The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 12

Finally, we've made it to the last post. This could be the most important post of your life if you take heed to what is being said. It is my prayer that those of you who don't know Christ or have made a false profession, would turn your heart and mind over to what is being said here.

Do you believe yourself to be a good person? Yeah. Just about everyone does. What we like to do is compare ourselves to people that we consider to be bad and justify our goodness that way, don't we? Like Hitler. All I ask is that you be honest with yourself today. Listen to your conscience.

Again I ask, do you consider yourself to be a good person? It only takes one sin to be a sinner. Have you sinned before? There is nothing you can do to take it back once you committed it. It's like murdering someone. Can you restore this life you just took? No. You can apologize to the family. You can feel bad about, but not only can you not bring them back, there is also punishment for the act that you have committed. It's the same with God. Let's see where you stand against the 10 Commandments, God's moral Law.

1.'You shall have no other gods before Me.' Is God 1st in your life?

2. 'You shall not make for yourself an idol.' What is your 1st priority in your life?

3. 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.' This is called blasphemy. You substitute God's Holy Name for a four letter filth word.

4. 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' Do you keep it holy?

5. 'Honor your father and your mother.' Have you always honored your mother or father?

6. 'You shall not murder.' Here's the catch. In Matthew 5 Jesus says” It has been said of old thou shall not murder, but I say unto you if you even have hatred in your heart against your brother, he is a murderer.

7. 'You shall not commit adultery.' In Matthew 5 Jesus says” It has been said of old thou shall not commit adultery, but I say unto you if you look with lust you've committed adultery in your heart.

8. 'You shall not steal.' Have you ever stolen anything, value makes no difference?

9. 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' Have you ever told a lie?

10. 'You shall not covet.' Have you ever wanted anything that anyone else has had?

How many of you have broke these? Everyone has right? So by our admission, we are lying, stealing, blasphemous, adulterers at heart and we have to face God on judgment day. Hebrews 9:27 declares: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Statistically 10 out of 10 people die. Do you think by God's standard you would be innocent or guilty? Guilty, right? Do you think that God will send you to heaven or hell? You will go to hell, right? Does that concern you?

This is how it works. Think about a court of law. Let's say a man murders your child. You would want revenge right? You would want justice served, right? Now this man is standing before the judge with this mound of evidence piled against them. Murder. He has confessed. There is no way out. He is helpless before him. What if he tells the judge, “But judge, I'm really a good person! I'm sorry!” Then the judge says, “You know, because I'm a good person, I'm going to let you go.” How would that make you feel? No justice and this guy says he's a good judge? A good judge will bring justice. Now, your standing before God on judgment day. Would a Just and Holy judge let you go? No. You will get what you deserve. What we deserve is hell.

Most of us know John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall have eternal life.” But you have probably never heard the two verses that follow this one: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” We are all condemned to hell already.

In Matthew 7:21-23 Christ paints a picture of them that think their works will suffice. He says, “Not every one 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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

So as He says, people will see Him face to face in judgment and they will try to justify themselves by their works. You already know the outcome. An eternal sentence in hell.

Do you know what God did for you so that you do not have to go to hell? Christ died for your sin. He died in your place on the cross, taking your sin with it. He was then buried and three days later, rose again, conquering death and the grave! This is victory! That is the love of God. The truth of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christ said this in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” What love that God would come down from heaven, take on the flesh and die in our place. Now that is amazing!

Now, let me bring to life for you. We have just seen that your works will not suffice. Your works will not get you favor with God. Now let's go back to the courtroom. The gavel comes down. Bang! GUILTY! You are sentence to eternal death in hell. Then, a man walks in that you don't know and says, “Judge, I'll pay the penalty of his/her crime.” Then the judge says, “Why? You did nothing wrong to deserve this punishment? But if he/she will accept your gift, then I'll accept this payment for his/her penalty.” Now it's up to you. Would you turn down this gift? Only a fool would right? Will you accept this gift? It is called grace. The way you accept it is to repent, turn from your sin and place your faith in Christ and Him alone. Then he will look at you and say, “You may go.” And you get to walk out of this courtroom with no cost to you. This is what Christ did for you upon the cross. When you repent, that means to turn from your sin, and place your trust in Him, Christ steps in between and says, “Father, I paid his fine.” Then God the Father will say, “You're free to go.”

Do you now think your a good person? Repent, turn from your sin, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Place your trust in Him is like a skydiver places his trust in his parachute. You see, as the skydiver is falling, he is totally dependent upon that parachute. His life is in the hands of the parachute. Everything he has and is is now in the hands of the parachute. This is the type of faith we are to have in Christ for salvation. He wants all of you, not just some of you. Your life depends on it. Place your life in His hands. Your works are as filthy rags to Him. You need Christ. I beg you, plead with you, do not die in your sin. Hell is a terrible place. God has just given you the keys to overcome it. I pray that you will use them. Do not delay, for today is the day of salvation, today is the appointed time.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me at: operationcornerstone@ymail.com.

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 11

So let's look at Sanctification.

The Period of Sanctification

1.Initial Sanctification – Occurring During the Same time as Conversion (1 Cor 1:2)This stage of sanctification is instantaneous and has a twofold aspect, positional and practical. It is synchronous with our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior. The two aspects of sanctification included in this stage are very similar to – if not almost synonymous with – justification and regeneration, including conversion.

A. Positional Sanctification – as to standing morally, holy and perfect in Christ (He10:9,10,14)

B. Practical Sanctification – as to our state of being via a new nature with new desires and purposes (1 Peter 1:2)

C. Propositional Sanctification – as to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1,2)

2.Progressive Sanctification – Occurring through the Christian's Walk with God (2 Cor 7:1) Justification differs from Sanctification thus: the former is an instantaneous act with no progression, while the latter is a crisis with a view to a process – and act which is instantaneous and which at the same time carries with it the idea of growth unto completion. For He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. (Heb 12:2)

According to 2 Corinthians 3:18 we are being transformed from one degree of character or glory to another. It is because sanctification is progressive in that we are exhorted to “abound more and more” (1 Thes 3:12; 4:1,9,10) in the graces of the Christian Life. There is such a thing as “perfecting holiness.” God's Gift to the Church of pastors and teachers is for the purpose of the perfecting of the saints in the likeness of Christ until at last they attain unto that divine standard. (Eph 4:11-15; Phil 3:10-15)

So again, Sanctification is a process in which the Lord uses for the perfecting of the saints unto holiness. This is the evidence that separates the sheep from the goats. This is the problem with the “Carnal Christian” Heresy. You see no fruit in most of these people. Don't get me wrong, people still get saved in these false gospel churches, but that is in spite of the heresy. Eventually the Lord will bring them out of it. For the others, to tell them they are going to heaven because they said a prayer is as murder in the eyes of the Lord. You have convinced them that they are going to heaven when the are on the path of destruction! Do you call that love? Then, when they begin to doubt their salvation, you ask them if they wrote down the date of their profession and console them with this date as if it is their eternal security? The Lord wills that none would perish, but that all would have everlasting life. Yet, when you look at their life, there is no change. There is no conviction. There is no repentance. There is no fruit. Doesn't that concern you. We will be held accountable for these things.

3.Complete Sanctification – Will occur at the coming of Christ! (I Thess 3:12,13) This stage has to do with the completion and perfection of the believer's sanctification. He will then be entire, wanting nothing, like Christ in all things. He will be completely freed from sin and perfected in holiness. What a glorious day that will be, amen?

