Death to Carnality No. 2

Death to carnality implies confession and crucifixion. Consecration implies neither. Wherever Holy Writ represents or records the prayer of one seeking heart purity, it invariably carries the idea of confession,

self abnegation and death. Let us notice some Bible characters.

Jacob's experience at Peniel: -While his previous life may not have always been exemplary, yet previous to that memorable night, "the angels of God met with him." Gen. 32: 1. The experience he received then and there, was similar in some respects to that of every truly sanctified soul. He did not pray and consecrate for a few minutes, then claim it by faith, but put in a whole night wrestling, until the break of day found him willing to confess the "plague and sore of his heart."

He could wrestle a whole night easier than confess his name. (His name was significant in his disposition, -a supplanter, a deceiver.) Before he could confess acceptably, he had to break down at his strongest point- the thigh. When the "sun rose upon him", it found him halting, (the self-life gone,) but his name (nature) was changed to Israel. Hallelujah! God knows how to break us down and bring us to the place of heart-rending confessions.

Deception was the most prominent characteristic in Jacob's case, and by frequently yielding to it, it had become so deeply seated that he had a whole night's struggle before he could get rid of it. Likewise with every soul of man, carnal self becomes the greatest part of him, until the infinite hand of God alone can destroy it and not totally wreck the physical.

Job's experience and life were a splendid type of justification, yet when he came to see his heart he said: "Behold I am vile; what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer, yea twice; but I will proceed no further." Job 40: 4-5. Again as light shown, he confessed more deeply and said: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:5, 6. "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning."

David did not say "consecrate me to thy service and I shall be clean," but "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean."-Psa. 51:7. Hyssop was a prickly, bitter herb; doubtless David felt the need of drinking the bitter cup of confession, and repentance to the dregs. He not only sought pardon, but a complete purging out of the principle that led him into open sin.

Isaiah took the route of confession, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard a voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us Then said I here am I; send me." First, he confessed, second, his sin was purged, and the outcome was to go and preach to the people who had ears and would not hear and eyes but would not see. Surely it required clean lips and a pure heart to preach to such a people.

Lastly let us notice Agag, king of the Amalekites, 1 Sam., 15th chap. Here we find one of the best if not the clearest representations of carnality in the Old Testament, and how to get rid of it, Samuel, the prophet, had anointed Saul king over Israel, and commanded him to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites because of what they formerly did to Israel. See Deut. 25: 17-19. So Saul chose him out men and went to perform the command of the Lord; he destroyed all the people and "everything that was vile and refuse," but spared Agag and the best of the cattle. Herein he disobeyed the command of God, and for this was himself rejected as king.

Doubtless Agag plead so piteously and promised such faithful obedience, besides his being such an influential king made it look quite plausible for Saul to spare him, for a relic if nothing more; it would cause other kings and nations to fear. And then it seemed a pity to destroy all those beautiful cattle. Why not make a big display of the victory and use them for a sacrifice. Thus it is today: -If the preacher or evangelist is not thoroughly dead himself, he may preach straight and destroy every kind of open sin, but should a seeker begin to suffer the agonies of crucifixion, he will ease up and think, "things are going too far; there is danger of despair, insanity and fanaticism." This meets with the hearty approval of Agag and he readily consents to offer up sacrifice-a big shout, if the battle only won't go any farther.

Not so with the eagle-eyed, sharp-eared Samuel. "What meaneth this bleating of sheep in mine ears, and lowing of oxen which I hear." There is something wrong; someway there is an uncertain sound; there is a sound of distress. "Bring ye hither to me Agag. And Agag came to him delicately: And Agag said surely to bitterness of death is past." But not so, it had only begun. "And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal." To some, this might seem severe, as in many other cases where the children of Israel were commanded to utterly destroy certain individuals and nations, but they were typical to show how God would neither spare nor pity carnality in us. The only souls who know how to deal with it in others, are those who have died in death themselves.