CARNALITY
"FOR YOU ARE STILL CARNAL. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, ARE YOU NOT CARNAL AND BEHAVING LIKE MERE MEN?"
1 Corinthians 3:3 (NKJV)
The things mentioned in this passage are the characteristics that would be found or seen in the life of a carnal believer—envy, strife, divisions and other works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). Regardless of your status—designation or position or office—in the church, If the listed character traits are found in your life, you are a carnal believer and still a babe; even If you are the founder or pioneer of the ministry or church.
It is a thing to be regretted that we have a lot of people in the Body of Christ
today, even some at the leadership, who are carnal and behaving like mere men or natural people (1 Corinthians 3:3).
Apostle Paul said the Corinthian believers are carnal, thus, he could
not feed them with solid food but milk (1 Corinthians 3:1,2).
If the works of the flesh are still prevalent in your life, It means you are still a baby believer—regardless of your title in the church. However, God does want you to grow from that babyhood stage to the adulthood stage, maturity, in your Christian faith.
One would need to see how any number of believers, even those at the leadership, exhibited carnality in all they do; even in their relationship with fellow believers and the people under their leadership.
You would need to see how some ministers are full of egoism, having a truckload of pride (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5), which made them to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think (Romans 12:3).
Your designation, title or appellation, in the fold of the people of God does not matter to God If you are still carnal or shallow in your spiritual life. What matters to God mainly is the progress you are making or the growth in your spiritual life.
If you still love the things of this world than the heavenly things, you are still carnal, and that could lead to a number of detrimental or disadvantageous things in your life (Philippians 3:18-20; Colossians 3:1,2). In fact, It could lead to early and sudden exit from the earth—you might be called home early If you are not being fruitful (John 15:1,2); if all things about your thoughts are mainly earthly:
15 DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD OR THE THINGS IN THE WORLD. IF ANYONE LOVES THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN HIM. 16 FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD—THE LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE—IS NOT of THE FATHER BUT IS OF THE WORLD.
17 AND THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY, AND THE LUST OF IT; BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER" (1 John 2:15-17 NKJV).
I want to enjoin you to be intentional about your spiritual growth, working on yourself to subdue and silence the flesh (Galatians 6:24; Ephesians 2:3; Colossians 3:5).
When the desires of the flesh, human nature, are not granted, you muffle or stifle the flesh, and when this is successfully done; your spirit, newly recreated human spirit, gains ascendancy.
Peace.