So again, to reiterate the point. Sanctification is the evidence of Salvation, not profession. Even Satan Himself believes in Jesus. In fact, so do the demons. This is not enough for salvation. Most peoples professions are just lip service to God. They say they know Christ, but the evidence of their walk with Him proves otherwise. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. When you talk to them about the things of God, they shun you or even get mad at you. Can the Holy Spirit that dwells in you contradict the same Holy Spirit that lives in them? No. Then why does the Gospel make those that “profess” to know Christ make them angry? I would then question their salvation.

1 Thess 4:7-8 states, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit.”

There it is. Scripture says it right there. How can you despise the things of God and call yourself one of His children? You can't. So let's get to the point. There are many, many people who profess the name of Christ, but despise the things of God, not only with there lips, but with their lives also. If this is you, I want to take the time now to share the Gospel with you.

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 10

We have finally arrived! Thanks to everyone for their patience. I realized this has been a long, ongoing post, but, in order for you to see the point we have to see the purpose behind all of these things. Now it's time to get to the meat of the issue.

Sanctification- The act of God by which deals with our state almost entirely, just as justification deals with our standing. In Justification we are declared righteous so that in Sanctification we may become righteous. Justification is what God does for us, while Sanctification is largely what God does in us. Justification puts us into a right relationship with God legally, while Sanctification exhibits the fruit of that relationship experientially in a life separated from sinful world and dedicated unto God. Justification makes us safe; Sanctification makes us sound.

There is, however, an aspect of Sanctification called “positional” which should not be overlooked. Although it is similar to Justification, positional Sanctification views man from the moral rather than legal perspective. In Justification man is positionally righteous; on this phase of Sanctification he is positionally holy.

The Bread and Butter of Sanctification in which we will show refutes the “Carnal Christian” Heresy is that of Progressive Sanctification. This is the process in which God uses through our new nature, desires, purposes and the conviction of sin through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to make us Holy, as He is Holy. We are born of God after Faith and Repentance. Carnality is enmity to God. We are to judge believers by their fruit, for by their fruits ye shall know them. Sanctification exhibits the fruit of our relationship through the way we talk, walk, act and think. Do we still sin? Yes. The difference is our reaction to it. You now hate sin and do not glory in it! When someone is living out the same sin day after day after day, making no war with it, and shows no sign of conviction or repentance, NOT REMORSE, but repentance and conviction, you begin to wonder. These are the ones who make the profession and there is no change. What happened was at the turn of the century, the Church abandoned the preaching and teaching of the Law of God to reveal sin and bring conviction as Paul said, using it as a schoolmaster to bring people to Christ. They started preaching and teaching this false gospel of God is love, joy, peace and everlasting happiness. Why? Because warning people of the hell fire and wrath to come seemed “too harsh”. So this HERESY was created to justify all of these false professions that the Church was seeing, instead of preaching against sin, repentance, damnation and hell and exercising Church discipline. God is love, but you can't give people the cure before they know that they have a disease. This is the very thing that modern Evangelicals did and continue to do. They are to afraid to offend people. Well, the Truth of God does offend people. If you see a blind man walking towards a cliff, do try to be kind say “Excuse me sir. Sir, I don't mean to bother you but..” and then he falls off the cliff. Is that love? No. Love is showing someone you care by sharing with them the Truth of God. You are a firefighter, pulling people from the fire of hell by showing them that they are heading for the fire by reveling their sin through the Law and how it offends God. Then you share with them what God did for them to save them from the fire. These so called “Carnal Christians” use the Grace of God for an occasion of the flesh. This is enmity to God. You can't be a child of God and an enemy of God at the same time.

Ray Comfort describes this best with the parachute analogy. He says, “Two men are seated in a plane. A stewardess gives the first man a parachute and instructs him to put it on because it will “improve his flight.”

Not understanding how a parachute could possibly improve his flight, the first passenger is a little skeptical. Finally he decides to see if the claim is true. After strapping on the parachute, he notices its burdensome weight, and he has difficulty sitting upright. Consoling himself with the promise of a better flight, our first passenger decides to give it a little time. Because he's the only one wearing a parachute, some of the other passengers begin smirking at him, which only adds to his humiliation. Unable to stand it any longer, our friend slumps in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor. Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart because as far as he is concerned, he was told a lie.

Another stewardess gives the second man a parachute, but listen to her instructions. She tells him to put it on because at any moment he will be jumping out of the plane at 25,000 feet.
Our second passenger gratefully straps the parachute on. He doesn't notice its weight upon his shoulders nor that he can't sit up upright. His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he jumped without it. When other passengers laugh at him, he thinks, "You won't be laughing when you're falling to the ground!"

Let's now analyze the motive and the result of each passenger's experience.
The first man's motive for putting on the parachute was solely to improve his flight. As a result, he was humiliated by the passengers, disillusioned by an unkept promise, and embittered against the stewardess who gave it to him. As far as he is concerned, he will never put one of those things on his back again.
The second man put the parachute on to escape the danger of the coming jump. Because he knew what would happen to him without it, he had a deep-rooted joy and peace in his heart. Knowing he was saved from certain death gave him the ability to withstand the mockery of the other passengers. His attitude toward the stewardess who gave him the parachute was one of heartfelt gratitude.
Now listen to what the contemporary gospel says: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ; He will give you love, joy, peace, and fulfillment." In other words, He will improve your flight. In an experimental fashion, the sinner puts the Savior to see if these claims are so.
What does he get? Temptation, tribulation, and persecution. The other passengers mock his decision. So what does he do? He takes off the Lord Jesus Christ; he is offended for the Word's sake; he is disillusioned and embittered, and quite rightly so.
He was promised peace, joy, fulfillment, and all he got were trials and humiliation. His bitterness is directed at those who gave him the “good news.” His latter end is worse than the first - another inoculated, bitter backslider! (By the way, what is a backslider? It's a sinner that never slid forward in the first place. Another false conversion.)”
That is a great analogy. For Christ came to save His people from their sins, not in their sins (Matt 1:21). A holy life, sowing to the Spirit, must follow the salvation that God gives us in Christ or God’s purpose in saving us would be defeated, and this cannot be. Did we not read that God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Eph 1:4).

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 9

I don't normally do this, but because this article hits the nail on the head, I am just going to post it. I left off in my last post stating that before we get into sanctification, I wanted to compare and contrast the differences in what each side believes about the doctrine of salvation. I believe this article speaks for itself. This is an article by John MacArthur entitled, "Clarifying the Lordship Debate, Part 1." So enjoy!

Clarifying the Lordship Debate, Part 1

Comparing the No-Lordship Views

The 9 specific tenets of lordship salvation have already been outlined in a previous post .

So what does theno-lordshipcampespouse? They agree with lordship proponents that: (1) Christ's death purchased eternal salvation; (2) the saved are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone;(3) sinners cannot earn divine favor; (4) God requires no preparatory works or pre-salvation reformation; (5) eternal life is a gift of God; (6) believers are saved before their faith ever produces any righteous works; and (7) Christians can and do sin, sometimes horribly. But they disagree on other crucial soteriological points. For example, the no-lordship advocates teach that:

1.Repentance is simply a change of mind about Christ (Charles Ryrie,So Great Salvation,96, 99).?? In the context of the gospel invitation, repentance is just a synonym for faith (SGS 97-99). No turning from sin is required for salvation (SGS 99).

2.The whole of salvation, including faith, is a gift of God (SGS 96). But faith might not last. A true Christian can completely cease believing (SGS 141).

3.Saving faith is simply being convinced or giving credence to the truth of the gospel (SGS 156). It is confidence that Christ can remove guilt and give eternal life, not a personal commitment to Him (SGS119).

