For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8.
Those who have chosen to overcome any carnal sentiments of the flesh should be ready to defend the truth, not in favor of anyone, but by seeing things from God’s points of view even as Phinehas acted to defend the righteousness and holiness of God when he took javelin and killed the Israelite man and the Moabite woman who came to the camp to commit sexual immorality, his action deferred the anger and punishment of God against the whole congregation and it was imputed unto him as righteousness before God. Numbers 25:7.
They will do nothing by partiality. They will do what is just and equal before God, even if it is to their disadvantage and profit. They shall stand up to openly rebuke and condemn sin, not to disgrace anyone, though sin is already a reproach to anyone, but to sanctify the name of the Lord that others may fear. 1Timothy 5:20.
They don’t condole what God condemns, and they don’t condemns what he accepts in his saints – they are not overly righteous or wicked, not wise in their own eyes, but walk in the wisdom of the serpent, and their actions are ruled by the word of God, guided always by the spirit of God. They do nothing for the praise and acceptance of men, except God.
They dealt wisely like the Egyptians midwives acted against King Pharaoh’s command to kill any male child born into the Jewish family, and like their Savior, though they know that they will go up to the feast at Jerusalem (John 7:8), but to avoid any unforeseen danger, they might first tell you that they are not going. This is not deception but it’s not been overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? Ecclesiastes 7: 16-17.
If you cannot deny yourself to do what is pleasing to God, it is practically impossible to deny and resist anyone who seeks to turn you away from doing the will of God. While the blame can be put on others, but the root of the problem is in you – failure to set your heart right to please God, you made yourself unworthy to be Christ disciple.
By yielding to carnal sentiment of false fatherhood of parenting, Prophet Eli made the greatest mistake of his life and was punished for it by allowing his carnal sentiment to becloud his spiritual judgment for the sin of promiscuousness and covetousness of his two adult sons as priests in the temple of God. Though he heard and knew about their misconducts, he pampered them, and did nothing to publicly correct, discipline, rebuke or to stop it, but instead turned deaf ears because it has to do with his children. God sees and judges it as a sin of misrepresentation of him because Eli failed to distance himself from the sins of his children, but his reluctance and failure to stand up against them in public and to separate himself from the rebellious and promiscuousness of his two sons in the temple cost him very dearly.
Where Eli failed to make the difference known, God made the difference known for the punishments of the consequences of allowing carnal sentiments to dominate against the will and works of God – his failure to show the difference between what is holy and the unclean, lest we should ignore or lack spiritual perception of the required holiness which should characterize the house of God (Psalms 93:5) lest we allow any blood relation or carnal sentiment of any relationship to cloud our sense of judgment to walk and conduct ourselves before God as he chastised Eli and his two sons with untimely death, and his generation after him were banned forever from the priesthood.
Where Moses passed the test of leaving Egypt to suffer affliction with the people of God, Jonathan, the son of King Saul failed his test. Moses chose to suffer for the name of Christ by leaving the palace for a good future reward while Jonathan chose to live and enjoy the palace delicacies with a false hope of a future reward been David’s second in command.
Moses overcame the thoughts of any inconveniences related the present affliction and every ungodly carnal sentiment to abandon all the privileges of being King Pharaoh’s adoptive son through the King’ daughter – by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Hebrews 11: 24-26. Note: to keep the bond of spiritual brotherhood with those of the household of faith and are in the will of God is preferable before God above maternal bond and relationship if the latter stands in opposition to do what is just and right in the sight of God – we should love the brotherhood. 1 Peter 2:17.
If Jonathan, King Saul’s son loved David as his own soul, the mere confession of Jonathan’s love for David was not convincing enough to God because of his carnal sentiment attachment to his wicked father who was after the life of his friend David. Instead of his practical and active separation from his father to be with David in his affliction, so that God might bring him into a new season of power and reign with his friend David as prime minister when God will put an end to David’s troubles caused by King Saul’s bitter envy, but he fell to the false sentiments appeals and threats of his father, thinking that after all he’s my father, but it doesn’t work with God like that – Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 1 Samuel 20: 30-31.
Faith is spiritual, its actions and responses must be motivated on serving God’s interest and agenda, and not ours. If we speak or confesses our faith before God and man, we must also act faithfully to justify the expectations of our faith as the evidence of things we hoped for – And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knows. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. 1 Samuel 23:16-18.
Going back to Jonathan’s encouraging words to David, he should have stick with his friend and not to his father, but by going back to the palace, he gave in to false emotional and physical attachment with his father in the palace. This was how he missed out of any future opportunity to reign with David. His confession of faith should correspond with his walk of faith; otherwise, God will not honor any vain faith. This was the reason God allowed him to die in battle against the Philistines with his father on the same day – Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 2 Samuel 1:23.
