The Baptist Examiner Forum: pt. 5

December 22, 1979

 Question:
        DoesI Corinthians 3:3teach that a born again person can be a carnal Christian, etc.?
    Answer:
        Yes,I Corinthians 3:1-4teaches that a born again member of the Lord's church may at times be carnal. However, habitual carnality is a denial of the Lordship of Christ, and the negation of the profession of salvation, for carnality is the very opposite of the true Christian character. The life of the true Baptist will be that of habitual devotion to the principals of righteousness set forth in the New Testament. His old nature will on occasion assert itself, and cause him to stumble. A sheep may fall into a mud hole, but it will not long abide therein, and so it is, with the Christian whose general tenor of life is that of Bible obedience. He will on occasion fall victim to his flesh, but will not adopt carnality as a rule or code of conduct for his life.

    They that are of the flesh may profess to be Christians, and assume for a time outwardly the character of a Christian, but the trials of time will manifest their superficiality, and they will return to wallowing in the mire of this world. On the other hand, a true Christian will bemoan the fact of his liability to sin, and will lament and repent of his actual sin. Therefore, the Christian's sporadic deviation from the righteous course of his life is not indicative of a fallen character, or of a general drift into carnality.
    The person who professes to be a Christian, and is not as a rule subject to the Lordship of Christ is a false professor. He is a liar. There is no basis in Scripture for the contention of habitual carnality of a Christian. They which contend for such a theory always refer to isolated cases in the lives of godly people, such as the sin of David, Samson, Abraham's subterfuge, Peter's denial of Christ, etc. Let us not excuse these sins, nor the sins of our own lives, but let us highlight the fact that these men regretted and repented of these temporary digressions from the God honoring course of their lives.
    A goat is a goat, a dog is a dog, a hog is a hog, and cosmetic surgery can never alter that fact. Their nature remains the same no matter if they are made to look like a sheep. In due season their true nature will manifest itself, their mock appearance will be laid aside, and their stench will become so obnoxious to the true church that excisive discipline must be invoked to preserve the church.