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Christian Soapbox, Nathan Dooley

CARNAL INTELLECT – SPIRITUAL INTELLECT (Part 2)

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“…the life blood encompasses the heart of the entire body (temple of the Holy Spirit) that indwells within, and mankind has received the blood transfusion of Jesus Christ for redemption. That blood is mankind’s justification for righteousness gifted at the cross where Jesus took the wrath on our behalf.”—(Part 1)

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.”—Psalm 90:17 (NASB)

SPIRITUAL INTELLECT

How do we discern the truth from the lie with a spiritual intellect? The carnal intellect must die through belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God who died and resurrected for mankind to be made alive, and we are in-fact—being made alive.

Since the carnal intellect dies through grace by faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve been resurrected to a spiritual intellect by the gift of God. The spiritual intellect is how the believer discerns the truth about our reality, this reality of sin and evil, a reality separated from God.

But not separated from the providence of God!

Below is a passage of scripture where the apostles of Jesus are in a boat at His [Jesus’] instruction, about 3 miles out at sea from the shore, on the fourth watch (3-6am), and are straining at the oars because the wind was against them; I imagine their straining against the oars as what we do with our carnal intellect against the spiritual intellect. But what comes next I find a bit humorous—like Jesus was pulling a prank or something.

So imagine being in the boat with these apostles straining at the oars to get to the other side, Bethsaida, where Jesus instructed us to go. It’s very early in the morning, and we’re feeling the weakness of our flesh, tired, but not giving up. Then all the sudden this ghost-like man appears walking on the water (which reminds me of Genesis when the spirit hovered over the surface of the waters) who looks to be distracted because the path of the ghost-like man seems directed to move pass the boat, not to the boat, but pass the boat; still, that doesn’t change what we’re witnessing—which is a ghost-like man walking on water!

So we all scream more girly than little boys because we’re not hallucinating what we all think is a ghost; then the ghost speaks, so we scream all the louder; the ghost says to us, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”

Still not convinced it’s Jesus, the apostle Peter demands the ghost-like man command him [Peter] to come out to Him [Jesus] on the sea. And so Jesus did.

But see the issue was that we—as though with the apostles—did not gain any insight from the miracle of the loaves that fed 5,000 people before we were instructed to go on ahead in crossing the sea. Why? Well, the scripture says it was because our hearts were hardened.

And what do you think that means, that the apostles’ heart’s were hardened?

Was it God that hardened their hearts in order that they would be traumatized by Jesus walking on the water in hopes they would understand the true nature of Jesus’ authority as the Son of God?

Lets read the passage of scripture from the gospel according to Mark:

45 And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself *dismissed the crowd. 46 And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray. 47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.—Mark 6:45-52

So I don’t know about you, but if we’re of a spiritual intellect? I think we can discern that Jesus was intending to cross the sea without joining us in the boat, that is, until, of course, we all scream.

But that doesn’t satisfy as an answer to the original question, does it?

Was it God that hardened their hearts in order that they would be traumatized by Jesus walking on the water in hopes they would understand the true nature of Jesus’ authority as the Son of God?

It’s plausible; but being that Jesus was intending to move pass the boat indicates, initially, the motive was not to join them in the boat nor to frighten us to death.

So then what does this all mean?

It means our faith is what pleases God.

Our spiritual intellect is faith working out the issue of what is causing our unbelief, so that we can put that sin to death.

Our carnal intellect reacts in fear because of the darkness it’s of—our carnal intellect is a darkness that doesn’t understand the light of spiritual intellect. That’s why they got so terrified at what the carnal intellect reasons as impossible, completely foreign, because their hearts we hardened at their participation in the miracle of feeding 5,000; to be moved with compassion.

And by the grace of God at the reality of His Son moving on the surface of the waters shook them to the core, even to the degree of their questioning what kind of spirit would say, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”;(Matthew 14:28).

See, from what I believe to be of spiritual intellect, faith must be exercised with action; it isn’t enough to find assurance of information without faith, you will drown at sea if demanding Christ prove Himself by the nature of a hardened heart demanding, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

A spiritual intellect knows Jesus, whereas a carnal intellect does not. Therefore our security of salvation is secure on good authority.

So…

“Take courage; it is I [Jesus Christ—Son of God], do not be afraid.”

Christian Soapbox, Nathan Dooley

CARNAL INTELLECT VS SPIRITUAL INTELLECT

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Now that you’ve punched me in the face, and hopefully discovered a new perspective apart from the carnal. The next process in gaining knowledge for understanding that spiritual perspective of truth is the practical use of such wisdom—by restraining yourself from punching anyone else in the face. I say that jokingly, but in our day and age of intelligence the carnal perspective is cut to quick about the subtlest things which invokes all sorts of emotional instabilities and chaos to resolve what then becomes worse and worse. The solution is a spiritual intellect.

As a reminder from my previous post linked above, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword; that sword of the Holy Spirit is experienced upon listening and or reading scriptural texts; the sword pierces through soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, even able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. But why the heart, and not the intellect? Because the life blood encompasses the heart of the entire body (temple of the Holy Spirit) that indwells within, and mankind has received the blood transfusion of Jesus Christ for redemption. That blood is mankind’s justification for righteousness gifted at the cross where Jesus took the wrath on our behalf.

However, the natural instinct to the carnal mind is to save him or hers’ own soul as if I or you had the power to do so, and that is—in my opinion—the greatest scheme of the devil, “Save your own skin.” Save it from what, or who, exactly?

The carnal mind becomes it’s own worst enemy because it’s also the enemy to the Spirit of God. That sword of God’s word is judging our motives. And I don’t think I can stress that enough as someone who related to the carnal perspective (only); the war between the carnal mind and spiritual mind is surreal.

