MONDAY, JANUARY 23
1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-4
2 PETER 2:9

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptations..."

CARNAL CHRISTIANS?

The question of whether true believers can manifest characteristics of carnality is important for us to consider. Carnality is worldliness. Symptoms of this are observed among believers, ministers and churches today.

However, truly born again believers will not remain in such a state but will return to God after a period of waywardness. While it is true that Christians still sin, yet to say that a regenerated believer can live in carnality more or less permanently is contrary to Scripture. Those who constantly call themselves "carnal Christians" are actually "hypocritical professors." They are not the "babes in Christ" whom Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians 3:1. Those who are truly and genuinely saved will repent of their carnality. The Scripture does not teach that there are two ways to heaven. There are no two choices: a spiritual way and a carnal way.

Lot is an example of one who was taken in by worldliness but was delivered from his carnality. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations…" (2 Pet 2:9a). As such, if a professing Christian lives in a constant state of carnality and does not show any evidence of repentance in his life, the question of whether he is truly regenerated in the first place must be raised.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:15-17).

THOUGHT: Do I love the things of this world?
PRAYER: "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Ps 34:18-19).