1

III Carna| or Sp|r|tua|? And eLer wenL ouL and wepL blLLerly"Luke 2262 1hese words
lndlcaLe Lhe Lurnlng polnL ln Lhe llfe of eLera crlsls 1here ls ofLen a quesLlon abouL Lhe llfe
of hollness uo you grow lnLo lL? Cr do you come lnLo lL by a crlsls suddenly? eLer has been
growlng for Lhree years under Lhe Lralnlng of ChrlsL buL he had grown Lerrlbly downward for
Lhe end of hls growlng was he denled !esus And Lhen Lhere came a crlsls AfLer Lhe crlsls he
was a changed man and Lhen he began Lo grow arlghL We musL lndeed grow ln grace buL
before we can grow ln grace we musL be puL rlghL ?ou know whaL Lhe Lwo halves of Lhe llfe of
eLer were ln Cod's Word we read very ofLen abouL Lhe dlfference beLween Lhe carnal and
Lhe splrlLual ChrlsLlan 1he word carnal" comes from Lhe LaLln word for flesh ln 8omans vlll
and ln Cal v we are LaughL LhaL Lhe flesh and Lhe SplrlL of Cod are Lhe Lwo opposlng powers
by whlch we are domlnaLed or ruled and we are LaughL LhaL a Lrue bellever may allow hlmself
Lo be ruled by Lhe flesh 1haL ls whaL aul wrlLes Lo Lhe CorlnLhlans ln Lhe 3rd chapLer Lhe
flrsL four verses he says four Llmes Lo Lhem ?ou are carnal and noL splrlLual" And [usL so a
bellever can allow Lhe flesh Lo have so much power over hlm LhaL becomes carnal" Lvery
ob[ecL ls named accordlng Lo lLs mosL promlnenL characLerlsLlc lf a man ls a babe ln ChrlsL and
has a llLLle of Lhe Poly SplrlL and a greaL deal of Lhe flesh he ls called cotool for Lhe flesh ls hls
chlef mark lf he glves way as Lhe CorlnLhlans dld Lo sLrlfe Lemper dlvlslon and envy he ls a
carnal ChrlsLlan Pe ls a ChrlsLlan buL a carnal one 8uL lf he glves hlmself over enLlrely Lo Lhe
Poly SplrlL so LhaL Pe (Lhe Poly SplrlL) can dellver from Lhe Lemper Lhe envy and Lhe sLrlfe by
breaLhlng a heavenly dlsposlLlon and can morLlfy Lhe deeds of Lhe body Lhen Cod's Word
calls hlm a splrlLual" man a Lrue splrlLual ChrlsLlan now Lhese Lwo sLyles are remarkably
lllusLraLed ln Lhe llfe of eLer 1he LexL ls Lhe crlsls and Lurnlng polnL aL whlch he beglns Lo pass
over from Lhe one slde Lo Lhe oLher 1he message LhaL l wanL Lo brlng Lo you ls Lhls 1haL Lhe
greaL ma[orlLy of ChrlsLlans alas are noL splrlLual men and LhaL Lhey may become splrlLual
men by Lhe grace of Cod l wanL Lo come Lo all who are perhaps hungerlng and longlng for Lhe
beLLer llfe and asklng whaL ls wrong LhaL you are wlLhouL lL Lo polnL ouL LhaL whaL ls wrong ls
[usL one Lhlngollowloq tbe flesb to tole lo yoo ooJ ttostloq lo tbe powet of tbe flesb to moke
yoo qooJ 1here ls a beLLer llfe a llfe ln Lhe power of Lhe Poly SplrlL 1hen l wanL Lo Lell you a
Lhlrd Lhlng 1he flrsL Lhlng ls lmporLanL Lake care of Lhe carnal llfe and confess lf you are ln lL
1he second LruLh ls very blessed Lhere ls a splrlLual llfe belleve LhaL lL ls a posslblllLy 8uL Lhe
