Scriptures typically divide all humans into two classes. The natural or unspiritual identifies the unregenerated person governed by mere instincts. This person does not have the Holy Spirit, is under Satan’s dominion, and is enslaved to the body and its passions. They belong to the world and sympathy with it and reject the righteous ways of the Spirt. The unspiritual person does not understand God and His ways but instead relies on human reasoning or emotions.
The spiritual identifies the regenerated person that has the Holy Spirit. This person is spiritually-minded, thinks the thoughts of God, and lives by the Spirit of God. Such an individual believes in Jesus Christ, strives to follow the leading of the indwelling Spirit, and resists sensual desires and sin’s dominion.
How does one become spiritual? When a person accepts by faith the salvation provided through Christ, that individual is regenerated; the Holy Spirit imparts a new nature by an infusion of divine life. That person is now born again, renewed, and made a new creation and recipient of God’s righteousness through faith in Christ.
Although born-again believers receive the new life of the Spirit, they retain the sinful nature with its evil inclinations. The sinful nature that remains in them cannot be good; it is crucified with Christ and overcome through the Spirit’s power and grace. Believers overcome by denying themselves daily, removing every hindrance of sin, and resisting sinful temptations. By the power of the Spirit, believers themselves wage war for the sinful nature, crucify it, and put it to death daily. By this process of self-denial and yielding to the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work, they will be set free from the power of their sinful nature and live as spiritual Christians.
Not all Christians make the required effort to overcome sinful nature. Some behaved in a worldly or unspiritual manner, as stated in In First Corinthians chapter one verses one and three. Instead of consistently resisting the inclinations of their sinful nature, they often yielded to at least some of them. Although they were not living in persistent disobedience, they were in the process of compromising with the world, the sinful nature, and the devil in some areas of their lives while remaining a part of God’s people.
What is the condition of worldly Christians? Although sin and rebellion did not rule in their lives, these material Christians were behaving in a way that no longer had confidence in grace, acting as if they were new converts who did not understand the full implication of salvation in Christ. The worldliness expression resulted in envying and strife as stated in First Corinthians chapter three verse three. They were indifferent and intolerant of immorality within the church. They did not take God’s Word or His apostle with the utmost seriousness. They were going to law courts over trivial matters.
What are the perils of worldly Christians? These secular Corinthian Christians were in danger of being led astray by sincere devotion to Christ and being more and more conformed to the world. Because of this, they would be chastened and judged by the Lord, and if they accommodate the world, they face exclusion from God’s kingdom. Spiritual death had already occurred for some of them who had committed flagrant sin leading to spiritual death.
What are the warnings to worldly Christians? Worldly Christians must know they are in danger of departing from the faith if they are unwilling to remove the sinful nature with its passions and desires. They must learn from the tragic example of the Israelites whom God destroyed because of sin. They must understand that it is impossible to participate in the things of the Lord and the belongings of Satan at the same time. They must separate themselves from the world and purify themselves from the filthiness and perfect holiness, as described in Second Corinthians chapter seven verse one.