4.Some spiritual fruit is inevitable in every Christian's experience. The fruit, however, might not be visible to others (SGS 45). Christians can even lapse into a state of permanent spiritual barrenness (SGS 53-54).

5.Only the judicial aspects of salvation--such as justification, adoption, imputed righteousness, and positional sanctification--are guaranteed for believers in this life (SGS 150-52). Practical sanctification and growth in grace require a post conversion act of dedication.?

6.Submission to Christ's supreme authority as Lord is not germane to the saving transaction (SGS 71-76). Neither dedication nor willingness to be dedicated to Christ are issues in salvation (SGS 74). The news that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead is the complete gospel. Nothing else must be believed for salvation (SGS 40-41).

7.Christians may fall into a state of lifelong carnality. A whole category of "carnal Christians"--born again people who continuously live like the unsaved--exists in the church (SGS 31, 59-66).

8.Disobedience and prolonged sin are no reason to doubt the reality of one's faith (SGS 48).

9.A believer may utterly forsake Christ and come to the point of not believing. God has guaranteed that He will not disown those who thus abandon the faith (SGS 141). Those who have once believed are secure forever, even if they turn away (SGS 143).

Some of the more radical advocates of no-lordship doctrine do not stop there.

The "Free-Grace" movement further stipulates:

1.Repentance is not essential to the gospel message. In no sense is repentance related to saving faith (Zane Hodges,Absolutely Free,144-46).?

2.Faith is a human act, not a gift from God (AF 219). It occurs in a decisive moment but does not necessarily continue (AF xiv, 107). True faith can be subverted, be overthrown, collapse, or even turn to unbelief (AF 111).

3.To "believe" unto salvation is to believe the facts of the gospel (AF 37-39). "Trusting Jesus" means believing the "saving facts" about Him (AF 39), and to believe those facts is to appropriate the gift of eternal life (AF 40). Those who add any suggestion of commitment have departed from the New Testament idea of salvation (AF 27).

4.Spiritual fruit is not guaranteed in the Christian life (AF 73-75, 119). Some Christians spend their lives in a barren wasteland of defeat, confusion, and every kind of evil (AF 119-25).

5.Heaven is guaranteed to believers (AF 112) but Christian victory is not (AF 118-19). One could even say "the saved" still need salvation (AF 195-99). Christ offers a whole range of post conversion deliverance experiences to supply what Christians lack (AF 196). But these other "salvations" all require the addition of human works, such as obedience, submission, and confession of Jesus as Lord (AF 74, 119, 124-25, 196). Thus God is dependent to some degree on human effort in achieving deliverance from sin in this life (AF 220).

6.Submission is not in any sense a condition for eternal life (AF 172). "Calling on the Lord" means appealing to Him, not submitting to Him (AF 193-95).

7.Nothing guarantees that a true Christian will love God (AF 130-31). Salvation does not necessarily even place the sinner in a right relationship of harmonious fellowship with God (AF 145-60).

8.If people are sure they believe, their faith must be genuine (AF 31). All who claim Christ by faith as Savior--even those involved in serious or prolonged sin--should be assured that they belong to God come what may (AF 32, 93-95). It is dangerous and destructive to question the salvation of professing Christians (AF 18-19, 91-99). The New Testament writers never questioned the reality of their readers' faith (AF 98).

9.It is possible to experience a moment of faith that guarantees heaven for eternity (AF 107), then to turn away permanently and live a life that is utterly barren of any spiritual fruit (AF 118-19). Genuine believers might even cease to name the name of Christ or confess Christianity (AF 111).

What Is Really at the Heart of the Lordship Debate?

It should be obvious that these are real doctrinal differences; the lordship controversy is not a semantic disagreement. The participants in this debate hold widely differing perspectives.

Nevertheless, the issues have often been obscured by semantic distractions, distorted interpretations of lordship teaching, mangled logic, and emotion-laden rhetoric. Often it is easier to misconstrue a point than answer it, and sadly that is the tack many have taken. All it has done is confuse the real issues.

But, to be clear, the lordship controversy is not a dispute about whether salvation is by faith only or by faith plus works. No true Christian would ever suggest that works need to be added to faith in order to secure salvation. No one who properly interprets Scripture would ever propose that human effort or fleshly works can be meritorious --worthy of honor or reward from God.?

The lordship controversy is a disagreement over the nature of true faith. Those who want to eliminate Christ's lordship from the gospel see faith as simple trust in a set of truths about Christ. Faith, as they describe it, is merely a personal appropriation of the promise of eternal life.

But Scripture describes faith as more than that--it is a wholehearted trust in Christ personally (e.g., Gal. 2:16 ; Phil. 3:9 ). Not merely faith about Him; faith in Him. Note the difference: If I say I believe some promise you have made, I am saying far less than if I say I trust you. Believing in a person necessarily involves some degree of commitment. Trusting Christ means placing oneself in His custody for both life and death. It means we rely on His counsel, trust in His goodness, and entrust ourselves for time and eternity to His guardianship. Real faith, saving faith, is all of me (mind, emotions, and will) embracing all of Him (Savior, Advocate, Provider, Sustainer, Counselor, and Lord God).

Those who have such faith will love Christ (Rom. 8:28 ; 1 Cor. 16:22 ; 1 John 4:19). They will therefore want to do His bidding. How could someone who truly believes in Christ continue to defy His authority and pursue what He hates? In this sense, then, the crucial issue for lordship salvation is not merely authority and submission, but the affections of the heart. Jesus as Lord is far more than just an authority figure; He's also our highest treasure and most precious companion. We obey Him out of sheer delight. So the gospel demands surrender, not only for authority's sake, but also because surrender is the believer's highest joy. Such surrender is not an extraneous adjunct to faith; it is the very essence of believing.

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The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 8

The Manner of Faith-There are two sides.

1. The Divine Side- Originates with the Triune God. God the Father – Originating Source (Rom 12:3), God the Son – Mediating Source (Heb 12:2), God the Holy Spirit – Energizing Source (1 Cor 12:4,8,9)

Faith, then, is obtained as the result of the enabling power and gracious work of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. The Human Side – Secured by the use of Means:
The Word of God Heard and Heeded (Rom 10:17), Yielded Will (John 5:36-40) and A Right Motive (John 5:44)

These human elements enter into the production of faith and for them men are responsible.

What are the Results of Faith
1.Salvation (Eph 2:8-10) In it you receive Forgiveness (Acts 10:43), Justification (Rom 5:1), Son-ship with God (Gal 3:26), Eternal Life (John 20:31), Partaking of the Divine Nature (2 Pet 1:4) and the Indwelling of Christ

2.A Normal Christian Experience. In it you receive Sanctification (Acts 26:18), Keeping Power of God (1 Peter 1:5), Victorious Life (1 John 5:4,5), Rest and Peace (Matt 11:28), Joy and Satisfaction (1 Peter 1:8), Persecutions and Tribulations (2 Tim 3:12; John 16:33)

3.Holy Achievements (Heb 11:1,2) these are: Answer to Prayer According to God's Will (Matt 21:21), Wonder-working Power (Matt 2:21) and All Things Made Possible (Mark 9:23).


This basically sums up Regeneration. Wow, that was a lot. Next, we'll look at Justification. This one is shorter. Like seven and a half posts shorter.

Justification- The act of God by which, on the account of Christ, to whom the sinner is united by faith, He declares a sinner to be no longer under condemnation, but to have a standing of righteousness before Him. It is not a change in the moral state or character of its subjects. Justification does not deal with our subjective, but rather with our objective, salvation. It has to do with our standing before God judicially rather that our state of life morally and spiritually. It means to make conformable to a true standard. It signifies, not “to make righteous”, but to “declare righteous” or “free from guilt and exposure to punishment”. So, in layman's terms justification is the judicial act of God whereby those who put faith in Christ are declared righteous in His eyes and are free from guilt and punishment.