Lhlrd LruLh ls Lhe mosL lmporLanL?ou can by one sLep geL ouL of Lhe carnal lnLo Lhe splrlLual
sLaLe May Cod reveal lL Lo you now Lhrough Lhe sLory of Lhe AposLle eLer! Look aL hlm flrsL
of all ln Lhe carnal sLaLe WhaL are Lhe marks of Lhe carnal sLaLe ln hlm? Selfwlll selfpleaslng
selfconfldence !usL remember when ChrlsL sald Lo Lhe dlsclples aL Caesarea hlllppl 1he
Son of Man musL be cruclfled" eLer sald Lo Plm Lord LhaL can never be!" And ChrlsL had Lo
say Lo hlm CeL Lhee behlnd Me SaLan!" uear reader whaL an awful Lhlng for eLer! Pe could
noL undersLand whaL a sufferlng ChrlsL was And eLer was so selfwllled and selfconfldenL
LhaL he dared Lo conLradlcL and Lo rebuke ChrlsL! !usL Lhlnk of lL! 1hen you remember how
2


eLer and Lhe oLher dlsclples were more Lhan once quarrelllng as Lo who was Lo be Lhe chlef
selfexalLaLlon selfpleaslngevery one wanLed Lhe chlef seaL ln Lhe klngdom of Cod 1hen
agaln remember Lhe lasL nlghL when ChrlsL warned eLer LhaL SaLan had deslred Lo slfL hlm
and LhaL he would deny Plm and eLer sald Lwlce over Lord lf Lhey all deny 1hee l am ready
Lo go Lo prlson and Lo deaLh" WhaL selfconfldence! Pe was sure LhaL hls hearL was rlghL Pe
loved !esus buL he LrusLed hlmself l wlll never deny my Lord"! uon'L you see Lhe whole of
LhaL llfe of eLer ls carnal confldence ln hlmself ln hls carnal prlde ln hls carnal unlovlngness
ln Lhe carnal llberLy he Look ln conLradlcLlng !esus lL was all [usL Lhe llfe of Lhe flesh eLer
loved !esus Cod had by Lhe Poly SplrlL LaughL hlm ChrlsL had sald llesh and blood haLh noL
revealed Lhls unLo Lhee buL My laLher whlch ls ln heaven" Cod had LaughL hlm LhaL ChrlsL
was Lhe Son of Cod buL wlLh all LhaL eLer was [usL under Lhe power of Lhe flesh and LhaL ls
why ChrlsL sald aL CeLhsemane 1he splrlL ls wllllng buL Lhe flesh ls weak"?ou are under
Lhe power of Lhe flesh you cannoL waLch wlLh Me" uear reader whaL dld lL all lead Lo? 1he
flesh led noL only Lo Lhe slns l have menLloned buL lasL of all Lo Lhe saddesL of Lhlngs Lo
eLer's acLual denlal of !esus 1hree Llmes over he Lold Lhe lle and once wlLh an oaLh l know
noL Lhe man" Pe denled hls blessed Lord 1haL ls whaL lL comes Lo wlLh Lhe llfe of Lhe flesh
1haL ls eLer now look ln Lhe second place aL eLer afLer he became a splrlLual man ChrlsL
had LaughL eLer a greaL deal l Lhlnk lf you counL carefully you wlll flnd some seven or elghL
Llmes ChrlsL had spoken Lo Lhe dlsclples abouL humlllLy Pe had Laken a llLLle chlld and seL hlm
ln Lhe mldsL of Lhem Pe had sald Pe LhaL exalLeLh hlmself shall be abased and he LhaL
humbleLh hlmself shall be exalLed Pe had sald LhaL Lhree or four Llmes Pe had aL Lhe lasL
supper washed Lhelr feeL buL all had noL LaughL eLer humlllLy All ChrlsL's lnsLrucLlons were ln
valn 8emember LhaL now A man who ls noL splrlLual Lhough he may read hls 8lble Lhough he