I hate my carnal way of thinking because of the sin that means to seduce me into the lake of fire. I mean, writing that, let alone reading it—the lake of fire—is felt. Anyone with a conscience experiences the certainty of that truth, but the carnal intellect reacts in fear because it knows this truth, and that’s also why it must die. The carnal intellect will deceive at all costs for survival to godship, not repentance, but to be “God”. And no person understanding that, suppressing the truth it’s of, will survive the judgement, because they chose to save their life (carnal intellect) rather than lose it.

For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?—Matthew 16:26

  • The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.—Matthew 10:39
  • For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.—Mark 8:35
  • For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.—Luke 9:24
  • Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it.—Luke 17:33
  • The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.—John 12:25

“Oh but the world is so presently intoxicating and addictive by what cannot be changed. Why not enjoy it?” The carnal man continues… “It’s not intoxicating or addictive…it’s reality! Pass me another ‘virgin’ (opportunity)!” Only to meet the inevitable—unrecognizable—consequence by what appears as freedom to reality. Don’t believe that mindset, it’s a lie straight from the pit of darkness masquerading as light. And that way of thinking is what it means to be carnal (fleshly) minded only.

There may be some—or many, even—that think in terms of social science as though justified by it, “Society agrees that murder is unjust warranting judgment, as long as it’s not discriminatory.” Yah, I won’t even wish “good luck with that” it’s so contradictory. It’s also weak when weighing to measure that system of justice with the value of life, or death even, rather. Because if a criminal like Adolf Hitler, Ted Bundy, David Koresh, Jim Jones, and the list goes on and on with “life” (death) sentences in prison up 1000+ years…

I might be wrong to ask, but how can anyone think that a death sentience is a means for solace? Do the research on the most prolific serial killers and see for yourselves the amount of uncounted victims to families without solace, and dare I say that if anyone blame God for such evil they’re worse off than the serial killers.

It’s a stark reality when falling into the hands of the living God!

For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:30-31
I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

My son | P5-V1

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Pitfalls of Immorality

Proverbs 5:1

I die devotional.

27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.
1 My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;
2 That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.

Wisdom, although from the mouth of Solomon, a man given over to the lust of his flesh that no man can overcome void the fear of God; these proverbs are of God our Father, not kept by Solomon, and given for our understanding. God means what He says, and we will do well to listen as David did.

1 Kings 11 —But King Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign women—the [a]daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. 2 They were of the very nations of whom the Lord said to the Israelites, You shall not mingle with them, neither shall they mingle with you, for surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Yet Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart from God. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abominable idol of the Ammonites! 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as David his father did.

I think what happens to Solomon in 1 Kings 11 is a perfect parallel to this chapter in Proverbs because not even the wisest man that walked the face of the planet—until Christ our Lord—could resist the temptation of perverse beauty, a beauty that this chapter of Proverbs describes so well as a “…strange woman” (or “loose”, “foreign”, “adulterous”, etc.). Now, since the Lord our God, the God of all, has come, died, and resurrected in the Name of Jesus Christ so that the world might be saved through His Name; I’ll refer to this “strange woman” as, Seductress.

When you look at the featured photo you’ll see feminine hands, and the minds’ eye, undercover of night or… rather, more appropriate, under the covers of another god. Seductress might appear as beautiful as the stars shining bright like diamonds in the sky (don’t tell me you don’t know that song), but the pleasure she intends to experience is at the cost of our souls, the cost is death. The true God, the God of Wisdom, warns the consequences of such behavior. Wisdom, like a mother, a woman of honor and dignity, calls for our attention as sons, “My son…”. So it’s important I/we listen, and listen with application.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 5 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org | biblegateway.com

COMMENTARY

Chapter 5

Matthew Henry (P5-V1) Commentary
The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of ch. 2. To write the same things, in other words, ought not to be grievous, for it is safe, Phil. 3:1. Here is,

  • I. An exhortation to get acquaintance with and submit to the laws of wisdom in general (v. 2).
  • II. A particular caution against the sin of whoredom (v. 3-14).
  • III. Remedies prescribed against that sin.
    • 1. Conjugal love (v. 15-20).
    • 2. A regard to God’s omniscience (v. 21).
    • 3. A dread of the miserable end of wicked people (v. 22, 23).

And all little enough to arm young people against those fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Pro 5:1-14

Here we have,

  • I. A solemn preface, to introduce the caution which follows, v. 1, 2. Solomon here addresses himself to his son, that is, to all young men, as unto his children, whom he has an affection for and some influence upon. In God’s name, he demands attention; for he writes by divine inspiration, and is a prophet, though he begins not with, Thus saith the Lord. “Attend, and bow thy ear; not only hear what is said, and read what is written, but apply thy mind to it and consider it diligently.” To gain attention he urges,
    • 1. The excellency of his discourse: “It is my wisdom, my understanding; if I undertake to teach thee wisdom I cannot prescribe any thing to be more properly called so; moral philosophy is my philosophy, and that which is to be learned in my school.”
    • 2. The usefulness of it: “Attend to what I say,”
      • (1.) “That thou mayest act wisely-that thou mayest regard discretion.” Solomon’s lectures are not designed to fill our heads with notions, with matters of nice speculation, or doubtful disputation, but to guide us in the government of ourselves, that we may act prudently, so as becomes us and so as will be for our true interest.
      • (2.) “That thou mayest speak wisely-that thy lips may keep knowledge, and thou mayest have it ready at thy tongue’s end” (as we say), “for the benefit of those with whom thou dost converse.” The priest’s lips are said to keep knowledge (Mal. 2:7); but those that are ready and mighty in the scriptures may not only in their devotions, but in their discourses, be spiritual priests.