1. The Scope of Justification

A. Propitiation- The Atoning Sacrifice of Christ is Sufficient (Rom 3:25)

B. Restoration- We are Restored to Former Glory Because of Christ (Ps 23:1-3)

C. Forgiveness-We have been Forgiven our Sin Through Christ (1 John 1:9)

D. Reconciliation- The Our Relationship with God has been Restored Through Christ (2
Cor 5:21)

E. Redemption- The Work of Christ to Free Man From the Captivity of Sin by Payment of a Ransom (Titus 2:14)

2. The Method of Justification – It is divine, not human. Man justifies the innocent only; Go justifies the guilty. Man justifies on the ground of merit; God justifies on the ground of mercy.

A. Not by moral character (1 Cor 4:4)

B. Not by works of the law (Rom 3:20)

C. Judicially by God (Rom 8:33)

D. Cause of Grace (Rom 3:24)

E. Awarded by Christ by His Death (Rom 5:9)

F. Readily Perceived by His Resurrection (Rom 4:5)

G. Mediated by Faith (Rom 5:1)

H. Evidenced by Works (James 2:14,24)

3. The Results of Justification

A. Freedom from Incrimination (Rom 8:1, 33,34)

B. Peace with God (Rom 5:1)

C. Assurance and Realization of Future Glorification (Titus 3:7)


That's it for Justification. Next is Sanctification. Before we look at it, I am going to break down what each side agrees on and doesn't agree on.

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 7

The Meaning of Faith

1. In Relation to Salvation

a. Believing the Gospel of Christ (Rom 1:16)
This is the power of God unto salvation.

b. Receiving the Christ of the Gospel (John 1:12)
Those that believe on Him will receive the power to become the son's and daughter's of God.

2. In Relation to God

a. To Believe God or Trust His Word (John 5:24)
We rely on the truth of God's testimony.

b. To Believe in God or Trust Him (John 14:1)
To rely on God Himself.

3. In Relation to Prayer

a. Assurance of God's Power to Fulfill His Word (Jer 32:17)

b. Assurance of God's Will as Revealed in His Word (John15:7)

c. Assurance of God's Answer Promised in His Word. (1 John 5:14,15)

4. In Relation to Works

a. Faith the Cause; Works the Effect (James 2:20-26)
This is likened to the domino effect. Faith is what tips the first domino. The dominoes themselves are our works. The action taking place is Sanctification. This is the fruit of salvation.

b. Faith the Claim; Works the Evidence (James 2:14,18)
One that professes to know Christ will show evidence through his works. This again, is why the “Carnal Christian” excuse does not work. Works are the evidence of your faith. You can give God lip service all you want, but believers will know by the fruit you bare. When you have no conviction when to things that are associated with filth like, drinking, fornicating, watching things that you know Christ would not watch or say things you know Christ would not say, I would check yourself. If the Holy Spirit dwells within you, as you claim, He will be appalled at what He sees, therefore convicting you of this filth in your life. You will see change. Do we occasionally stumble? Yes. Are we perfect? No. But there are some blatant things that you see these “so called” Carnal Christians doing that you know if the Holy Spirit dwells within them, He would be having a fit! And yet, they continue on and on with no conviction. What people don't understand is that it is God that does the work. To say that they (The Carnal Ones) can go on about their lives doing whatever they what renders our God powerless. He grants saving faith. He opens your eyes. He starts a work in you. He finishes His work in you. He grants you grace. He grants you salvation. It is all about Him. It has nothing to do with you. Then these people have this cute little saying to justify their sin, “Well, I'm just a backslider.” What they are saying is that that have no sorrow for sinning against God. When they do have sorrow, it's about how they look, instead of how they made God look.

5. In Relation to Its Possessor

a. Intellectual-Involving the Assent of the Mind (Rom 10:14-17)
The Gospel is not so much a promise or a covenant as it is a message, a proclamation. It is the “good news” of God concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And true faith is the belief of that good news. This good news is historical and factual. Faith always follows fact. “Fact, faith, feeling – this is God's order...Fact leads, Faith with its eye on fact, following, and Feeling, with the eye on faith, bringing up the rear...Feed Faith with Facts, not with Feeling.” (A.T. Pierson in W. Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, p 150)

b. Emotional-Involving the Response of the Heart (Rom 10:9,10)
An intellectual assent to Christ as Savior is insufficient. There must be a heart response to Him as my Savior which springs from a sense of realized need and deep-seated desire. The emotional element is essential.

c. Volitional-Involving Consent of the Will (John 1:12)
Faith not only receives the word of Christ, it reaches out and lays hold upon the person of Christ. There is a will to believe. Faith is not passive, but it is the consent of the will to the confession of the mind. It is putting the intellectual belief and the emotional desire into action along the line indicated by both.

No one or two elements are sufficient. All are necessary to the possession and the expression of a genuine faith.

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 6

Faith- By definition there are two types, Natural Faith and Spiritual Faith. Natural faith all people possess in varying degrees. This is insufficient , however, to meet the moral and spiritual needs of man or the requirements of God. Spiritual faith is possessed by believers only. It is the belief or confidence, possessed by regenerate believers in varying degrees, which rest upon the knowledge of God and His will obtained through revelation and personal experience.

There are five essentials that show us the importance of Faith

1. Essential to a Right Relationship with God (Heb 11:6)
Why is it essential? Hebrews 11:6 says, without it, it is impossible to please him. For him that come to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

2. Essential as the Main Requirement in Christ's Dealings with Man (Matt 8:10;15:28)
He compliments man on his faith. It is required to come to Him.

3. Essential to Saving Man from the Wrath of God (John 3:36)
Those that believe on the Son have life. Those that don't, the wrath of God abides with them. How would you like God's Wrath on your head? Well, if you are not truly saved, His Wrath IS on your head!

4. Essential to the Normal Christian Life (Rom 1:17)
God's righteousness is revealed from faith and the just shall live by faith.

5. Essential as a Foundation of Character and a Fruit-filled Life (2 Peter 1:3-8)
You will know most believers by their fruit. This passage of scripture is another that contradicts the “Carnal Christian” heresy. Verse three says:”According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,” Let's look at this. He has given us, as true believers, all things that pertain to life and godliness. What things are those? Look at v. 5. Faith (as your foundation), add virtue.

What is virtue? It is a conformity to a standard of right; Morality. So if morality leads to life and godliness, what does immorality lead to? Death and wickedness. Which means we disobey His command of virtue if we are not obedient to His command of virtue. What after virtue? Knowledge.

What is knowledge? It applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience. So we will be in His word, gaining knowledge about Him and He will reveal His truth. Hmm. After knowledge is temperance.

What is temperance?Moderation; particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence. After temperance? Patience.

What is Patience? The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from christian submission to the divine will. After patience? Godliness.

What is godliness? A religious life; a careful observance of the laws of God and performance of religious duties, proceeding from love and reverence for the divine character and commands; christian obedience. That is profound. Obedience to His way of life. That is godliness! Wow! After godliness? Brotherly kindness.

What is brotherly kindness? We have to break this one in two. First, brotherly. Pertaining to brothers; such as is natural for brothers; becoming brothers; kind; affectionate; as brotherly love. And kindness? Good will; benevolence; that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses; benignity of nature. Kindness ever accompanies love. After brotherly kindness? Charity.

What is charity? In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

Why were they given to us? Look at verse 8. “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So what Peter is saying is if you are a child of God, you WILL bare fruit. There will be evidence. Your walk proves it.

