The Master's Indwelling - Christian Classics

There are some Christian Classics that bring us great truths of the Word of God. One reason I put so much stock in our fore fathers of the faith is that their commitment to the Word of God was so strong. They were not tempted with all the distractions of our modern culture. They spent great amounts of time feeding at the feet of Jesus and absorbing His Word. Andrew Murray was one of those men (1828-1917). The Master’s Indwelling were first papers delivered by the author in a series of addresses at the Northfield Conference of 1895. Later they were rewritten and revised by him for the authorized publication we know as The Master’s Indwelling (you can download the book for free at Amazon as a Kindle publication and use it with an app on iPhone or iPad). I want to pull some thoughts from the first chapter entitled, “Carnal Christians”. This also would be a good resource for those reading Crazy Love and this particular chapter in relation to chapter 4 of Crazy Love – Lukewarm.

1 Corinthians 3:1 “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” (ESV)

In this verse Paul breaks Christianity down into two groups of people: spiritual and flesh (carnal). Today, I want to deal with the carnal Christian. Note that they are Christian. Notice the next two verses.

1 Corinthians 3:2–3, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, ³ for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” (ESV). Paul keeps using the word flesh (carnal).

We learn from Paul’s writings there are four marks of living according to the flesh or carnal.

1.     A simple condition of protracted infancy. If a baby cannot talk, walk or feed itself at six months we do not worry. But if that same child cannot talk, walk or feed itself at four we would easily come to the conclusion that the child had some kind of dreadful disease. This is true in the spiritual realm as well. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12, ESV).

2.     There is sin and failure continually. “For while there is jealousy and strife among you” (3a). This happens because one is not properly given up to the Spirit of God. God did not give us the power of the Spirit to fulfill the desires of the flesh.

3.     There is a presence of the gifts of the Spirit but not the graces of the Spirit. The graces of the Spirit are to make a man free from self; the gifs of the Spirit are to fit a man for work. God might use one to make an impact on others by the use of the gifts. So often we see people using their gifts of the Spirit but neglecting the graces of the Spirit – love and humility. Read 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 and then go back and read chapter 13. The carnal one uses the gifts of the Spirit but neglects the graces of the Spirit.

4.     Carnality makes a man unfit for receiving spiritual truths. Paul said, I “could not address you as spiritual”. “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it” (v2).

Many  people ask why is the church so feeble today? Carnality, living according to the flesh.

The contents of this blog are gleanings from The Master's Indwelling by Andrew Murray. 

Tomorrow I will blog about how to live the spiritual life opposed to the carnal life.