Baptist Fellowship Church

The Marks of a Carnal Christian
1 Corinthians 3:1-4

Introduction

Carnality is a spiritual cancer. Although we have the eternal inheritance, many children have been wayward and rebellious, and have gone into spiritual wilderness. Sin widens this gulf.

Why do you feel so alone when you backslide?

Carnal Christians and non Christians are not the same. If you are not a Christian, you cannot backslide.

1. It is a Life of Unceasing Conflict (Romans 7:22-23, Galatians 5:17)

There are two kinds of Christians, carnal and spiritual. The two natures, fleshly and divine, contest for control. Though saved, the carnal Christian still lives the worldly way.

2. It is a Life of Repeatedly Defeated (Romans 7:15-19)

Sins of both commission and omission are in view here. Romans 7 describes the defeated life while Romans 8 the victorious life. We need to be more focused. Things we want to do are left undone. Things we resolve not to do are repeatedly done. There is a divided control over a carnal Christian’s life.

3. It is a Life of Protracted Infancy (1Cor 3:1-2)

When a Christian never grows up, he remains a mere babe in Christ. The Corinthian church should have been strong, but they were still milk-drinking Christians in Paul’s days. Some characteristics of babies:

a. Babies are helpless and depend on others. Hebrews 5:12-14 - instead of teaching others, the carnal Christian needs to be taught.
b. They follow human leaders esteeming human solutions more than God’s. The carnal Christians do not go to the Bible for food. They are spiritual parasites living on predigested food, thus they are open to all sorts of spiritual diseases.
c. They expect attention and expect to be the centre of the world.
d. They live in the realm of their feelings
e. Upset over the smallest things
f. Always ready to explode.
g. Receives, not a giver - selfish.

4. It is a Life of Barren Fruitlessness (John 15:2)

The influence of a carnal Christian is always negative. He is unable to win others to Christ because of his inconsistency. There is no fruit of the spirit.

5. It is a life of Adulterous infidelity (James 4:4)

Satan’s lure to the unsaved and to the saved is to keep them from God. A Christian’s relationship with the world is found in his relationship with Christ. Indulging in the pleasures of the world is “adulterous” (to one’s relationship with God). 1 John 2:15-16 - worldliness is all that is not of the Father.

6. It is a Life of Dishonouring Hypocrisy (Ephesians 5:8; 1Cor 3:3)

A carnal Christian’s walk is in darkness. Ephesians 5:8 - “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Walk as children of light. Otherwise, the walk is a pretext and is hypocrisy.

7. It is a Life of Isolation from Christian Fellowship (Hebrews 10:23-25)

When one does not feel like going to church, this is often another sign of carnality. Much value in a fellowship is what one brings into it and not just what one gets out of it.

8. It is a Life of Stubbornness to the Truth (1 Cor 3:2; Hebrews 5:11)

A carnal Christian refuses to be taught, and rejects the Truth. “I can never get any truths from what the preacher says.” He is dull of hearing and does not want to quit what he is doing. A carnal Christian bathes in sin while a committed Christian who sins will confess to God and ask for mercy. He does not continue to wallow in them.

Mr and Mrs ET Chua

This entry was posted on Friday, September 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Sermons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.