may sLudy Cod's Word cannoL conquer sln because he ls noL llvlng Lhe llfe of Lhe Poly SplrlL
Cod has so ordered lL LhaL man cannoL llve a rlghL ChrlsLlan llfe unless he ls full of Lhe Poly
ChosL uo you wonder aL whaL l say? Pave you been accusLomed Lo Lhlnklull of Lhe Poly
ChosL LhaL ls whaL Lhe AposLles had Lo be on Lhe day of enLecosL LhaL ls whaL Lhe marLyrs
and Lhe mlnlsLers had Lo be buL for every man Lo be full of Lhe Poly ChosL LhaL ls Loo hlgh"? l
Lell you solemnly unless you belleve LhaL you wlll never become Lhoroughgolng ChrlsLlans l
musL be full of Lhe Poly SplrlL lf l am Lo be a wholehearLed ChrlsLlan 1hen noLe whaL change
Look place ln eLer 1he Lord !esus led hlm up Lo enLecosL Lhe Poly SplrlL came from heaven
upon hlm and whaL Look place? 1he old eLer was gone and he was a new eLer !usL read hls
eplsLle and noLe Lhe keynoLe of Lhe eplsLle 1hrough sufferlng Lo glory" eLer who had sald
Cf course Lord you never can suffer or be cruclfled" eLer who Lo save hlmself sufferlng
or shame had denled ChrlsLeLer becomes so changed LhaL when he wrlLes hls eplsLle Lhe
chlef LhoughL ls Lhe very LhoughL of ChrlsL Sufferlng ls Lhe way Lo glory" uo you noL see LhaL
Lhe Poly SplrlL had changed eLer? And look aL oLher aspecLs Look aL eLer Pe was so weak
LhaL a woman could frlghLen hlm lnLo denylng ChrlsL buL when Lhe Poly SplrlL came he was
bold olJ bold Lo confess hls Lord aL any cosL was ready Lo go Lo prlson and Lo deaLh for
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ChrlsL's sake 1he Poly SplrlL had changed Lhe man Look aL hls vlews of ulvlne LruLh Pe could
noL undersLand whaL ChrlsL LaughL hlm he could noL Lake lL ln lL was lmposslble before Lhe
deaLh of ChrlsL buL on Lhe day of enLecosL how he ls able Lo expound Lhe word of Cod as a
splrlLual man! l Lell you beloved when Lhe Poly ChosL comes upon a man he becomes a
splrlLual man and lnsLead of denylng hls Lord he denles hlmself [usL remember LhaL ln Lhe
slxLeenLh chapLer of MaLLhew when eLer had sald Lord be lL far from 1hee Lhls shall never
happen LhaL 1hou shalL be cruclfled" ChrlsL sald Lo Plm eLer noL only wlll l be cruclfled buL
you wlll have Lo be cruclfled Loo lf any man ls Lo be My dlsclple leL hlm Lake up hls cross Lo
dle upon lL leL hlm deny hlmself and leL hlm follow Me" Pow dld eLer obey LhaL command?
Pe wenL and denled !esus! As long as a man a ChrlsLlan ls under Lhe power of Lhe flesh he ls
conLlnually denylng !esus ?ou always musL do one of Lhe Lwo you musL deny self or you musL
deny !esus and alas eLer denled hls Lord raLher Lhan deny hlmself Cn Lhe oLher hand when
Lhe Poly SplrlL came upon hlm he could noL deny hls Lord buL he could deny hlmself and he
pralsed Cod for Lhe prlvllege of sufferlng for ChrlsL now how dld Lhe change come abouL?
1he words of my LexL Lell usAnd eLer wenL ouL and wepL blLLerly" WhaL does LhaL mean?
