Category: Devotion of the Day

Carnalities and Spiritualities

Ye are yet carnal.
I Corinthians 3:3

Now concerning spiritual gifts…
I Corinthians 12:1

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan has pointed out that Paul in First Corinthians begins with the carnalities and then moves in the latter part of the book to the spiritualities. In doing so he runs counter to the modern policy of “accentuating the positive” and not dealing with sins in the church on the premise that if we emphasize love the problems in the church will vanish. If the modern approach is correct, then Paul should have begun with the thirteenth chapter of this epistle. Instead, he dealt with definite sins, following pet preachers, schisms, immorality, disorders at the Lord’s table. Then he was ready to consider spiritual gifts, preach on love and the resurrection – and even take a collection!

In Christian experience, we cannot move on to deeper things until sin has been faced in our lives. Nor can we in the church. Joshua on his face was no substitute for cleansing the camp from Achan, and prayer meetings cannot compensate for not getting rid of golden wedges and all accursed things.

We must deal with our carnalities if we desire the spiritualities.

We Have Fellowship

We have fellowship…
I John 1:7

Precious indeed is the fellowship of those whose citizen ship is in heaven. We have fellowship with the Saviour: “God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ” ( I Cor. 1:9). We have the fellowship of the Spirit (Phil. 2:1). There is the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10). We enjoy the fellowship of the Saints ( I John 1:7; Acts 2:42). There is the fellowship of service: “the fellowship of ministering to the saints” ( II Cor. 8:4).

But there is also a fellowship of Satan: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). “If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). “If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth” (I John 1:6). “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” (II Cor. 6:14).

We cannot have a heavenly fellowship if we allow a hindering fellowship. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” ( I John 5:21).