Believers should be thankful to God for all men and things, being supportive and cooperative with their brethren who are more gifted than them, never to allow the manifestations of any spiritual gift to create an enmity and evil mindedness to their fellow brethren in the Lord; the manifestations of the spirit is for the overall good and benefits of the body of Christ, we should not envy one another on this issue, otherwise, we will be striving against the Lord himself who is at work in them.
King Saul played and reacted to his carnal sentiment of jealousy against David when the women sang and lifted David higher him after the defeat of Goliath. Thousands victories were attributed to David while just an hundred victory was given to the King. This brought bitter and deadly rivalry created by the king’s carnal sentiment against the innocent boy who has fought and delivered the nation of Israel and his people from the oppression of the Philistines. 1 Samuel 18:9-11.
God can send anyone to speak to you and the spirit of God in you bearing witness in your human spirit that it is from above; but nobody should be allowed to take the place or do the work – guide by the Holy Spirit in your life – as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are sons of God. Romans 8:14.
Sometimes, a close friend or relative may have joy of having listened and done exactly as they counseled to help you out of a problem, but let such counseling be in line with the purpose and will of God for in your life. Impatience decision to hasten the promise or purpose of God concerning you is part of yielding to carnal sentiment which can cause a regrettable action of a long run if care is not well taken.
By waiting long as much as God want us to wait (Isaiah 30:18), we allow patience to have her perfect work in us, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4. It is wrong to yield to carnal sentiment from people in your life to please them against what is required of you by God. Such was the error made by father Abraham to listen to Sarah’s advised to have a child through Haggai, her housemaid from Egypt. The consequences of Abraham’s error in this regard will only be done with when the Lord Jesus shall come back on earth for the church as the children of the bondwoman shall continue to persecute the children of the free woman. The disputes for land occupation between the Jewish nation and the Palestinian people shall have no end because of the error of Abraham to yield to Sarah’s pressure and demand to have a child outside the will of God to fulfill divine promise. Galatians 4:29.
Those who yield to their carnal sentiment can be moved to speak foolishly to God or man by giving in to their present distress to cause their mouth to sin only to apologize and to give excuse for not thinking well before they speak – this is false emotional reaction, the lack of self control. 2 Samuel 16: 5-8.
The wife of Job was such. She was devastated by the ruins and destructions of the wealth of her husband and the deaths of her children all happened almost the same week and month. She became emotionally devastated and thought there was nothing left to live for than to curse God and die. She sinned with her mouth and showed that her motive of religion devotion was all for gain, but not Job who was calm during the storms of his life and does not sin with his mouth and rebuked his wife for speaking as one of the foolish women. Job 2:10.
The New Testament church is the assemblies of men and women from different nations, colors, tribes and tongues, but those who are not fully born of the spirit will be yielding to carnal sentiment to play the card of race game. Instead of appreciating oneness of the mystical body of Christ to embrace the beauty of diversities of nationalities designed by God to show the glory, power and wisdom of redemption in Christ Jesus, they compete against one another and causes divisions in the body of Christ – accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God. Romans 15:7.
Who make you different from another? It is only those who are yielding to their carnal sentiments of a false sense of superiority that fall for their wickedness of their corrupt heart to puff up by thinking that for one reason or another, they are far better than their brethren; but such perception only made them to fall into the condemnation of Satan – pride. Note: by walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience is to walk in the flesh and producing or manifesting any of the works of the flesh. The believer should understand that none of the works of the flesh is natural in itself, but they are demonic and defiling and condemnable. It is therefore a necessity and obligation to cultivate, apply, ensure, manifest, produce and increasing daily in all the fruit of the spirit – if we live in the spirit, lest us also walk in the spirit, not provoking one another, envying one another. This is the only way that those who are in Christ Jesus are no more under condemnation because they will walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. For this reason, they are free from law of sin and death by the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. None can sin if they are consciously applying the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus for they will always subdue the flesh and its works through the indwelling spirit of God. Ephesians 2:2-3.
All are saved by grace. Iron should sharpen iron, and none should lord it over the heritage of God. The Europeans brethren are not as better than African or Asian or American brethren. For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26-29.
Those who give in to their carnal sentiment and reasoning will go down to Egypt for help or seek out their ways out by any means possible without God. When God did not answer Saul by dreams, visions and by the prophets, he decide to seek for spiritual communication through the witch at Endor, desperate to hear or receive something from the realm of the spirit – So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. 1 Chronicles 10:13.
Believers are in spiritual battle and they should not allow the eye and mind of the flesh to have a better part of them, lest they failed in the plans and purposes of God. The friends of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and false and wicked brethren in the Lord that should be let go (1 Corinthians 5:11-13) should be let go, while godly friends should be associated with and hold on to, so that we might pleased the Lord in all things. 2 Timothy 2:22.