lL means Lhls LhaL Lhe Lord led eLer Lo come Lo Lhe end of hlmself Lo see whaL was ln hls
hearL and wlLh hls selfconfldence Lo fall lnLo Lhe very deepesL sln LhaL a chlld of Cod could be
gullLy ofpubllcly wlLh an oaLh Lo deny hls Lord !esus! When eLer sLood Lhere ln LhaL greaL
sln Lhe lovlng !esus looked upon hlm and LhaL look full of lovlng reproach lovlng plLy plerced
llke an arrow Lhrough Lhe hearL of eLer and he wenL ouL and wepL blLLerly ralse Cod LhaL
was Lhe end of selfconfldenL eLer! ralse Cod LhaL was Lhe Lurnlng polnL of hls llfe! Pe wenL
ouL wlLh a shame LhaL no Longue can express Pe woke up as ouL of a dream Lo Lhe Lerrlble
reallLy l have helped Lo cruclfy Lhe blessed Son of Cod" no man can faLhom whaL eLer musL
have passed Lhrough LhaL lrlday SaLurday and Sunday mornlng 8uL blessed be Cod on LhaL
Sunday !esus revealed Plmself Lo eLer we know noL how buL Pe was seen of Slmon" Lhen
ln Lhe evenlng Pe came Lo hlm wlLh Lhe oLher dlsclples and breaLhed peace and Lhe Poly SplrlL
upon hlm and Lhen laLer on you know how Lhe Lord asked hlm Slmon son of !onas lovesL
Lhou me?"Lhree Llmes unLll eLer was sorrowful and sald Lord Lhou knowesL all Lhlngs
Lhou knowesL LhaL l love Lhee" WhaL was lL LhaL wroughL Lhe LranslLlon from Lhe love of Lhe
flesh Lo Lhe love of Lhe SplrlL? l Lell you LhaL was Lhe beglnnlngeLer wenL ouL and wepL
blLLerly" wlLh a broken hearL wlLh a hearL LhaL would glve anyLhlng Lo show lLs love Lo !esus
WlLh a hearL LhaL had learned Lo glve up all selfconfldence eLer was prepared for Lhe
blesslng of Lhe Poly SplrlL And now you can easlly see Lhe appllcaLlon of Lhls sLory Are Lhere
noL many [usL llvlng Lhe llfe of eLer of Lhe selfconfldenL eLer as he was? Are Lhere noL many
who are mournlng under Lhe consclousness l am so unfalLhful Lo my Lord l have no power
agalnsL Lhe flesh l cannoL conquer my Lemper l glve way [usL llke eLer Lo Lhe fear of man of
company for people can lnfluence me and make me do Lhlngs l do noL wanL Lo do and l have
no power Lo reslsL Lhem? ClrcumsLances geL Lhe masLery over me and l Lhen say and do Lhlngs
LhaL l am ashamed of"? ls Lhere noL more Lhan one who ln answer Lo Lhe quesLlon Are you



llvlng as a man fllled wlLh Lhe SplrlL devoLed Lo !esus followlng Plm fully glvlng up all for
Plm?"musL say wlLh sorrow Cod knows l am noL Alas my hearL knows lL"? ?ou say lL and
l come and l press you wlLh Lhe quesLlon ls noL your poslLlon and your characLer and your
conducL [usL llke LhaL of eLer? Llke eLer you love !esus llke eLer you know Pe ls Lhe ChrlsL
of Cod llke eLer you are very zealous ln worklng for Plm eLer had casL ouL devlls ln Pls
name and had preached Lhe gospel and had healed Lhe slck Llke eLer you have Lrled Lo work
for !esus buL Ch! under lL all lsn'L Lhere someLhlng LhaL comes up conLlnually? Ch ChrlsLlan
whaL ls lL? l pray and l Lry and l do long Lo llve a holy llfe buL Lhe flesh ls Loo sLrong and sln
geLs Lhe beLLer of me and conLlnually l am pleaslng self lnsLead of denylng lL and denylng
!esus lnsLead of pleaslng Plm Come all who are wllllng Lo make LhaL confesslon and leL me
ask you Lo look quleLly aL Lhe oLher llfe LhaL ls posslble for you !usL as Lhe Lord !esus gave Lhe
Poly SplrlL Lo eLer Pe ls wllllng Lo glve Lhe Poly SplrlL Lo you Are you wllllng Lo recelve Plm?
