O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

CARNAL CHRISTIANS: DO THEY EXIST?

Introduction

The term ‘carnal Christian’ was popularised by Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade, in the 1970s and is a familiar concept specially emphasised by certain well-known ministries. But what does it signify?

The essence of the ‘carnal Christian’ theory is that after you become a Christian you have another choice. You can either grow in grace, follow the Lord and become a spiritual Christian; or you can remain a babe in Christ and live like natural unregenerate men. This theory implies that everyone belongs to one of three categories, as follows:

First, there are those who are not spiritually regenerate, who can neither see nor enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-8).

Second, there are born-again Christians who are not walking with the Lord but are ‘still carnal’ (1 Corinthians 3:3) and walk ‘after the flesh’ (a mis-application of Romans 8:4).

Third, there are born-again Christians who are in Christ, who walk in the Spirit and enjoy full communion with God.

According to this teaching (third), therefore, there are two categories of Christians - those who walk after the flesh and those who walk in the Spirit.

Behaving like the unconverted

Clearly we should have no problem with the first category - the unconverted. Not being believers, they do ‘the works of the flesh’ and cannot bear ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:17-24; Romans 8:1-9). The problem arises when we divide born-again believers into two categories — converted sinners who are spiritual and those who live as ‘carnal Christians’.

This teaching arises from a wrong understanding of 1 Corinthians 3 - ‘For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?’

Let us understand that Paul’s concern here is not to describe two kinds of Christian, carnal and spiritual, but rather to show the ‘carnality’ (unspirituality) of division in the church. The wider aim of this chapter is to teach the members of this young church that believers ought not to conduct themselves carnally like those who are unconverted.

In chapter one of this epistle Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are ‘sanctified in Christ Jesus’ (v.2); are recipients of ‘the grace of God’ (v.4); and ‘are enriched by [Christ] in all utterance, and in all knowledge’ (v.5). That being so, how can they act like babes and unregenerate men? Accordingly, Paul rebukes them sternly in chapter 3.

We must note that every true believer may behave carnally in times of spiritual weakness and un-watchfulness. This is the result of the sin that still indwells the believer (Romans 7:14-24; 1 John 1:8-9). But this is not the same as saying that there are two different kinds of believers in the kingdom of Christ

What harm will the ‘carnal Christian’ theory do to us? Let me mention five things.

Misinterpreting Scripture

Firstly, it encourages the misuse of Scripture. To accept this teaching ‘is to violate a cardinal rule for the interpretation of Scripture, namely, that each single passage must be interpreted in the light of the whole’ (E. C. Reisinger, What should we think of ‘The Carnal Christian’?, p.12).

Going back to 1 Corinthians, Paul has only two distinct groups in mind - the ‘natural’ and ‘spiritual’. He defines these clearly in 2:14-15: ‘The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things …’

The ‘natural man’ here refers to those who are outside Christ’s kingdom, who do not have the Spirit of Christ. The ‘spiritual man’ is the one in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells. That is all. You will not find a class of believers called ‘carnal Christians’ in any of Paul’s epistles, nor anywhere else in Holy Scripture.

Denying the new covenant

Secondly, to teach that there are two kinds of believers is to tear apart the basic blessings of the new covenant. The new covenant is that ‘better covenant’ which Christ has established (Hebrews 8:6-12) and it has two inseparable parts - the forgiveness of sins and a changed heart on which God has written His laws (‘a heart of flesh’, Ezekiel 36:24-27).

Forgiveness comes through justification by God and faith in Jesus Christ, and is accompanied by sanctification, which can be expressed as ‘walking in the Spirit’. Scripture teaches that salvation and sanctification go hand in hand. This is a cardinal feature of the new covenant in Christ’s blood - and to deny it is to do violence to the gospel.

Blurring distinctions

Thirdly, ‘carnal Christian’ teaching blurs the difference between true saving faith and the spurious belief against which we are constantly warned in Scripture. This confusion can lead people to believe that as long as they have ‘invited Christ into their lives’ or ‘accepted Christ as their Saviour’, they necessarily possess saving faith.

Simon the sorcerer is a good example of one who believed but whose faith was later found to be hollow - he had ‘neither part nor portion’ in God’s Holy Spirit. This can be seen in his request for prayer (Acts 8:24) when he asks to be spared the consequence of sin rather than for pardon of his sin.

Professing believers who lack saving faith are revealed by the way they live and act. True faith will be accompanied by repentance - ‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?’ (Romans 6:1-2).

Lacking assurance

Fourthly, it will give rise to a lack of assurance of salvation. Those who rely on this theory to justify a carnal lifestyle can never be sure whether they are saved — because the Bible teaches that Christian conduct has everything to do with assurance of salvation.

