The Spiritual Life

Rev. Andrew Murray’s writings have been much blessed to thousands in this and other lands; when he came to America, in the summer of 1895, earnest prayers were goingup from many hearts that his platform utterances might be even more abundantly blessed. God heard and answered, and the heart and lips of His humble servant were wonderfully touched with the divine fire.

It was our privilege to listen to the Chicago lectures, and to gather stenographic reports for publication, with a view to passing the “spoken word” to many who were deprived of the privilege of listening to this man of God.

We send these printed pages forth, the most of which have been personally revised by Mr. Murray, with a prayer that God may use them to His glory in bringing blessing to many hearts.

The Publishers.

‘Jf^HROUGHOUT the church of Christ there is a universal complaint of the feebleness of the Christian life, and there are tens of thousands of souls long-ingto know how to lead a better life. They find in God’s word promises of perfect peace, of a faith that overcomes the world, of a joy that is unspeakable, of a life of ever abidingcommunion with Christ, hidden in the hollow of God’s hand, and in the secret of his pavilion. But alas, thousands say they know not how to obtain it. Our meetings have just this one object: to try and find out what are the possibilities of the Christian life as God has revealed them in His word, what are the hindrances that keep the majority of believers out of that life, and what are the steps by which to come in and take possession.

I want to beg-in by calling your attention to what is always important at the outset of these conferences. There are two stag-es in the Christian life: the lower stag-e under the power of the flesh, and the stage of the true life in the power of the Spirit. Let me direct your attention to a passage in 1 Cor, 3: 1-4.

There you have the first sorted Christians, some are spiritual and some are carnal. And Paul says he finds it of the utmost importance, when he teaches people, to find out which of the two they are; for if he g-ave what is food to the spiritual to the carnal it would not do them any good. “I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” You are in Christ, you are real Christians, but alas, you are feeble Christians, just like infants. “I have fed you with milk and not with meat. “There are some truths that are just like milk, suitable for carnal Christians; other truths of God’s word, deep spiritual truths, are for spiritual people.” For hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able for ye are yet carnal.” There you have the word “carnal” again. He says plainly,! want you to know that you are carnal, believers, but carnal believers, “For,” here comes the proof, “For whereas there is among- you envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” He asks them to answer the question. The word “carnal” comes from the Latin word meaning “flesh.” If you do the works of the flesh this proves you are carnal, you walk as men do, not as children of God do, who lead a heavenly life. “One says I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” For the fourth time you have the word “carnal” and for the second time the very pointed question for them to answer” Tell me, are ye not

carnal?”

By the help of God I shall speak to you upon these two points.

/. What it is to be not Spiritual but Carnal. 2. The Way From Carnal to Spiritual.

I. NOT SPIRITUAL BUT CARNAL.

1. You are not spiritual but carnal, the apostle says. I am desirous that everyone as we g-o alongtry himself and answer the question, “Am I still carnal, or am I by the grace of God spiritual?” You know a doctor cannot do you any g-ood unless there is first a thorough diagnosis of the case. He asks a number of questions, examines your lungs and heart, finds out what is wrong and prescribes the needful remedy. Until you find out what is wrong all the preaching of the most heavenly truths will do you no good. People must be brought to the realizing of their carnal state ere the knowledge of the spiritual life can be any real benefit.

“Oh God, we pray Thee, reveal the mystery of the Divine truth; the mystery of our own hearts, and the carnal state; the mystery of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual life. We pray Thee now to come in and teach us. Give us grace to say, ‘Lord search me, and if I am carnal, oh, discover it today, and open up to me the way into the spiritual life, to live as a spiritual man. God grant it.”

I think if we look carefully at this passage we shall find four principal marks of the carnal state.

1. It is a state of protracted infancy If I had here today a beautiful little child six months old with its chubby hands and feet, you would say “What a perfect child,” but if in three years’ time we found that the child had not grown an inch we

4 THK SPIRITUAI. I<1FE.

should conclude that something was the matter. If in another three years we again found no growth, we should at once say there is some terrible disease in that child that prevents its growth, for where there is health there is growth. That is now what Paul says to the Corinthians. You are young Christians, babes in Christ. At first a Christian may be carnal for he is young and does not know what sin is, but when a man has been a Christian for sometime, say after six months, a year or three years, or even ten years, and he does not grow, but remains at the same place where he started from as a babe, there is something the matter; there is some terrible disease; that disease is the carnal mind. A Christian when under the power of the flesh is in a state of protracted infancy. You find it said in the epistle to the Hebrews that when after they had been so long Christians they ought to be teachers, helping others, they still had to be fed with milk and were not able to take the meat of the full grown man. This is a state of protracted infancy and it is the state of the greater part of the Christian church. How many there are who will testify that the best time was the first three months after conversion; and after that they began to go back; they lost their joy and alas, they have never had such joy since then. They havelosttheir first love. At that time they used to conquer sin, but now it has the mastery. What are the marks of a babe? One is the babe cannot help himself, he has got to be helped by others. The other, he cannot help anyone else. Look at a baby in a house, you have got to have mother or sister or nurse to take care of him. A little baby needs always to be helped and cared for. That is the way with many Christians. They go to church, to prayer-meeting-s, conferences, and are ever seeking help from others. A little infant six months old cannot help another; so there are Christians who cannot really help others by their spiritual experience. Dear friends let us take this first mark of carnal state, test ourselves, and if there be no healthy growth let us bow before God in shame.

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