Are you wllllng Lo glve up yourself enLlrely as an empLy helpless vessel Lo recelve Lhe power
of Lhe Poly SplrlL Lo llve Lo dwell and Lo work ln you every day? uear bellever Cod has
prepared such a beauLlful and such a blessed llfe for every one of us and Cod as a laLher ls
walLlng Lo see why you wlll noL come Lo Plm and leL Plm flll you wlLh Lhe Poly ChosL Are you
wllllng for lL? l am sure some are 1here are some who have sald ofLen C Cod why can'L l llve
LhaL llfe?Why can'L l llve every hour of unbroken fellowshlp wlLh Cod?Why can'L l en[oy
whaL my laLher has glven me all Lhe rlches of Pls grace? lL ls for me Pe gave lL and why can'L l
en[oy lL?" 1here are Lhose who say Why can'L l ablde ln ChrlsL every day and every hour and
every momenL?Why can'L l have Lhe llghL of my laLher's love fllllng my hearL all Lhe day
long? 1ell me servanL of Cod whaL can help me?" l can Lell you one Lhlng LhaL wlll help you
WhaL helped eLer? eLer wenL ouL and wepL blLLerly" lL musL come wlLh us Lo a convlcLlon
of sln lL musL come wlLh us Lo a real downrlghL earnesL repenLance or we never can geL lnLo
Lhe beLLer llfe We musL sLop complalnlng and confesslng ?es my llfe ls noL whaL lL should
be and l wlll Lry Lo do beLLer" 1haL won'L help you WhaL wlll help you? 1hlsLhaL you go
down ln despalr Lo lle aL Lhe feeL of !esus and LhaL you begln wlLh a very real and blLLer shame
Lo make confesslon Lord !esus have compasslon upon me! lor Lhese many years l have been
a ChrlsLlan buL Lhere are so many slns from whlch l have noL cleansed myselfLemper prlde
[ealousy envy sharp words unklnd [udgmenLs unforglvlng LhoughLs" Cne musL say 1here ls
a frlend whom l never have forglven for whaL he has sald" AnoLher musL say 1here ls an
enemy whom l dlsllke l cannoL say LhaL l can love hlm" AnoLher musL say 1here are Lhlngs ln
my buslness LhaL l would noL llke broughL ouL lnLo Lhe llghL of man" AnoLher musL say l am
led capLlve by Lhe law of sln and deaLh" Ch ChrlsLlans come and make confesslon wlLh
shame and say l have been boughL wlLh Lhe 8lood l have been washed wlLh Lhe 8lood buL
[usL Lhlnk of whaL a llfe l have been llvlng! l am ashamed of lL" 8ow before Cod and ask Plm
by Lhe Poly SplrlL Lo make you more deeply ashamed and Lo work ln you LhaL ulvlne
conLrlLlon l pray you Lake Lhe sLep aL once eLer wenL ouL and wepL blLLerly" and LhaL was
hls salvaLlon yes LhaL was Lhe Lurnlng polnL of hls llfe And shall we noL fall upon our faces



before Cod and make confesslon and geL down on our knees under Lhe burden of Lhe Lerrlble
load and say l know l am a bellever buL l am noL llvlng as l should Lo Lhe glory of my Cod l
am under Lhe power of Lhe flesh and all Lhe selfconfldence and selfwlll and selfpleaslng
LhaL marks my llfe" uear ChrlsLlans do you noL long Lo be broughL nlgh unLo Cod? Would you
noL glve anyLhlng Lo walk ln close fellowshlp wlLh !esus every day? Would you noL counL lL a
pearl of greaL prlce Lo have Lhe llghL and love of Cod shlnlng ln you all Lhe day? Ch come and
fall down and make confesslon of sln and lf you wlll do lL !esus wlll come and meeL you and
Pe wlll ask you LovesL Lhou Me?" And lf you say ?es Lord" very qulckly Pe wlll ask agaln
LovesL Lhou Me?"and lf you say ?es Lord" agaln Pe wlll ask a Lhlrd Llme LovesL Lhou
Me?"and your hearL wlll be fllled wlLh an unuLLerable sadness and your hearL wlll geL sLlll
more broken down and brulsed by Lhe quesLlon and you wlll say Lord l have noL llved as l
should buL sLlll l love 1hee and l glve myself Lo 1hee" Ch beloved may Cod glve us grace
now LhaL wlLh eLer we may go ouL and lf need be weep blLLerly lf we do noL weep
blLLerlywe are noL golng Lo force Learsshall we noL slgh very deeply and bow very
humbly and cry very earnesLly C Cod reveal Lo me Lhe carnal llfe ln whlch l have been llvlng
reveal Lo me whaL has been hlnderlng me from havlng my llfe full of Lhe Poly ChosL"? Shall we
noL cry Lord break my hearL lnLo uLLer selfdespalr and Ch! 8rlng me ln helplessness Lo walL
for Lhe ulvlne power for Lhe power of Lhe Poly ChosL Lo Lake possesslon and Lo flll me wlLh a
new llfe glven all Lo !esus?"