1 John 2:3-5, (which is another passage that contradicts this heresy) declares: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”


To be continued....

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 5

Wow! This one took some work, but by the Grace of God I am getting somewhere.

In order to really put this heresy to rest, we need to look at the doctrine of salvation, soteriology, and get a grasp on this comprehensive term and it's many aspects. There are six basic aspects that we need to look at: Regeneration, Repentance, Faith, Justification, Sanctification and Prayer.

Let's now take a look at the word salvation, and its meaning within the proper context. The word “salvation” is the translation of the Greek word soteria which is derived from the word soter meaning “savior.” The word “salvation” communicates the thought of deliverance, safety, preservation, soundness, restoration, and healing. In theology, however, its major use is to denote a work of God on behalf of men, and as such it is a major doctrine of the Bible which includes redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, conviction, repentance, faith, regeneration, forgiveness, justification, sanctification, preservation, and glorification. On the one hand, salvation is described as the work of God rescuing man from his lost estate. On the other hand salvation describes the estate of a man who has been saved and who is vitally renewed and made a partaker of the inheritance of the saints.

Regeneration- Both Faith and Repentance is required for Regeneration. Regeneration is God working in, and conversion is man working out, his salvation in repentance and faith. Repentance is turning from sin, Faith is turning to Christ. These two are inseparable. It has been best said that repentance is faith in action and faith is repentance at rest.

Repentance, by definition is a change in mind or view concerning one's obligation to the will and word of God. The Bible Dictionary quotes it as follows: repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Cor. 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments. The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Ps. 51:4, 9), of pollution (51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (51:11; 109:21, 22). Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Ps. 51:1; 130:4).

It is the first aspect of the believer's initial experience of salvation, i.e. conversion. True conversion is an essential part and proof of regeneration.

Proof of a True Conversion is a hatred for sin (Ps 97:10), sorrow for sin (2 Cor 7:9), Confession of sin (Ps 32:3-5) Its twofold: To God (Luke 15:21) and To Man (James 5:16) and forsaking of sin (Prov 28:13)

Method of Repentance

The Divine Side (Acts 11:18) God is the one who grants us repentance.

The Human Side: Accomplished Through Means:

Through the Ministry of the Word: The very gospel that calls for it, produces it (Acts 2:36,38,41).

Through the Goodness of God (Rom 2 :4)The goodness of God leads man to repentance.

Through Reproof and Chastisement (Rev 3:19) This is proof of God's love for us.

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 4

They were all making idols out of secondary causes and forgetting the first Cause where the glory should lie. Instead of saying, "We are Christ's disciples" and uniting together in Christ they made parties and said, "We are Paul's--he founded the church." "But Apollos is more eloquent than the Apostle and he edifies us more. We have gone beyond Paul, therefore, we are of Apollos." And a third party said, "We are of Peter." Ah, but they were forgetting that these were men and only laborers in God's farm and they all labored together with God. This was causing "envying, strife and division"(3:3). They were carnal, they were acting like the unregenerate; therefore, in this area of their lives they were carnal.

The carnality evidenced itself in their factions over the different servants of Christ (cf. 1:11, 12; 3:3-5,21, 22). In 3:1-4 Paul charges them for their carnality and division. He then instructs them on how to correct that which was wrong.

1. Their ministers were only ministers (3:5).
2. All these ministers carried on the same design and purpose (3:6-10).
3. The ministers were building on the same foundation (3:11-15).
4. The great apostle exhorts them not to glory in particular ministers because they should have an equal interest in all true ministers. "All are yours and you are Christ's" (3:22, 23).

In 1 Cor. 3, the Apostle resumes the subject of contention mentioned in 1:11-13. Chapter 3 is a transition from the defense of his mode of preaching (chapter 2) to the subject of their divisions (3:1-5). The true relationship of ministers to the church is as servants and not party leaders. Their dissensions and divisions were in reference to their religious teachers. The Apostle tried to correct this by showing the true place of the ministerial office.

• Ministers were servants without any authority or power of their own. One may plant, another may water BUT ONLY GOD can give the increase (3:5-7).
• Ministers are one - they have one master, one work - just different departments in the great work- like fellow laborers on the same farm or fellow-builders building the same temple (3:8, 9).
• In discharging their duty they have a great responsibility as to how they build and what they build (3:10-15).
• Because the church of God is the temple of God ministers will be held accountable for the doctrine they teach and preach in executing their duties (3:16, 17).
• No minister should deceive himself. He cannot preach a higher wisdom than the wisdom of God, and to learn that wisdom he must renounce his own (3:18-20).

The Apostle is not setting up three categories of men. He knows only two classes of men--natural and spiritual. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14).

Under the term "natural" the great Apostle includes all those persons who are not partakers of the Spirit of God. If the Spirit of God has not given to them a new and higher nature than they ever possessed by their natural birth, he puts them in one class of natural men.

Those who are "spiritual" may be but babes in grace and babes in knowledge. Their faith may be weak. Their love may be in its early bud; their spiritual senses may be little exercised; their faults may be in excess of their virtues, but if the root of the matter is in them they have passed from death unto life-- passed out of the region of nature into that which is beyond nature--then Paul puts them in another class--all of them are spiritual men. In 1 Cor. 2:14-16 he does not make THREE categories. The difference is that the spiritual receive the things of the Spirit, embrace them with delight, and feed upon them with intense satisfaction.

These Christians were imperfectly sanctified, as are all Christians. Paul is not setting up a third group that is characterized by carnality in every area of their lives, who demonstrate that the bent of their lives is not Christian.

The Scripture knows only two places--heaven and hell; two ways--the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction; two principles of walk--the Spirit principle and the flesh principle. 1 Cor. 3:1-4 is not expounding a general doctrine but reproving a specific out-cropping of carnality in a certain place. Therefore, we must be true to Scripture and not misinterpret and misapply certain texts to accommodate miserable human performance. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). This is a biblical description of a Christian: the essence of a Christian, "in Christ;" the effects of being in Christ, "a new creature;" the evidence of being in Christ, "old things pass away and all things become new." There is no place here for two categories of Christians.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 We will now consider 1 Cor. 3:10-15. There are a few passages of Scripture to which more numerous and more contradictory explanations have been given than this passage (1 Cor.3:10-15). In 1 Cor. 2 the great apostle is defending his apostleship; the whole context from 1 Cor. 2:1 to 4:15, however, has to do with ministers and how they are meant to build the church. In 3:7 he makes it very clear that the real cause of gospel success is not the instruments (preachers or teachers) "but God [who] gives the increase." In 3:10 and 4:15 he points out that he did the most important part on the human side--he laid the foundation, but he is quick to warn them not to glory in men (3:21-23).

So, as you can see, nowhere in in Scripture can you justify a Carnal Christian. But, the Bible does tell us what carnality is to God in Romans 8:4-8:

4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5For 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.

6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Wow! That's powerful. That contradicts everything that these people believe. If you are one of the followers of this doctrine, I beg you to take heed to this warning from Scripture: The carnal mind is enmity against God!

Next, we will talk about Justification, Regeneration and Sanctification.

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 3

We need to see the three important facts about the teaching. First, we note again that it divides all men into three classes or categories. With this fact none of its proponents disagree, though they may present it differently and apply it differently. Secondly, one class is the "Christian" who "walks after the flesh". The center of his life is self, and he is the same as the unrenewed man as far as his life is concerned. Thirdly, all those who accept this view use 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 to support it. Consequently, if it can be established that the Scripture teaches only two classes or categories of men--regenerate and unregenerate, converted and unconverted, those in Christ and those outside of Christ--the non-lordship position will be shown to be a heresy.

