Carnal Christians??
BY ALBERT MARTIN
I John 3 There are certain things that sinners and saints have in common. Some sinners are kind; some saints are kind. Some sinners are happy; all saints should be happy. So, kindness and happiness do not in themselves distinguish the saved from the lost.
But certain characteristics, John says in his first epistle, do distinguish the people of God as the people of God. Wherever there is a born-again person, these distinguishing marks will be evidence: a walking in the light, a walking in obedience, a heart-severance from the love of the world, a heart-severance from the love and practice of sin and a heart-committal to the love and practice of righteousness.
In the first ten verses of I John 3, the apostle explains why the true child of God cannot and will not be at home in the realm of sin. The passage teaches that no man has a right to claim that he is a Christian unless he is a holy man.
Heretical doctrine. Nevertheless, a teaching that negates the clear implications of I John 3 has become increasingly popular in our day. For the lack of a better term, I'll call it the "carnal Christian doctrine"although I would prefer to call it the "carnal Christian heresy", for this is indeed what it is.
I'm going to examine this doctrine with you in the light of the word of God. As many of you were brought up in a generation when this doctrine became highly popular, I ask that you follow this study with a teachable childlike spirit. Come like the Bereans and search the scriptures to see whether these things are so. Seek the truth with the realization that the eternal well-being of your very soul is at stake.
What the Carnal Christian Doctrine Teaches
The carnal Christian doctrinebased mainly on I Corinthians 2 and 3, where the apostle Paul uses the terms natural, carnal and spiritual to describe manholds that there are three kinds of people in the world:Those who have never received Jesus Christ are natural men. They are sinners by nature and by practice. They are dead in their sins. They have no knowledge of God.
Those who have acknowledged Christ as Lord and Savior, on the other hand, are spiritual men. They have learned how to walk in the Spirit, and one can see real evidence of Christ living out His life in them.
So far so good. But now comes the heresy. In between those two, they say, is the carnal man. Because this person has "received" Jesus as his Savior and believes that Christ died on the cross for his sins, he is said to be a child of God. Nevertheless, he lives just like a natural man, addicted to the flesh, to the world and to sin. He does not display any fruit of the Spirit, nor any pursuit of holiness.
Now, this is basically the "carnal Christian doctrine". I've read it in books, I've seen it in sermon notes, and I've heard it preached over nationwide hookups by Bible teachers. This is an accurate portrayal of that doctrine.
What Harmful Results That Doctrine Has Brought
The propagation of this doctrine for at least three decades has caused great harm in our fundamental circles. For one thing, it has misled a huge number of people who name the name of Christ into believing that they are children of God even though they are perfectly at home in the realm of sin.They confess that there is sin and failure in their lives, but they do so without any grief. They glibly claim the promise of I John 1:9, that of forgiveness to those who confess, but their confessions are a cut-and-dry ritual that has little meaning.
Secondly, this doctrine has raised a generation of people who are thoroughly convinced that holiness, though good and commendable, is merely something nice that a Christian should strive for if he wants to be a good testimony or to have rewards in heaven. They do not view it as an absolute essential to genuine Christian profession, an indispensable evidence of salvation.
They have been told that when they die, they'll lose some rewards, but they'll be saved so as by fire; they'll go to heaven because they have accepted Jesus.
Now, I firmly hold the Bible truth that a man is not saved by his works. But the same Bible that says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," also states very clearly, "without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). The Bible that teaches that we are saved entirely by grace also teaches that when a man receives the gift of grace, he is transformed by the Holy Spirit from a lover of sin into a lover of righteousness.
Finally, this carnal-man doctrine has kept many preachers from presenting the whole counsel of God. I know of men who preach on Bible conference platforms across our nation that are afraid to preach on I John 3. They are afraid to say to the congregation that if they do not produce the fruit of repentance, they've never been born-again.
What the Bible Teaches
Now, let's expose this doctrine in the light of the scriptures. As we do so, let's keep the following two principles in mind:First, there's no contradiction within the Bible. In other words, Paul can't say something that contradicts James, John or the other writers of the Bible, because it is the same Holy Ghost that is speaking through all of them. We must never receive one portion of the scripture in such a way as to close our eyes to another portion.
Secondly, we always interpret an obscure passage in the light of a clear passage. When we have a problem understanding one verse, we go to another verse that more clearly explains the same subject for clarification.
Actually, I Corinthians 3:3, on which the carnal-doctrine is primarily based, is not even a doctrinal passage. It reads, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" Paul, you see, was dealing with a particular problem at Corinth.
