Be Transformed: Moving from Carnal to Spiritual
BE TRANSFORMED: MOVING FROM CARNAL TO SPIRITUAL LIVING
What Happens When We Finally Set Our Minds on Things Above
There’s a moment many Christians know all to well.
You walk out of church with a full heart. The message was good, maybe even stirring. For a few minutes you feel closer to God, more aware, more awake. There’s an excitement in your heart.
But then, in just a short time, it happens. Life fills up again. The feeling fades. And the truth is… you barely remember the time you spent in worship or what the sermon was even about.
It’s not because we don’t care, we do. We go because we care. We want to hear from the LORD. We desired to be closer to Him and to grow in faith by hearing His Word. But the reality is, our hearts are pulled in a hundred different directions.
And this is exactly where Scripture calls us to something deeper than just hearing the Word. It calls us to be transformed by it.
WHEN HEARING ISN’T ENOUGH
Jesus once told a story of a farmer scattering seed- a simple picture with a profound message.
Same Seed…... Same Sower…… Very different results.
Some seed gets snatched away before it even takes root. Some spring up with excitement but wither when circumstances get hard. Some start growing, but the thorns of worry, pleasure, and busyness choke it out.
And then there’s the last group- the ones who hear the Word, hold onto it, and let it transform them.
Jesus wasn’t just talking about the crowds 2,000 years ago. He was talking about us today. About the quiet choice we make every time we hear God’s word: Will I let this take root and transform me- or will I let it fade?
THE BIBLE’S SUPRISING CATEGORIES FOR CHRISTIANS
In the early church, Paul looked at the believers in Corinth and seemed to say this:
“You’re Christians…. but your carnal…. you’re still babies.”
Not an insult- a diagnosis.
Today’s church is filled with immature Christians. They aren’t immature because they lack intelligence. They are spiritually immature because their hearts stay anchored to earthly things.
The writer of Hebrews speaks of the same thing: “You’ve been believers long enough that you should be teaching others…but you are still living on milk.”
Some Christians choose to remain as spiritual infants, while others choose to grow deeper. Both are loved by God, but only one group becomes spiritually stable and fruitful.
WHERE IS YOUR HEART ANCHORED
I once heard a pastor compare the Christian life to a rubber band. He said most believers live with their lives tied to the ground- to earthly concerns, earthly desires, earthly priorities. Occasionally, perhaps on Sunday mornings, they stretch upward toward God. They touch His presence, His truth, His peace…. but because their hearts are anchored elsewhere, they snap back to the world again.
But the spiritual believer is anchored differently. Their heart is tied to Christ. Their thoughts, desires, and priorities pull them upward. Yes, they still have earthly responsibilities. They still live real lives with real pressures. But when their earthly task are done, their heart naturally returns to God…because that’s where it is anchored.
Paul describes this beautifully:
“Set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:2
The question is simple but telling: What is your life anchored to?
THE EMPTY PROMISE OF THE WORLD
We live in a culture that constantly screams, “More will make you happy.”
More money. More success. More comfort. More possessions. More trophies. Just a little more.
But the scripture tells us the truth: “Whoever loves silver will not be satisfied with silver. Nor he who loves abundance, with abundance.” – Ecclesiastes 5:10
We chase things expecting them to fill us. But they leak through our fingers like water from a cracked bucket. The prophet Jeremiah called these pursuits “broken cisterns”- containers that can’t hold what the soul needs.
Jesus offers something entirely different: Living Water- The Spirit of God. Not a life that is drained by the world but a life filled and controlled by the Spirit. No wonder He said, “Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again.”
WHY THIS MATTERS MORE THAN EVER
We are living in days where confusion is increasing, pressure is rising, and spiritual deception is growing louder. The bible warned us this would happen- and not to scare us, but to prepare us.
Peter says the enemy is roaming, looking for someone to devour. Paul says many will follow deceiving spirits and fall away. In Hebrews we are told, only those who mature- those who practice discernment- will be able to tell good from evil.
Carnal Christians won’t withstand days like these but spiritual Christians will. Not because they are smarter but because they are anchored. They have been transformed.
THE PATH OF TRANSFORMATION
So what does it actually look like to move from carnal to spiritual? Paul gives us the blueprint: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:1-2
Transformation isn’t instant. It isn’t just emotional. It isn’t just a one-time moment. It begins with humble surrender. It grows when we choose, day by day, to fix our eyes on Christ.
It strengthens as we seek Him in Scripture, in prayer, in obedience, in the small daily decisions. Little by little, the anchor shifts. Bit by bit, the heart rises. And in time we realize that we aren’t snapping back to the world anymore. We’re snapping back to Him.
A FINAL INVITATION FOR THE HUNGRY HEART
The Spirit of God is calling His people deeper- not to busyness or pressure, but into fullness, clarity, and joy.
He is whispering to the heart that longs for more:
Come to Me. Come up higher. Let Me satisfy you. Let me fill you. Let me transform you. Let me anchor your life in Mine.
This isn’t about perfection. It isn’t about putting on a spiritual performance. It’s about transformation. It’s about direction- about turning your face toward Christ and letting Him do what only He can do.
He invites you to leave behind the broken cisterns and drink deeply of the Living Water. He wants you to move forward from hearing the Word to being transformed by it.
And He invites you to live, not as a carnal Christian, but as a spiritual one- rooted, growing and anchored in Christ.