Allow me to stop right here and say what I am not saying: I am not saying that we, as believers, do not do In this study of the "Carnal Christian" theory I am not overlooking the teaching of the Bible about sin in Christians, about babes in Christ, about growth in grace and about the divine chastisement which Christians receive. I acknowledge that there are babes in Christ. In fact there are not only babes in Christ, but there are different stages of "babyhood" in understanding divine truth and in spiritual growth. I also recognize that there is a sense in which Christians may be said to be carnal, but I must add that there are different degrees of carnality. Every Christian is carnal in some area of his life at many times in his life--"the flesh lusteth against the Spirit" (Gal. 5:17). All the marks of Christianity are not equally apparent in all Christians. Nor are any of these marks manifest to the same degree in every period of any Christian's life. Love, faith, obedience, and devotion will vary in the same Christian in different periods of his Christian experience; in other words, there are many degrees of sanctification. The Christian's progress in growth is not constant and undisturbed. There are many hills and valleys in the process of sanctification; and there are many stumblings, falls and crooked steps in the pathway to the Celestial City. There are examples in the Bible of grievous falls and carnality in the lives of true believers. Thus we have the warnings of temporal judgment and of chastisement by our heavenly Father. These truths are all acknowledged and are not the point of this present study. The question we have to consider is: Does the Bible divide Christians into two categories? This is the issue at the heart of the "Carnal Christian" teaching.

The Strong's Concordance has two words in the Greek for carnal:

Sarkikos- Greek for carnal
1.fleshly, carnal
2.having the nature of flesh, i.e. under the control of the animal appetites
3.governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God
4.having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature
5.human: with the included idea of depravity
6.pertaining to the flesh
7.to the body: related to birth, linage, etc

Sarx-Greek for carnal
1.flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts
2.the body
3.the body of a man
4.used of natural or physical origin, generation or relationship
5.born of natural generation
6.the sensuous nature of man, "the animal nature"
7.without any suggestion of depravity
8.the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin
9.the physical nature of man as subject to suffering
10.a living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast
11.the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God

Before we get into the text in which they justify carnal Christianity, we need to understand how to interpret Scripture. I shall quote a church father: "If you only have one Scripture on which to base an important doctrine or teaching you are most likely to find, on close examination, that you have none." This is the only verse they use. In light of all of this, you need to remember three things: Context, Context, Context.

Consider the context of 1 Cor. 3:1-4., "For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says,`I am of Paul,' or `I am of Apollos,' or `I am of Christ'(1 Cor. 1:11, 12).

"For when one says, `I am of Paul,' and another, `I am of Apollos,' are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:4-6).

"Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come - all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. 3:21-23).

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other" (1 Cor. 4:1, 6).

It is very important to see that this whole section of 1 Cor. 2:14-4:15 is dealing principally with one problem--schism. And like all the other problems in this letter, such as, defrauding one another, the disorder at the Lord's Table, etc., it is the result of carnality, or more accurately, a result of the remaining principle of sin in all believers.

These problems illustrate Paul's teaching in Rom. 7:21-23. "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

Some of the Corinthian Christians had attached themselves to one of the great Christian teachers or preachers and some attached themselves to another, thus setting up rival leaders of opposing parties. Some would follow Paul, some admired Apollos, and others extolled Peter.

"Now I say this, that each of you says, `I am of Paul,' or `I am of Apollos,' or `I am of Cephas,' or `I am of Christ' (1 Cor. 1:12).

"For when one says, `I am of Paul,' and another, `I am of Apollos,' are you not carnal?" (1 Cor. 3:4).

"Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours" (1 Cor. 3:21, 22, cf. 1:12; 3:4,21, 22).

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 2

2. Popularity. Pastors and teachers today are so caught up in this old high school popularity contest where it is all about your name and being accepted by everyone that you water down the Scriptures, give feel good messages, and motivational speeches rather than expounding on the Word of God. This is also the health and wealth teachers, like Joel Osteen, Rob Bell and Joyce Meyers. The sad part is that there are a lot of people who are now in hell because of the false gospel preached by these teachers. This so called “Christianity” is a business, not a ministry that pulls people from the fire of hell. These people make Jesus their Holy ATM or Holy Vending Machine. They make Jesus out to be their servant and strip Him of His Highness, His Sovereignty and His Glory . The Apostle Paul would be appalled. This gospel would be a disgrace to him. We see in Scriptures the judgment of God on the hearers of these teachers. He gives their followers over to these types of teachings because this is what they want. The Scriptures declare:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4


Most true believers know of these teachers and try to avoid them. These teachers are a concern, but not the ones that I am truly worried about. It is teachers that teach this “Carnal Christian” doctrine that concerns me. It is teachers like Tony Evans, Billy Graham, Luis Palau, Charles Stanley, Charles Ryrie, Chuck Swindoll, Chuck Smith, Bill Bright, to name a few. We need to take heed and separate from these teachers.

3. Fear of the unsaved sitting in the pews. Why would a pastor fear them? Well, let's look at the circumstance. First, in an average sized church in America, a pastor gets paid pretty good. They also enjoy outreach, missions, having a ton of staff and a huge building. Knowing this, they need a lot of members to give money. The more members, the more money. Now, statistically, most are unregenerate. So, if they preach the word as they are commanded to, demanding a Godly lifestyle, holiness, sanctification, prayer and fasting, they would lose the majority of the congregation. Thus, no money! So the unsaved control the pulpit. Let me just state I am not saying there are not some Bible Believing Churches with a very large portion of the congregation saved, but I'm talking about the other majority.

Let's look at the history behind this heresy. This doctrine that there were these two types of Christians - spiritual Christians and carnal Christians - gained popularity in the American evangelical world first through the notes of the influential Scofield Reference Bible.

In its note at 1 Cor. 2:14, the Scofield Bible taught this to generations of American evangelicals:

Paul divides men into three classes: natural, i.e. the Adamic man, unrenewed through the new birth…; spiritual, i.e. the renewed man as Spirit-filled and walking in the Spirit in full communion with God…; and carnal, i.e. the renewed man who, walking 'after the flesh,' remains a babe in Christ. … the carnal Christian is able to comprehend only the simplest truths of Scripture, 'milk.'

In other words, the editors of the Scofield Reference Bible thought that Paul was, in these verses at the end of chapter two and the beginning of chapter three, laying down a tripartite division of the human race: unbelievers and two types of believers, spiritual ones and carnal ones. In all of this, the Scofield Bible was building on the teaching about the Christian life that had become common in what was called the "Higher Life" movement. The teachers of that movement often made a distinction between spiritual Christians and carnal Christians, even if they didn't always use that terminology. Geoffrey Thomas wrote that it was the 1909 Scofield Reference Bible which popularized "an antithesis between law and grace so that the believer was alleged to be no longer under the constraints of the moral law. Those Bible footnotes made respectable the 'carnal Christian' hypothesis which has been so detrimental to godliness amongst those who profess the faith."

When Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote He That Is Spiritual (1918) it was extremely controversial. He wrote that a believer could be a new creation and yet remain a carnal Christian without any change in character. He stated that the carnal Christian is characterized by a walk that is on the same plane as that of the natural man. Today that teaching is commonly accepted.