Romans 8. To understand what Paul is saying there, let's find out how he deals with the doctrines of holiness and sanctification elsewhere in the Bible. Let's go first to Romans 8:5?8:
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.In this doctrinal passage, Paul contrasts two things: the things of the flesh against the things of the Spirit; the carnal mind against the spiritual mind. These two are mutually exclusive.To be carnally minded is death. A man's given over to his base appetites and to the flesh, the end of that is death. The end of the spiritually minded man is life and peace. The carnal mind is at war with God. It is not subject to God. Hence, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Now, verse 9: "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
While the carnal man cannot please God, Paul is saying, this isn't true of you if the Holy Ghost dwells in you. And if He hasn't come to dwell in you, then you're none of His.
Again, there are only two spheres, not three. Carnally-minded, death; spiritually-minded, life.
Galatians 5. In Galatians Chapter 5, Paul talks once more about these two spheres. We read in verses 16-18:
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.In verses 19 and 20, Paul goes on to label anything that is in rebellion to the revealed will of God as the works of the flesh. And what does he say about those who walk after the flesh? Lose some rewards? No. He says in verse 21, "As I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."In the next two verses, he continues by drawing a contrast, saying, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
The preacher usually stops there and tenderly says, "Now, dear carnal Christian, you're saved, you're born-again, but you're given over to the flesh. You'd be so much better if the fruit of the Spirit were in your life. So, yield to Jesus as your Lord and begin to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Then, you'll get some rewards."
That isn't what Paul says! He says in verse 24, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
Note that he says all those that belong to Jesus, not just those who are spiritual, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (past perfect tense). All believers have basically severed themselves from the things of the flesh.
Now, beloved, either these verses mean what they clearly teach and the doctrine of a carnal Christian is therefore a damning heresy, or I've got to rip out page after page of my Bible and twist the obvious meaning of holy scripture. And this I will not do. And this you dare not do.
Romans 6. Paul speaks on this subject also in Romans 6. Starting with verse 15, he says: "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
Notice again, two spheres: sin unto death, obedience unto righteousness. He goes on in verse 17: "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." That's just another way of saying that you, who were servants of sin, have now committed yourself to Christ as He is presented in the gospel.
What happened then? Verse 18: "Being then made free from sin (from the mastery and the dominion of sin, that is), ye became the servants of righteousness."
We must never receive one portion of the scripture in such a way as to close our eyes to another Now, verses 19?22: "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God (that's conversion), ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."
Get that verse? Conversion, a change of masters. I exchange the master sin for the new master Christ, who will work out in me the path of righteousness. What is the fruit? The fruit is unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
In sum, no man gets everlasting life but in the pathway of holiness. One can be holy only if he's converted and has a change of masters by the grace of God. A person who calls on the name of Christ but still lives in a worldly manner is still unsaved; he has never been converted.
Hebrews 5. What is Paul saying in I Corinthians 3, then? Let's look at the first three verses carefully:
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ForPaul is telling the Corinthians that because of their worldly behavior, he cannot address them as spiritual people, but as carnal babes in Christ. But doesn't the term "babes in Christ" imply that they are saved? No. We read in Hebrews 5:13,14:
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.You see, those who are babes in Christ may know something about the gospel, but they do not really understand the word of righteousness. Unlike those who are mature, they cannot distinguish good from evil. They do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them. Remember, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.So, you see, there is no contradiction between I Corinthians 3 and Romans 6 and 8 and Galatians 5.
When a person becomes saved, the divine seed is at work in him. True, a child of God still sins because he still has a sinful body. But if he stumbles, he feels unclean. He is deeply disturbed until he's back in the way of holiness.
Babes in Christ, on the other hand, cannot discern good from evil; they are perfectly comfortable with their disobedience. Because they are immature, they cannot produce fruit. And Jesus warns in Matthew 7:19, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." That language, of course, has to do with eternal damnation.
Beloved, it's a terrible thing for a person to live and to die never having heard the message of Christ. It's doubly terrible for a person to hear the message and never believe and then go out into eternity. But it's thrice terrible for a person to hear the message and then believe a false doctrine that lets them be at home in sin while they profess to belong to Jesus and then go out into eternity.
If you have been following the carnal Christian doctrine, then may God awaken you. May this study disturb you so much that you cannot rest until you truly repent, return to the truth and beseech the Lord for His mercy. o
Dr. Albert N. Martin is pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, 160 Change Bridge Road, Montville, NJ 07045.