Have you ever asked yourself the workers of iniquity the Lord shall reject and condemn to be sent to hell fire though prophesied and perform many miracles in his name? Matthew 7:22. These are the brethren in the Lord who have refused to suffer in the flesh as Christ also suffered for us in the flesh – dying daily to the flesh – to crucify the flesh with its lusts and affections: to bring every thoughts in them into captivity to the obedience of Christ, that they might cease from sin, that they might not use the rest of their lives to the lusts of men, yielding to carnal sentiments and giving in to the lustful desires of their minds, but they will not hearken to exercise themselves unto godliness which is profitable unto all things, though they exercise and manifest the gifts of the spirit, and for this reason, the Lord shall send them to hell. 1 Peter 4: 1-3.
Each believer must know the will of God; it is up to them to seek and know what the will of the Lord is for them. Ephesians 5:17.
As soon as they are persuaded and convinced what the will of the Lord is, they should never give in to any carnal sentiment, feelings or seeming good idea, suggestion or counsel by anyone to discourage or make them change their mind to fulfill divine will. Christ knew that the purpose of his coming to earth was to die for all men; but when the announcement was made to his disciples, Satan, through the closeness of Peter with Christ, passed through his carnal sentiment to seek to deter the Lord from going up to Jerusalem to die. The enemy’s scheme was thwarted by Christ discernment, and Satan, not Peter, was rebuked by the Lord. Matthew 16:23-24.
Christ prayed thrice for the grace of God at the Garden of Gethsemane to overcome his carnal sentiment against the death of the cross in submission to the will of God. Matthew 26:24.
We must conquer every carnal sentiments of fear and intimidation of the enemy which opposes against the will of God – which seek to draw us back or keep us on the same spot by asking for grace, that the will of God be done, not to be afraid, but to be faithful if we are to suffer unto death, lest we miss out the mark and the prize awaiting us in heaven. Hebrews 12:2.
A child of God doesn’t run from troubles from doing his will. This is cowardice spirit and those who have given in to such sentiment and spirit shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Satan will like to intimidate and put fear in you to stop you from walking after Christ in spirit and truth, but it is up to you must conquer every carnal sentiments of uncertainty, doubts, fear and intimidation of the enemy which opposes against the will of God for the prize laid up for you in heaven. You shouldn’t fall into the caring carnal sentiments or counsels of others which seems to protect you from dangers but primarily designed by the enemy to draw you back from your duty and obligations before God. Yes, there can be dangers before us, but the faithfulness, power and presence of God can only be experienced when we take the battle to the gate of the enemy in an offensive warfare as being led by his holy spirit. Acts 21:12-14.
Physical violent, strife of tongue or fist are of carnal sentiment. We don’t defend the cause of God by physically aggressive, verbally abusive, sword, knife or arms fight, our weapons are not carnal. If self-defense is justifiable, Christ would have called for the assistance of angels to ward off his attackers at the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:53.
The best defense for a New Testament believer is (a) to pray for divine protection from violent and destructive men of the world: (b) is to walk in discernment to avoid conflict from violent men (c) to run away from the gate of violent men. Resist not evil, a believer should not cause physical injury or kill another for the sake of the gospel. If to live is Christ and to die is gain, why should a believer be afraid to die for the cause of Christ? Where is his faith that all the hairs on his head are numbered and none shall fall to the ground without the consent of God? Is the life of a believer no more of more value than many sparrows before his God? Matthew 10:31.
Let not our cares and feeling for others surpass the feelings and cares of God for them. Seek to know the will of God through prayer and hearing his voice on any issue. Stop where he ask you to stop, and remove your hands when he says it’s enough. After the fall and judgment of God against king Saul, Prophet Samuel kept praying and interceding for his restoration, but the Lord said to Samuel, how long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king. 1 Samuel 16:1.
Oh that Ishmael might live. Genesis 17:18.
Ishmael was a seed of corruption in the life and destiny of Abraham. We must separate from those who will corrupt us in opposition to the holiness of God and destroy his will in our life: otherwise, they will bring us back into bondage, far away from the liberty wherein Christ has made us free: but just as Abraham finally cast out the bondwoman and her seed from his life, so should such people be cast out of our life without any feeling of guilt.
We cannot, by sentiment keep the company or possession of that which God has not commanded us to keep, otherwise, such shall be an obstruction against his will concerning us.
We should walk and live in love, but none should be allowed in our life to override his will or influence us in any way against his will – whosoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: whosoever loves son or daughter more than him is not worthy of me: whoever will save his life will lose it and he that will lose his life shall save it unto eternal life. Matthew 10:27-39.