That teaching and the name of the "carnal Christian," was further popularized in the second half of the 20th century by Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade International, in a number of books and pamphlets. This teaching of the two types of Christians became, as a result, still more controversial. When the idea of the carnal Christian was found prominently in the materials of a great evangelical organization devoted to campus evangelism, many felt the wrong signal was being sent to the unbeliever. If the unbeliever hears that he has a choice of becoming either a spiritual Christian or a carnal Christian - that is, that, if he wants to, he can secure the forgiveness of his sins and entrance into eternal life by bare belief without ever having to surrender his life to Christ or dramatically alter his behavior - many unbelievers naturally will opt for becoming carnal Christians, profess some sort of faith in Jesus, but never become his disciples. Are they not being told that they can have salvation and the world at the same time, they can have eternal life and their sins at the same time? They can have Christ as their Savior - and this is how it was often put - but not as their Lord?

Today you have scores of pastors teaching this very heresy from the pulpit, deceiving many and damning them to hell.

I have given you reasons as to why this heresy is taught, it's history and the teaching itself. Next we will get into the context of the single scripture verse in which this doctrine was built around.

To be continued...

The "Carnal Christian" Heresy and the Church Part 1

This could turn out to be a very lengthy blog, so I will do my best to break it up into pieces. I've been told some of the entries are too long. Sorry for that. But I feel this topic is vitally important to the health of the Church in America. This teaching has spread like wildfire throughout the world now, and we as true believers need to know how to combat it. I will do my best to give you the history surrounding it, the teaching itself and the some of the results of it (although I know there are many, many more). So, thank you for your patience and your interest in this topic.

Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to nail down, through rigorous study, the reasons as to why there are few regenerate Christians sitting in the pews of our churches. It seems when a person teaches or preaches on topics that deal with our sin, people make excuses FOR their sin instead of making war AGAINST their sin. As I mentioned in the last blog, the world seems to know more about what the is required in the Christian walk more than the Christian does. One of the most common arguments against Christianity is this very thing: Hypocrisy. We say one thing and do another. The World is watching YOU & I!

Well, I praise the Lord in that He has graciously opened my eyes to the answer of this problem and now I am excited yet fearful to share it with you. First, I want to warn you. The answer is going to do one of three things: bring you to repentance because of your lifestyle, make you angry for exposing this heresy and quite possibly your need for true salvation or it will answer this question for you and make you say, "AMEN!" I really want to try to walk on eggshells here and say that I believe close to 99% or more of the Church either truly believes in this teaching or has been affected by it in some way. So, this is not a topic you can easily talk about without the fear of a backlash. But, I must press on, and premise this by saying that I fear the Lord and only want to communicate His truths. For James 3:1 says:

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

The word master means teacher. So those that teach are held to a greater responsibility and greater judgment. So, I teach this with all fear and trembling before the One Almighty God.

This teaching is the heresy of the "Carnal Christian." This teaching goes a little something like this and I will quote from Albert Martin's sermon, The Carnal Christian Heresy:

Now what is the doctrine? The doctrine is basically this, that there are three kinds of people in the world, and they generally take it from 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 where you find these three words occurring, natural man, carnal man and spiritual man. This is usually the way in which the doctrine is presented. People who have never received Jesus Christ are natural men. They are sinners by nature and by practice, they are dead in their sins and have no knowledge of God. This is true; this is the Bible doctrine of human depravity.

Then they say the next class of people is the carnal man. This is the man or woman who has received Jesus as his savior, he believes that Christ died on the cross for him, and believing that he has been made a child of God, but, (listen carefully), you never know he is a child of God because although he is saved by the blood of Jesus he lives just like natural man. He lives addicted to the flesh, to the world and to self. You cannot discern the fruit of the Spirit or any pursuit of holiness, but you must not ever call him an unregenerate unsaved man because he has accepted Jesus. He is a man who is saved from hell but who is not yet saved from himself. And so this is the carnal man, the man who is saved but still living like he was not saved.

Then there is the third man. He is the spiritual man, the one who has not only been saved, but the one who has received Christ as his Lord after he has received him as his Savior. He has learned how to walk in the Spirit and you can see real evidence of Jesus Christ living out his life in him. This is the spiritual man.

But when you ask them, well how about this carnal man? Suppose he should die? Oh well, he will be saved so as by fire, he will lose some rewards, but because he has accepted Jesus he'll go to heaven. And then when they try to deal with this carnal man, here is the way that they deal with it, they say listen, it is not right for you to be carnal. Don't you know you will be ashamed when Jesus comes? You ought to be a spiritual man. And they present holiness as a very nice thing, and as necessary if he is going to be a good testimony, and if he is going to have rewards. But holiness is not essential to his salvation. Holiness is not an essential proof that he is saved. And so this man called the carnal man is told he ought to be holy, but he really need not be holy. If he is not holy he might lose some rewards and lose some blessings here and now, but he will still sneak into the gate, and he will make it to glory. Now this is basically the Carnal Christian Doctrine. This, I believe, is an accurate portrayal of this doctrine, a man who is saved but still walks in the flesh.

So there it is. You can have justification with no regeneration or sanctification. Now my purpose is to seek to examine this doctrine in the light of the God's Holy Word because I feel in my own heart that you and I have been brought up in a generation when this doctrine has been popularized by many popular contemporary teachers. I don't believe for some intentionally, but for others it is an intentional teaching for one of three reason: numbers, popularity or fear of the unsaved sitting in the pews.

1. Numbers. There are churches in this country that are all about numbers and megachurch status. They believe that the more members they have, the more God is moving there. This is a false analogy. God can choose to use a church of three or a church of ten thousand. Size does not matter. Faithfulness, obedience and holiness do. I can almost guarantee if we examined the congregations in these churches in light of the Scriptures, there you will find many, probably most are false converts that believe in a false gospel. These are the ones that go to the teacher and/or preacher and complain about the "harshness" of the preaching or teaching. This takes place on both ends of the spectrum of Christendom, conservative to liberal.

Most people are thinking of the health-and-wealth-prosperity-gospel-type-churches as they read this. Yes, I am talking about them, too, but this is happening in the most conservative of churches, also. You see, numbers can have various motives. It could be money, health, etc. But it can also mean status and pride. Let me give you an example.

In a church I attended (and shortly left thereafter), it was a very conservative church, the pastor's 30 year anniversary of being pastor of that church was going to be celebrated. When asked what he wanted, he said,"I want to see thirty people saved and baptized every week for ten weeks." Wow! Can this happen? Well, if the Lord was truly moving there, it could. Was He? Well, let me finish the story. So ten leaders where chosen, each one given a week that was declared their responsibility for seeing the thirty souls saved and baptized. How would these leaders accomplish such a great feat? Maybe through evangelism, prayer and fasting, begging the Lord to move? No. It had nothing to do with the Lord. It had ALL to do with pleasing this man. Here is what happened. They would have big events, like carnival rides and helicopter rides and pizza and ice cream and direct it all towards children! What a brilliant idea! Then, in order for them to participate, all they would have to do is profess with their mouth the Lord Jesus and promise to be baptized and then they could partake in the events! Wow! Ice Cream for Jesus! What a concept! Actually, this is a great blasphemy! They wanted numbers to put another niche on there belts so they could brag of all the converts they had. You see this today with modern evangelist, also. You will look on there websites and see how many decisions for Christ they had at the last crusade. It is just something to add to the resume. Here in lies the problem with numbers. First, to my recollection, there was something like 450 decisions and baptisms during those ten weeks. Praise God, right? Wrong. Our congregation did not grow by one. Why? Because they were given a false gospel. They were told, "All you have to do is accept Jesus as Lord and be baptized and you can have some ice cream." Well, guess what? If I was 6 years old and told all I have to do is 2 things to get ice cream, you better believe I'm going after that ice cream! They just created 450 unregenerate sinners that believe they are going to heaven, never hearing a true Gospel message. This is what the motivation for numbers can do. Is it wrong to want a big congregation? No. Am I saying that? No. What I am saying is that it is in our motives.