Will you accept His invitation and be transformed?
What Happens When We Finally Set Our Minds on Things Above
There’s a moment many Christians know all to well.
You walk out of church with a full heart. The message was good, maybe even stirring. For a few minutes you feel closer to God, more aware, more awake. There’s an excitement in your heart.
But then, in just a short time, it happens. Life fills up again. The feeling fades. And the truth is… you barely remember the time you spent in worship or what the sermon was even about.
It’s not because we don’t care, we do. We go because we care. We want to hear from the LORD. We desired to be closer to Him and to grow in faith by hearing His Word. But the reality is, our hearts are pulled in a hundred different directions.
And this is exactly where Scripture calls us to something deeper than just hearing the Word. It calls us to be transformed by it.
WHEN HEARING ISN’T ENOUGH
Jesus once told a story of a farmer scattering seed- a simple picture with a profound message.
Same Seed…... Same Sower…… Very different results.
Some seed gets snatched away before it even takes root. Some spring up with excitement but wither when circumstances get hard. Some start growing, but the thorns of worry, pleasure, and busyness choke it out.
And then there’s the last group- the ones who hear the Word, hold onto it, and let it transform them.
Jesus wasn’t just talking about the crowds 2,000 years ago. He was talking about us today. About the quiet choice we make every time we hear God’s word: Will I let this take root and transform me- or will I let it fade?
THE BIBLE’S SUPRISING CATEGORIES FOR CHRISTIANS
In the early church, Paul looked at the believers in Corinth and seemed to say this:
“You’re Christians…. but your carnal…. you’re still babies.”
Not an insult- a diagnosis.
Today’s church is filled with immature Christians. They aren’t immature because they lack intelligence. They are spiritually immature because their hearts stay anchored to earthly things.
The writer of Hebrews speaks of the same thing: “You’ve been believers long enough that you should be teaching others…but you are still living on milk.”
Some Christians choose to remain as spiritual infants, while others choose to grow deeper. Both are loved by God, but only one group becomes spiritually stable and fruitful.
WHERE IS YOUR HEART ANCHORED
I once heard a pastor compare the Christian life to a rubber band. He said most believers live with their lives tied to the ground- to earthly concerns, earthly desires, earthly priorities. Occasionally, perhaps on Sunday mornings, they stretch upward toward God. They touch His presence, His truth, His peace…. but because their hearts are anchored elsewhere, they snap back to the world again.
But the spiritual believer is anchored differently. Their heart is tied to Christ. Their thoughts, desires, and priorities pull them upward. Yes, they still have earthly responsibilities. They still live real lives with real pressures. But when their earthly task are done, their heart naturally returns to God…because that’s where it is anchored.
Paul describes this beautifully:
“Set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:2
The question is simple but telling: What is your life anchored to?
THE EMPTY PROMISE OF THE WORLD
We live in a culture that constantly screams, “More will make you happy.”
More money. More success. More comfort. More possessions. More trophies. Just a little more.
But the scripture tells us the truth: “Whoever loves silver will not be satisfied with silver. Nor he who loves abundance, with abundance.” – Ecclesiastes 5:10
We chase things expecting them to fill us. But they leak through our fingers like water from a cracked bucket. The prophet Jeremiah called these pursuits “broken cisterns”- containers that can’t hold what the soul needs.
Jesus offers something entirely different: Living Water- The Spirit of God. Not a life that is drained by the world but a life filled and controlled by the Spirit. No wonder He said, “Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again.”
WHY THIS MATTERS MORE THAN EVER
We are living in days where confusion is increasing, pressure is rising, and spiritual deception is growing louder. The bible warned us this would happen- and not to scare us, but to prepare us.
Peter says the enemy is roaming, looking for someone to devour. Paul says many will follow deceiving spirits and fall away. In Hebrews we are told, only those who mature- those who practice discernment- will be able to tell good from evil.
Carnal Christians won’t withstand days like these but spiritual Christians will. Not because they are smarter but because they are anchored. They have been transformed.
THE PATH OF TRANSFORMATION
So what does it actually look like to move from carnal to spiritual? Paul gives us the blueprint: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:1-2
Transformation isn’t instant. It isn’t just emotional. It isn’t just a one-time moment. It begins with humble surrender. It grows when we choose, day by day, to fix our eyes on Christ.
It strengthens as we seek Him in Scripture, in prayer, in obedience, in the small daily decisions. Little by little, the anchor shifts. Bit by bit, the heart rises. And in time we realize that we aren’t snapping back to the world anymore. We’re snapping back to Him.
A FINAL INVITATION FOR THE HUNGRY HEART
The Spirit of God is calling His people deeper- not to busyness or pressure, but into fullness, clarity, and joy.
He is whispering to the heart that longs for more:
Come to Me. Come up higher. Let Me satisfy you. Let me fill you. Let me transform you. Let me anchor your life in Mine.
This isn’t about perfection. It isn’t about putting on a spiritual performance. It’s about transformation. It’s about direction- about turning your face toward Christ and letting Him do what only He can do.
He invites you to leave behind the broken cisterns and drink deeply of the Living Water. He wants you to move forward from hearing the Word to being transformed by it.
And He invites you to live, not as a carnal Christian, but as a spiritual one- rooted, growing and anchored in Christ.
Will you accept His invitation and be transformed?
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Thanks brother. It’s a work in progress in the right direction, and it doesn’t come naturally does it.