Do carnal Christians exist?

[friend of]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?

Galatians 5:24

 

[Dave-W]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?
Galatians 5:24

Crucifying the flesh is a time consuming process.

So unless you think everyone is 100% mature the second they become born again, then YES, they do exist.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

The perfection of a Christian can only be found in the blood of Christ, whom is the only man to have walked this earth and lived a perfect life. His righteousness alone justifies the believer in Christ. Our righteousness is like filthy rags where God the Holy Spirit is not involved. Paul's letters to the Churches is sufficient evidence that none of them had already attained it, that is complete sanctification in such a way they had no carnal thoughts, desires, or were without sin.

 

[A_Thinker]

The perfection of a Christian can only be found in the blood of Christ, whom is the only man to have walked this earth and lived a perfect life. His righteousness alone justifies the believer in Christ. Our righteousness is like filthy rags where God the Holy Spirit is not involved. Paul's letters to the Churches is sufficient evidence that none of them had already attained it, that is complete sanctification in such a way they had no carnal thoughts, desires, or were without sin.

They existed in Paul's day ... why not ours ?

I Corinthians 3

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

 

[Kaon]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?

Galatians 5:24

Crucification of the flesh is a process. No one is going to be sinless until they put on a new "skin." You put new stuff on an old, ragged object and the new stuff becomes spoiled; we aren't perfect yet. However, sanctification is a refinement process.


There should be no "Carnal" Christians, in the sense that there is no outward difference between carnal man and those who claim to believe in the Christ. However, there exists those who can be called "carnal Christians." In reality, it is a relative oxymoron.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

They existed in Paul's day ... why not ours ?

I Corinthians 3

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

That's part of the message I attempted to convey. I wouldn't recommend carnal Christianity though, there is no peace, comfort, or assurance in it, just shame, doubt, and a poor witness.

 

[Denadii]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?

Galatians 5:24

Oh my! I do hope I'm wrong, but it seems that the vast majority of Christians are carnal...Look at all the church assemblies that compromise with the world. Look at all the Christians who compromise. It seems that the vast majority of Christians have bought fire insurance, but have not dedicated themselves to living as God says we should. I'll stop here.

 

[Dave G.]

They existed in Paul's day ... why not ours ?

I Corinthians 3

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Indeed !

And to the OP, yes they/we do in various degrees.

 

[Dave G.]

Oh my! I do hope I'm wrong, but it seems that the vast majority of Christians are carnal...Look at all the church assemblies that compromise with the world. Look at all the Christians who compromise. It seems that the vast majority of Christians have bought fire insurance, but have not dedicated themselves to living as God says we should. I'll stop here.

We call it in the flesh or going into the flesh. You are carnal when someone cuts you off in a rotary circle or intersection and think to yourself " what an idiot" and dwell on the injustice for a few minutes, even though you may well be right. You don't have to be chasing the neighbors wife to be in the flesh or carnal. This why we could never fulfill the law, Jesus had to do that. Our righteousness is in Him, lest we be self righteous, another sin of flesh called pride !

 

[Doug Melven]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?

See 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Paul calls believers carnal.
Also Hebrews 5:12-14 he calls them immature because they should be teachers. Instead they still need milk.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?

Galatians 5:24

Since this thread is in "Christian Scriptures"
how about posting Christian Scriptures showing the lives of "true professing Christians" who DID crucify all fleshly desire ? (and lived right as stated in Christian Scripture)

Can you find any examples alive today anywhere , or are they only found in Scripture ?

 

[Sanoy]

I am a carnal Christian, it's not what I want but it's what I am. I suspect that is the general case though.

Crucified in the flesh likely refers to Romans 6:4-11 which leads up to romans 7:17, and Romans 7:25.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I am a carnal Christian, it's not what I want but it's what I am. I suspect that is the general case though.

This is obviously , in the world, on forums, in churches,
true worldwide for most.

It is not the goal however, for all those who seek Yahweh (God) the Creator,
and no matter what the cost involved, or the pain, the suffering, the discomfort,
even the loss of all things including family friends property job and even life,
the one whole-heartedly seeking God's Kingdom
and bringing all things into subjection to Jesus as written in the Bible ,
trusting and relying on Yahweh to accomplish everything related to salvation in this life and in the life to come ,
Yahweh accomplishes this - it is "already done" when the choice to trust Him entirely for all things and for all time is made (also this is a gift in grace, to be able to choose) .

Don't expect this to ever be common or more than a few - rather as written, perfectly,
it is truthfully accomplished by Yahweh, His Way.

 

[dreadnought]

Or have all true professing Christians crucified all fleshly desire?

Galatians 5:24

There seems to me to be a lot of professing Christians that still have a carnal nature.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

There seems to me to be a lot of professing Christians that still have a carnal nature.

This brought up a new question I didn't think of before:
In Corinthians, did the Ekklesia born again ones who lived sinning as noted in Corinthians HAVE a carnal nature different than other Ekklesia ?
Or did /do/ all Ekklesia born again ones have a 'carnal' flesh that they are supposed to control (maintain charge over; exercise self control in Jesus) with the spirit in charge over the flesh ?

p.s. Yes, there is obviously a lot of carnality everywhere anyone looks.
Not in everyone's lives, but mostly.

 

[dreadnought]

This brought up a new question I didn't think of before:
In Corinthians, did the Ekklesia born again ones who lived sinning as noted in Corinthians HAVE a carnal nature different than other Ekklesia ?
Or did /do/ all Ekklesia born again ones have a 'carnal' flesh that they are supposed to control (maintain charge over; exercise self control in Jesus) with the spirit in charge over the flesh ?

p.s. Yes, there is obviously a lot of carnality everywhere anyone looks.
Not in everyone's lives, but mostly.

I don't believe that a person magically changes when they become born again. If they have a sinful nature, they need to learn to resist temptation.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't believe that a person magically changes when they become born again. If they have a sinful nature, they need to learn to resist temptation.

All I can say to that is read or re-read the Bible and see what Yahweh says - it is much more real and important for believers to believe His Word and what He says.

 

[Micah888]

Do carnal Christians exist?

Since Paul describes them in 1 Corinthians, they do exist. "Carnal" means that which pertains to the flesh (in this case the old sin nature). So some Christians "walk after the flesh" (carnal) and others "walk in the Spirit" (spiritual). But even spiritual Christians can sin and fall, and God has provided a remedy.

Here's the difference:

THE FLESH
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21)

THE SPIRIT
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Gal 5:22-26)

 

[dreadnought]

All I can say to that is read or re-read the Bible and see what Yahweh says - it is much more real and important for believers to believe His Word and what He says.

I know from personal experience that temptation still exists, even when you walk with the Lord.

 

[Inkfingers]

It depends on what you mean by "carnal".

There is food in heaven and it is pleasant to eat (its not just refueling).