The Carnal Mind

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Before continuing, let’s examine a big reason for why violating the law of cause and effect has beset the world with insoluble problems.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, records an amazing statement: “Because the carnal [physical] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7). Other translations use the stronger phrase “is the ENEMY of God” in place of “is enmity against God.” For those who will believe it, this single passage offers startling insight into the working of the physical—“carnal”—mind of every human being. Cut off from God, the natural mind is God’s enemy—it hates Him. Think of it! Ask yourself if any minister, religionist or theologian has ever explained thisto you.

NO! The religious leaders of this world never refer to this. They either ignore this understanding entirely or do not recognize its far-reaching implications for mankind as a whole!

This verse plainly says that the natural mind does not want, and even hates, to yield to God and obey His law. While most people profess that they “love God,” the truth is that their minds despise His way and refuse to truly submit to Him—to His authority over their lives. No wonder the prophet Jeremiah wrote: “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps” (Jer 10:23). This is another incredible statement. When confronted with problems or important decisions, men simply DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO! They are at a loss for how to correctly address and solve the challenges, difficulties and problems they face in their personal lives.

How then can they solve the far more complex problems engulfing civilization today? They cannot. Solutions born of human reasoning always generate more problems. We will learn why.

In the Beginning

The apostle John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). He then continued, “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” If there is One who WAS God, but who was also WITH God, it is obvious that two Beings— two Persons—are being described.

Jn 1:14 continues, “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The only God-Being who ever became flesh in order to dwell among men is Jesus Christ. Remember, it says that the Word “was made flesh.” Christ was not flesh until He came to earth to become the Saviour of mankind.

In Genesis 1:1 it states, “In the beginning God...” Moses recorded the first five books of the Old Testament in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew word translated “God” is Elohim. This word is uniplural and refers to words like team, group, family or church. God is one Family—One God—composed of TWO Beings. This is why Christ could be God and with God at the same time. John 4:24 states that “God is Spirit.” God is actually made up of—composed of—Spirit. Men are composed of flesh.

Later in Genesis 1:1-31, we find that God said, “Let US [more than one] make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness” (Gen 1:26). There was clearly more than one person involved in the creation of man. Gen 1:25 adds that each animal was made after “his kind.”

Dogs come from dogs and have puppies that look like dogs. Cats come from cats and have kittens that look like cats. Horses come from horses and have foals that look like horses. This is true throughout the entire animal kingdom. There is no mystery here.

But here is what has been a MYSTERY. Men are not part of the animal kind. They do not carry the likeness of any “beast of the earth” (vs. 25). They are made in the image and likeness of God. They are part of the GOD kind.

So says your Bible!

Genesis 2:7 states, “God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Man is made out of physical matter—flesh. While man is not composed of what God is composed of—Spirit—he is FORMED in the “image and likeness” of God. Also take note that man “became”—not “had”—a soul. People do not HAVE souls. They ARE souls!

Throughout the Bible, references to God’s body parts are found. Many verses show that God has eyes, ears, hands, feet, a mouth, nostrils, arms and legs, etc. In just one location, Isaiah 59:1-2 mentions His face, ears and hands. Numerous other verses make reference to the mind of God and Christ (Phil. 2:5). Humans have all of these same physical attributes that God Himself possesses, although men are made of flesh and not Spirit.

While human beings have been given hands so that they can create, paws, claws and hooves are not capable of building complex televisions—even if a mind is directing them. And, of course, animals have brains, not minds.

Animals function on instinct. Almost immediately after birth, they know exactly how to function. For example, a newborn calf knows how to stand up, take steps and find milk. Babies require far longer to even stand up and have to be taught how to do everything.

Human beings are able to acquire knowledge. Animals do not have this capability. God has programmed into animals, through instinct, everything that they need to function effectively within their environment.

People do not instinctively know everything that they need to know in order to operate successfully throughout their lives. They must acquire ever more knowledge as they grow older and as more demands are made upon them.

All knowledge that men obtain falls into two categories: (1) The physical knowledge of how to work with matter and physical things, and (2) the spiritual knowledge necessary to develop personal relationships with both God and their fellow man. All knowledge is either PHYSICAL or SPIRITUAL knowledge.

Physical knowledge is acquired through the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. People understand that they must acquire a certain amount of useful knowledge and keep adding to it throughout their lives. They must master one or more skills en route to a career. They must learn to eat, ride a bike, play a piano, drive a nail, cut the grass, get dressed, drive a car, and many other things. To function as adults requires physical knowledge. Of course, this is not hard to understand. Most adults recognize that no one can succeed in life without a certain amount of knowledge. Today, people need more knowledge than ever to survive in an ever more complex world.

But there is a big problem in all of this! The physical knowledge that we have described has not been sufficient—or of the right kind—for mankind to be able to solve the greatest problems afflicting all the nations of the world. For instance, man is utterly incapable of achieving world peace.

Why?

Why Men Cannot Find Peace

Nothing can be understood or accomplished without proper knowledge. Even something as simple as changing a tire requires “know how.” Without right knowledge, mankind stands completely powerless—absolutely helpless—before its problems. Because man has rejected the SOURCE of right knowledge, he is surrounded by terrible troubles.

Consider just one world problem that has defied all humanly-devised solutions throughout recorded history: finding peace. Man has literally barred himself from the knowledge that would make this possible. Just look at the daily newspaper headlines. War seems to literally grip the planet in every part of the world.

It has been said that all nations are either preparing for war, at war or recovering from war. History shows this—it has recorded nearly 15,000 wars. Ironically, many of these wars were fought “in search of peace.” The outcome of war usually involves a truce that always fails to yield permanent peace. This is because men cannot, and never will, find the way to peace on their own, without outside help. They have no chance to achieve world peace.

Again, why?

As part of an extensive prophecy about conditions on earth in our time, the prophet Isaiah answers this question: “The WAY of peace they KNOW NOT; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace” (Isa. 59:8). The solutions of men always lead to more wars, ruin, misery, death and destruction. Also, Paul wrote, “And the way of peace have they NOT KNOWN” (Rom. 3:17).

How true!

This is because the governments of men simply do not work. They have never succeeded in finding permanent solutions to civilization’s problems. They lack the essential knowledge necessary to solve them. They do not have the answers to mankind’s most important questions. Man does not, of himself, understand the path to peace—or, for that matter, the path to abundance, happiness, health and prosperity. We will soon learn why. The greatest thinkers, leaders, educators and scientists have failed miserably in their quest for peace on earth. God has not yet revealed to mankind, as a whole, how to achieve the solution to war.

Is it any wonder God inspired the prophet Hosea to record, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you” (Hosea 4:6)? Mankind could have known, understood and had access to far more important, vital knowledge about how to live, but chose to reject it. As a result, God rejected—CUT OFF—man from access to Him. And this cuts men off from the very solutions to the terrible, worsening problems that they now have.

Next Part What Knowledge?

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