Let not your plans, cares and feelings for others surpasses the plans, and the feelings and cares of God for them. When God ask you to separate from people, it is for your good and the care of your soul before him; at long run, if you refused to walk in obedience, it will backfire. Had Moses hearkened without objection to God’s idea of doing away with the first set of the rebellious, heart hardened Israelites he brought out from Egypt to make another nation, mightier and greater and obedience to lead to the promised land, he should have lived beyond the age of an hundred and twenty years; though Joshua should replaced him after his death, but not on the way to Canaan, but at the land of Canaan itself. The same people he saved from God’s wrath and destruction were the stumbling blocks of his sin when they got under his skin (irritate and upset him) to act contrary to God’s instructions and he fell into God’s wrath, judgment, restriction and condemnation from entering into the land of promised – They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Numbers 106:32-33.
You can’t buy into men’s false emotional appeals to derail yourself from God demands upon your life. Samson was destroyed by his carnal reasoning and false affection deceived by Delilah’s constant weeping until her request was granted to destroy his life. Judges 16:16.
Let not your cares and feelings for others or their cares, affection and feelings for you go beyond the limit and standard of the holiness and righteousness of God, such yielding to ungodly sentiments or desire will removed you from the will and plans of God. Had Joseph yielded to his carnal reasoning to obey his master’s wife sex approach in order to protect his position and work, rather than to obey God as he did; he will profane the holiness of God – misses out the prison contacts and experiences and misses the opportunity to meet Pharaoh who God has planned to promote him to power and authority in Egypt.
In the process of trying to carry everyone along and to appear as their messiah, many have gotten themselves into unnecessary problems, sometimes, an untimely death. Abraham was called alone to go out with Sarah, but without God’s permission, took Lot with him in the journey which he later regretted until they separated from one another. Not everyone in your life will be fitted in the plans and purposes of God for you – we meet to depart. There is time to embrace and time to refrain from embracing. There is a time to be together, and you can’t always be together with certain people in your life forever if you are indeed being led by God. You should know how to say bye for now and to commit them to the care and love of God.
Yielding to false carnal sentiment corrupts and destroys the soul – carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:7.
The believers who are yielding to their false carnal sentiments will reward evil for evil; remove or take an eye for an eye; and a tooth for tooth. This type of believer acts by carnal impulse and not by any biblical principle or spiritual perception. They’ll please themselves in spiritual matters above the pleasure of God. They are easily overcome by evil to render or reward evil for evil, railing for railing, cursing, instead of a blessing to them that curse them, but shall be held accountable for those actions and every idle word at judgment because they failed to put to death the works of the flesh by the spirit of God in them. Romans 12:21.
Strive not with a man without cause, if he has done thee no harm. Proverbs 3:30.
While King Saul wrongfully yielded to his animalistic nature of carnal sentiment to become David’s enemy by envy, and for no reason sought to kill him, the threats over David’s life sent him into exile away from Jerusalem to escape from the King. This type of behavior was not found in David: he will not be overcome with evil, but will overcome evil with good.
David had two good occasions to put an end to the life of King Saul and to take the crown to reign in his stead, but will not expedite the time of God which is common among the believers with carnal perception and reasoning, yielding to sentiment of the flesh in order to get things done in haste, not according to God’s time, but by their own time or calculation. 2 Kings 8:15. Instead, he chose to wait until God by himself shall bring an end to the life and reign of King Saul who was surprised by David’s goodness to spare his life: (a) moved to bless David for the kindness to spare him: (b) admit to his wickedness and confessed that David was more righteous than him. 1 Samuel 24:17: (c) prophesied greatness into the life of David he sought to eliminate: surely, when the way of man pleases the Lord, he will make his enemies to be at peace with him – Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, behold the king’s spear! And let one of the young men come over and fetch it. The Lord renders to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed. And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, blessed be thou, my son David: thou shall both do great things, and also shall still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. 1 Samuel 26: 21-25.
Why Joseph’s brethren did betray him and sought to kill him? Was it not because they yielded to their carnal sentiments to fight against the will and purposes of God in the life of their youngest brother? Why did Cain slew his brother – Abel? It was as the result of yielded to his carnal sentiment. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 1 John 3:11-12. Why the wife of Lot lost her life? It was for yielding to her carnal sentiment and was punished and died for this reason – the flesh profits nothing, but the spirit gives life.
Love rejoices not in sin; it rejoices not when his enemy falls, and it does not thinks evil, but not with the believers yielding to their carnal sentiments, the error and faults of others are their daily new songs. When Jonathan and Saul fell and died in the battle, David lamented that the news should not be published at Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 2 Samuel 1: 20.
The church is full of mockers and watchers of iniquity today who watches the steps of others to accuse, criticize and condemn them: they anxiously and curiously wait for the fall of others. They rejoice at the fall or calamities of other. While there is a beam in their own eyes, they seek not to remove, but to publish abroad the mote which causes the fall in their brothers eyes. Shall they escape by this iniquity? I don’t think so, but shall be condemn and be destroyed by their condemnation and rejoicing for the fall of others. Isaiah 29:20.