Hello, I've come across the phrase Carnal Christian, and I'm not completely sure what it means?
It's not a term that gets used in the circles I participate in. Presumably the phrase refers to a Christian who chooses to live in accordance wit the appetites of their flesh, that is, they willfully sin and refuse repentance.
Is it somebody who has accepted Jesus as Saviour, but continues to sin.
All Christians continue to sin. That's the reality of living in this present world as mortal, sinful, human beings. Christians are both saints
and sinners. It's a paradox described as
Simul iustus et peccator, Latin for "At once both saint and sinner." We have been reckoned righteous--justified--on account of God's grace, but this is not our righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus which is ours as a pure gift. This alien righteousness makes us righteous before God, this is our "new man", the new creation in Christ, by which we are alive to God and dead to sin. At the same time we are still mortal flesh, the lusts and appetites of the flesh which pull us away from God are present, against which we are called to strive and struggle against. That is the reason for repentance, the reason we are told "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)
The classic passage that describes this tension, this conflict, between the New Man and the Old Man is Romans chapter 7. Where St. Paul describes the conflict within himself,
"
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the Law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the Law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord! So then, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." - Romans 7:15-25
If we are saved by grace alone, then what then is the effect of continuing to sin?
The grace of God is not a starting point from which we must then go on and do what we want. There are some who seem to suggest that we must begin at the cross of Jesus, but then not stay there, but move forward toward something else.
This is a deeply problematic mistake, it is a path which leads to the shipwrecking of our faith. As sinners we must always daily be crucified, be drowned under the waters of repentance. To have the Law preached to mortify and crucify our flesh, and draw us to our knees in repentance, to cry out, "Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!" (Luke 18:13) To confess our sin, to be honest with ourselves that we are sinners in need of God's grace and forgiveness. And it is here that we hear God's Word, "Your sins are forgiven" because here is the Gospel of God's grace, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel and Message of the Cross. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, "And I am the chief of sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15), that "God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). For the Lord Jesus Himself says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)
And that is why we come together to hear God's Word and receive His Sacraments. Because through these precious gifts, these Means of Grace, God is active, working, accomplishing His good work in us. That work which He promises to keep working upon, even until the very end, "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)
This good work is His work, which He is always at work at in our lives, through His Word and Sacraments, gifting us faith, sustaining and nourishing us with His Word, the Holy Spirit Himself keeping us and holding us. So that we can be confident of these precious things of God.
If we abandon this, if we throw this all away, then we throw away the only thing that saves us. That is, we shipwreck ourselves.
Can a Saved person become Unsaved? How?
Thank you.
If we turn away from our Salvation--Jesus Christ Himself--then we abandon and throw away everything that is good, and we shipwreck ourselves and our faith. Like a man throwing himself off a cliff, or steering himself into jagged rocks.
Salvation isn't some switch, it is the reality of what God is doing for us, and the whole world, through Jesus. We can be assured of our salvation, not because there is some flipped switch that means we can go live however we want and we still get our golden ticket; but rather because God's word and promise to us is certain, sure, and unfailing. The Gospel is God's power and promise of salvation to you, to me, to everyone through Jesus Christ, and it ours as pure grace, through faith which the Spirit Himself works in us and continues to work in us until the final day.
We cannot depend upon ourselves. But we can depend entirely on God's Word and Promise, we can depend entirely on Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. This is Good News. This is the Gospel: Jesus Christ died for you, and you have peace with God, believe this good news, trust this good news, cast yourself entirely upon the One who was crucified for you and for the sins of the whole world.
-CryptoLutheran