The apostle John, for example, stresses that avoidance of sin is a mark that accompanies the new birth (1 John 2:15-16; 5:18). He shows us that those who are true believers will not be comfortable with the ways of the world.

Jesus himself makes it clear that there is a close relationship between assurance and obedience - ‘If any man love me, he will keep my words’ (John 14:23). The writer to the Hebrews declares likewise, ‘‘Follow ... holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14).

Robbing Christ of lordship

Finally, ‘carnal Christian’ teaching robs Christ of His lordship, because it allows professing believers to take Christ as Saviour but not submit to His Lordship. It is impossible for true believers to have Christ to save them from sin but not to direct them in the path of holiness and righteousness.

We cannot separate Jesus’ roles as Saviour and Lord, for the Scripture declares, ‘‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11). When sinners truly receive Christ in their hearts, they do receive Him as Lord. Paul reiterates this truth in Colossians 2:6: ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him’.

Further scriptural proof is found in Acts 2:36: ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ’. So those who desire to have Christ as their Saviour must have Him also as their Lord. The Lord Jesus will either have all of your heart or none of it. He will not settle for half-hearted Christians.

As for those who think they are ‘spiritual’, this teaching will bestow on them a false sense of spirituality. Someone aptly wrote, ‘In the life of the most perfect Christian there is every day renewed occasion for self-abhorrence, for repentance, for renewed application to the blood of Christ, for application of the rekindling of the Holy Spirit’ (The Carnal Christian, p.22).

Conclusion

‘Carnal Christian’ teaching has been around for a very long time, but Satan cleverly continues to use it to deceive. Some may hide behind a cloud of ‘easy-believism’ which demands nothing but an outward profession of faith; but they should beware. The cloud that conceals their empty profession will be blown away on the day of judgement — when our Lord and Saviour Jesus will say, ‘Not everyone that saith unto me, “Lord, Lord”, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven … I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

May the Lord help us to return to the Christ-centred and Spirit-empowered gospel, which not only saves but brings about a changed heart.

With acknowledgements to Ernest Reisinger’s booklet, What should we think of ‘The Carnal Christian’? (Banner of Truth Trust, ISBN: 9780851513898).

– Mok Chee Cheong

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Jan 8

        7.30 pm     ERBL: OT Prophetic Books (Rev Charles Seet)

Tuesday, Jan 9

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Dn Aaron Khoo)

Wednesday, Jan 10

      10.00 am     SF Meeting & CNY Lunch

Thursday, Jan 11

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Bible Geography (Ms Lilian Lee)

Friday, Jan 12

        7.30 pm     MM Meeting

Saturday, Jan 13

        3.00 pm     LTF / YLM / MM

Sunday, Jan 14

  8.00 am Promise and Prospect Haggai 2:1-9 (Bro Mok Chee Cheong)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Promise and Prospect Haggai 2:1-9 (Bro Mok Chee Cheong)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

Membership Roll Update Exercise 2024 (7 to 28 Jan)

If you are a member of Life B-P Church, please update your particulars or download the physical form at https://www.lifebpc.com/update (even if all the information is the same as during last year's exercise), for the purpose of the Annual Congregational Meeting.

The deadline is 28 Jan 2024.

The physical forms are also obtainable at the front entrance of the sanctuary. Please drop the forms in the box provided at the front entrance after worship services or mail to 10 Gilstead Road Singapore 309064.

Traffic Wardens

Lifers are invited to serve our Lord as Traffic Wardens on Sunday.

Kindly contact Dn Choong or Bro Kelvin if you are available.

Condolence

Our condolences to bro Azmi and family on the demise of his father (83 years old), on 1 Jan 2024.

Door to Door Evangelism

7 Jan 2024 (Today)

Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30pm Contact: Desmond or Amos 

Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Course (MBCC)

Another Church Outreach Ministry invites Lifers to register their young children, teens, or grandchildren with our MBCC. Those whose loved ones, friends or colleagues who are either young in their faith or being non-believers, are interested to know and explore more of Christianity, are also invited to register with us by filling in the registration forms which are now available at the Church front counter and post them to:

Life B-P Church

No.10, Gilstead Road

Singapore 309064

Attention: Mrs Ong Chuay Ying

Exploring Christianity

25 Feb – 24 Mar 2024

9.30am – 10.45 am @ Beulah Rm 2-1

Register at https://tinyurl.com/ExpChr2024

For enquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Ladies’ Fellowship

Invites all ladies to join us in our various ministries: Bible Study on Ephesians, Outings, Ukulele Class, Tea Fellowship, Love & Care Ministry. Contact Gillian for more information.

Ladies’ Tea Fellowship

New series based on the book of Genesis: “Building our trust in a faithful God ”

Starting on 27 Jan 2024, 3.30pm to 5pm, at Room 1-6.

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