To be continued...

The Church Walking with the World: A Poem By by Matilda C. Edwards

The Church and the World walked far apart
On the changing shores of time,
The World was singing a giddy song,
And the Church a hymn sublime.
“Come, give me your hand,” said the merry World,
“And walk with me this way!”
But the faithful Church hid her gentle hands
And solemnly answered “Nay!
I will not give you my hand at all,
And I will not walk with you;
Your way is the way that leads to death;
Your words are all untrue.”
“Nay, walk with me but a little space,”
Said the World with a kindly air;
“The road I walk is a pleasant road,
And the sun shines always there.
Your path is thorny and rough and rude,
But mine is broad and plain;
My way is paved with flowers and dews,
And yours with tears and pain.
The sky to me is always blue,
No want, no toil I know;
The sky above you is always dark,
Your lot is a lot of woe.
There’s room enough for you and me
To travel side by side.”
Half shyly the Church approached the World
And gave him her hand of snow;
And the old World grasped it and walked along,
Saying, in accents low:
“Your dress is too simple to please my taste;
I will give you pearls to wear,
Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,
And diamonds to deck your hair.”
The Church looked down at her plain white robes,
And then at the dazzling World,
And blushed as she saw his handsome lip
With a smile contemptuous curled.
“I will change my dress for a costlier one,”
Said the Church, with a smile of grace;
Then her pure white garments drifted away,
And the World gave, in their place,
Beautiful satins and shining silks,
Roses and gems and costly pearls;
While over her forehead her bright hair fell
Crisped in a thousand curls.
“Your house is too plain,” said the proud old World,
“I’ll build you one like mine;
With walls of marble and towers of gold,
And furniture ever so fine.”
So he built her a costly and beautiful house;
Most splendid it was to behold;
Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there
Gleaming in purple and gold.
Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held,
And the World and his children were there.
Laughter and music and feasts were heard
In the place that was meant for prayer.
There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay,
To sit in their pomp and pride;
But the poor who were clad in shabby array,
Sat meekly down outside.
“You give too much to the poor,” said the World.
“Far more than you ought to do;
If they are in need of shelter and food,
Why need it trouble you?
Go, take your money and buy rich robes,
Buy horses and carriages fine;
Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food,
Buy the rarest and costliest wine.
My children, they dote on all these things,
And if you their love would win
You must do as they do, and walk in the ways
That they are walking in.”
So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,
And she heard not the orphan’s cry;
But she drew her beautiful robes aside,
As the widows went weeping by.
Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church
Walked closely hand and heart,
And only the Master, who knoweth all,
Could tell the two apart.
Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,
“I am rich and my goods increase;
I have need of nothing, or aught to do,
But to laugh, and dance, and feast.”
The sly World heard, and he laughed in his sleeve,
And mockingly said, aside:
“The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church;
And her shame is her boast and her pride.”
The angel drew near to the mercy seat,
And whispered in sighs her name;
Then the loud anthems of rapture were hushed,
And heads were covered with shame.
And a voice was heard at last by the Church
From Him who sat on the throne:
“I know thy works, and how thou hast said,
‘I am rich, and hast not known
That thou art naked, poor and blind,
And wretched before my face;’
Therefore from my presence cast I thee out,
And blot thy name from its place.”

I had to post it because it fits so well with the last post. But, it is the Whole Truth - Joe

The Church vs. The World - Is there a difference?

To simply answer this question, there should be. Here is the real question, can the world tell us apart from them? I was reading my new Answers Magazine, and I came across an article by Ed Stetzer and Jason Hayes, entitled: Reaching Twenty-Somethings. In it, Jason is telling a story about being on an airplane and talking to three individuals about small talk, trying to warm them up to spiritual things. He said he brought up the issue of faith and the dialogue turned from positive to negative in a hurry. He says they began to share their experiences with the local church and he said that the sad thing is that their feelings often seemed justified. He said he just sat there and listened and wondered what he could do to reach this generation.

He says, "As I sat there, I wondered how we can reach their generation. Traditional approaches - like inviting them to church - don't seem to get very far. A quick chat on an airplane isn't very effective either. While I wanted to believe that an articulate argument or a heartfelt plea would suffice, I couldn't help but conclude that something more was necessary."

I can help but stop here and say that what he says next is so true, yet never taken serious. The problem is that people say Amen! when they should be saying Ouch!

He goes on to say,"In fact, I came to a very simple and yet profound conclusion. The thing that would draw this generation to Christ and His Church would be is His people were actually committed to Christ, and if the Church actually functioned how God intended it to."

He has hit the nail on the head. Here in lies the problem. 1.(This means myself included) The very persons reading this blog are probably the ones say Amen! May I say that YOU are the very person that this article is talking about. The Church in America is in a definite need of repentance. We need to get back to our first love. The few of us in this country that feel we are doing what we need to and the Lord will be pleased with our contributions to His kingdom are the very one's who need to repent! It starts with us. If the Church sees our examples, then maybe, just maybe, we can take back our country. Even if we don't, the worst case scenario is that we will have a greater reward in heaven.
What will it take? Well, first may I say when the world is surveyed and asked what there problem is with Christians today and the number one answer is hypocrisy, you know there is a problem. When the world knows what is required for Godliness and the Church can't seem to grasp it, you should know this is a huge problem! I understand the excuse and justification of the fact that we are all hypocrites, but, the world should notice a change in us. If the world can't tell you apart from them, I would question your very salvation. Look back on the last year. Are you still doing what you were last year as far as your dealing with and conquering sin? What about the last five, ten or even twenty years? No real change? Be honest with yourself. When someone preaches or teaches on a subject that deals with your sin, do you recognize it as a warning from God or do you justify your sin with a list of excuses? If you haven't truly seen fruit, I would honestly question myself. If these questions are answered in the negative, again I would seek God in repentance.

For those of you that think you squeaked through these questions with an affirmative answer, well I have a challenge to you. I ask you to take the Bible test of your Godliness. Start with reading my blog on suffering for His name. Then, be sincere and honest when reading Scriptures like 1 Timothy 3:12 which declares,"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.' All that live GODLY WILL SUFFER! Question yourself and your faithfulness to Christ! If you think you are truly living Godly than a good test is to see if you are suffering persecution. It's the same when you read the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:10 says:"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." A real test of your faith is persecution. Jesus' phrase in the beatitude, "for righteousness' sake," calls upon us to examine ourselves honestly before God both before and after we are opposed. In I Peter 4:12-16, Peter, like Jesus, perceives persecution as inevitable and therefore a Christian should expect it. Since a disciple is not above His Master, a follower can hardly expect to escape some form of what the Master received. Persecution is aggressive and injurious behavior carried out in a hostile, antagonistic spirit, normally by a group, but occasionally by one individual toward another. Jesus, the epitome of righteousness, is also the focal point of persecution. Are you following in the Master's footsteps? This takes a heart that is truly prepared to surrender all to Christ and to trust Him in all things. In today's self-centered, self-seeking, what's in it for me culture, this is a hard pill to swallow. If you have a burden to see the Church restored, then it is through suffering. Think about it. What was the largest factor in the growth of the Church during the time of the Apostles? Persecution. Can you picture it if we took these Scriptures serious? Can you just imagine what could happen? How powerful!

So, I plead with you and encourage you to prepare your heart and mind to complete submission to Christ. I just want to say, do it for your King. He died for you, are you willing to die for Him? Does this mean you are going to die for the faith? No. Can you expect suffering? You better believe it! Are you suffering for Him today? This is the Whole Truth - Joe