3 Men, 3of3

~ 3 Men Representing 3 Levels of Progress ~

Your Choice!  ~  The Bible describes three kinds of human beings.  In three successive posts we are looking at the three from different perspectives.  The most important two questions for each individual to answer are:

1.  Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?
2. If so, am I living like it? 

The Natural Man  ~  The key issue is that this person has no personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We all begin life as natural men and women.  We all have the choice to accept or reject Jesus Christ as Savior.  The Bible speaking of those who have accepted Christ as follows:  “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:12-14).  Notice that the natural man rejects truth and sees truth as foolishness.  The key factor is they lack the ability to discern truth.  If you are a believer how long has it been since you thanked God for the specific grace He gave you to understand spiritual things? 

The Carnal Man  ~  The key distinguishing characteristic is acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior—unfortunately they do not grow in their relationship with Christ.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.  For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?  For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ((1 Corinthians 3:1-5).  The carnal person is a Christian who has not matured normally—picture a 35 year old man still eating baby food out of a jar!  Perhaps they allowed their past, or their present circumstances, to cripple their future.  They are believers who are still controlled by the flesh rather than by the Spirit of God.  Consequently they are driven by envy and living a life of strife and stress.  They are aligned with people instead of with their Savior.  They seem unable to handle spiritual wisdom. 

The Spiritual Man  ~  This individual has not only accepted The Messiah as their Savior but also seek to make Him Lord of their daily lives.  “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.  For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’  But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:15-16).  The spiritual person is the believer who continues to grow in both grace and truth because they are allowing the Spirit of God to control their lives.  As a result they have spiritual discernment allowing them to judge rightly.  They have the “mind of Christ”—they think like Jesus thinks!

concluding thoughts  ~  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works’” (Matthew 16:24-27). 

While repentance is a requirement for becoming a child of God transformation is our calling!  Consider the words of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, “One does not surrender a life in an instant—that which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.”  But how do we do that?  If Romans 12:1-2 is true for your heart and you make Proverbs 3:5-6 real in your life and use Colossians 3:17 for every decision, you can be guaranteed a happy, successful, and fruitful Christian life.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

3 Men, 2of3

~ 3 Men Taking Three Different Actions ~

Your Choice!  ~  The Bible describes three kinds of human beings.  In three successive posts we are looking at the three from different perspectives.  The most important two questions for each individual to answer are:

1.  Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?
2. If so, am I living like it? 

The Man Who Died For Sin (The God-Man)  ~  “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.’  …  Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, “Into Your hands I commit My spirit.”’ Having said this, He breathed His last” (Luke 23:34-35, 44-46).  Jesus Christ was fully God and while on earth simultaneously fully man—God’s Man.  

The Man Who Died In Sin (The Natural Man)  ~  “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us’” (Luke 23:39).  This man died as a man in sin.  

The Man Who Died To Sin (The Spiritual Man)  ~  “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’  But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’  Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke 23:29-43).  This second thief died as a man born again through the Spirit of God a man in Christ.

concluding thought  ~  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works’” (Matthew 16:24-27). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

3 Men, 1of3

~ 3 Men In 3 Different Conditions ~

Your Choice!  ~  The Bible describes three kinds of human beings.  In this and two subsequent posts we will look at the three from different perspectives.   The most important two questions for each individual to answer are:

1. Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?
2. If so, am I living like it? 

Man In The Flesh  ~  Jesus in His discussion with Nicodemus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [natural human birth—in flesh] and the Spirit [supernatural spiritual birth—from above], he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8).  We were all born humanly in the flesh—human physical bodies. 

Man In Christ  ~  “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:16-19).  Those who have been “born again” are totally new creations in Christ Jesus. 

“Man Of God”  ~  There are many individuals in the Scriptures who are described as being a “man of God.”  Perhaps we read this more often about Elisha than any other person.  One passage stands out to me.  “Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack.  And he said, ‘Give it to the people, that they may eat’” (2 Kings 4:42).  A key thing about any man of God is that he has one purpose—to be a representative, channel, vehicle of God on earth. 

concluding thought  ~  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works’” (Matthew 16:24-27). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .