 2 (false pretenses, destructive heresies, fabricated stories, despise authority, presumption, self-willed, deception, greed, instability, speaks grand empty words, seduction) 3. It teaches the inner man Ephesians 4:17-22 a. Sterile thinking patterns b. Lack of feeling/awareness/sensitivity

4. Its results a. Disobedience to God Romans 8:7,8 b. Future judgment Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 2:9,10 c. Unable to receive insights/revelation from God 1 Corinthians 2:14 d. James 3:6,8-10,14-16; James 4:1-4 i. Lack of peace of mind ii. Turbulent emotions iii. Difficult, unstable, and broken relationships iv. Strife and controversy e. 2 Peter 2 i. Slave of corruption ii. Maligning of God’s way f. Distorted/altered shape of inner man Romans 6:12,13; 1 Peter 1:14 g. Death Romans 8:6; Romans 6:22,23

Summary statement: A life controlled by the carnal man (old nature) is a life filled with drama, intrigue, poor choices, faulty relationships, stress, betrayal and pain. Such a life can look forward to judgment from God and death.

The old nature is the natural way for all humans since we are all born with knowledge of how to live this way. It is easy to live this way, but the costs are very high. Each person must choose whether he or she is willing to pay such high costs in life. To live any other way will demand conscious effort and will power. To live God’s way will require conscious effort, will power and most importantly the life the Holy Spirit gives.