Are You a Carnal Christian?

[amigo de christo]

But aren't Christians SUPPOSED to be abiding in Christ?
Isn't that the very definition of the Christian faith?

You said "all of us mostly are"
you mean
most of us are carnal Christians??

Verily verily i type unto thee
that the problem many now have is
They desire to beleive fables of a love that has come of the world , not OF GOD .
They desire to beleive what so ever fullfills .............their own lustful minds and hearts desires .
What i say to one i say to all , and this is not to condemn but to warn and remind ,
Nominal christains are many now . They survive and even thrive in many places .
But rest assured a nominal christain would not have survived long in the true churches
under the leadership of the true apotsels .
THEY had been reminded and corrected , and either repented or left .
But when leaven is not corrected many fill the seats of such a place , such a church
under such a leader . And that will be their destruction , lest they repent and come out
from such fables that please man , NOT GOD .

 

[amigo de christo]

But aren't Christians SUPPOSED to be abiding in Christ?
Isn't that the very definition of the Christian faith?

You said "all of us mostly are"
you mean
most of us are carnal Christians??

The doctrine of CHRIST and later inspired through the apostles BY THE SPIRIT
is TRUTH and is good and meat for our souls .
What is the one thing they all centered on my friend .
WHO is the ONE they sought to please . was it man or was it GOD .
a hint
FOR If i were to please men I WOULD NOT be the servant of CHRIST .
What is pleasing to man is an abomination to GOD for in the heart of man
lies much evil and unto his flesh does he obey the lustful desires .
IF only , OH i say IF ONLY
this people had known the true agape LOVE OF GOD
and had thus learned that HIS WORDS are meant for the good of all who do love Him
IF only this people had submitted unto GOD and not rather unto men who twisted HIS words
to please man and thus keep the chairs filled so as the money can FLOW ON IN .
IF only . all we can do is POINT TO CHRIST , to all loveley and holy and pure sound doctrine
in hopes that at least some might hear and repent and be converted and HE would heal them .
But on this path of resistance and rebellion they grow only worse and worse
under the shade of the love of a harlot . It will be their end . FOR THE VERY GOD
who so loved the WORLD , THEY DO REJECT and do so unto their own destruction .

 

[amigo de christo]

all of us mostly are unless you are abiding in Christ you’ll be moving by his spirit compared to the spirit of man.

The world won’t get to you as much.

Every branch that bears not fruit is cut off ..........
let us not encourage nominal christains nor give out false hope unto them .
We are to judge those WITHIN , meaning we DO CORRECT THEM , we do f ollow the pattern JESUS Left us
and later the apostels had confirmed upon their hearts by the HOLY GHOST .
Many would have condemned paul , peter , james , jude , john and CHRIST JESUS himself
as being haters , judgemental .
ITS time this generation learns WHO IT WAS AND WHO IT IS we were to have PLEASED .
And it aint man .
FOR if i were to please man i would not , NOT be the servant of CHRIST .
EVERY WORD of LOVELY TRUTH they left for us in the bible
IS FOR OUR GOOD and that pattern works TO THE GOOD of the church .
But when leaders of this people do naught but chip away from the pattern
GUESS WHAT FILLS the place . LEAVEN DOES . And that is why we see as we do today
a very sin filled , even sin embracing , even UNBELIEF embracing christendom .
And sadly many love to hear their word wise world wise fables of a love they CLIAM was of GOD
but was of the world and of a harlot .

 

[GodsGrace]

You "suppose" the bible is sufficient View attachment 77054

Is this also how you read the bible?

OUT OF CONTEXT?

Not very nice of you.

 

[GodsGrace]

God judges that. People we don’t judge unless like they are in court case most of the time. Or we say to people hey might wanna stay away from those people it’s dangerous.



But what does everyone have?

Choice. I don’t always abide in Christ but he shows when I do…. It’s him not me.


So…. Obviously the answer is yes but the choice is yours. God sees it; and people can’t see your heart.

So you're saying I can't judge.

WHAT do you think I cannot judge?

Because Jesus seems to state that we MUST judge.


Matthew 18:15-17
15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.


How would I know that my brother is sinning if I cannot judge?

 

[Lambano]

You said "all of us mostly are"
you mean
most of us are carnal Christians??

Do most of us wear flesh?

 

[Lambano]

But aren't Christians SUPPOSED to be abiding in Christ?
Isn't that the very definition of the Christian faith?

What does “abiding in Christ” mean to you?

Is it a metaphorical or metaphysical connection, or both?

 

[GodsGrace]

Verily verily i type unto thee
that the problem many now have is
They desire to beleive fables of a love that has come of the world , not OF GOD .
They desire to beleive what so ever fullfills .............their own lustful minds and hearts desires .
What i say to one i say to all , and this is not to condemn but to warn and remind ,
Nominal christains are many now . They survive and even thrive in many places .
But rest assured a nominal christain would not have survived long in the true churches
under the leadership of the true apotsels .
THEY had been reminded and corrected , and either repented or left .
But when leaven is not corrected many fill the seats of such a place , such a church
under such a leader . And that will be their destruction , lest they repent and come out
from such fables that please man , NOT GOD .

Right.
All love and mercy.
No justice.

God is a merciful God
but
He is also a just God.

The Apostles, as you've stated, taught that we must adhere to the commandments of Jesus.
JESUS stated that we are to ABIDE IN HIM.....
He said that we are to OBEY our Father in heaven.

 

[GodsGrace]

Do most of us wear flesh?

If we're alive!

But you know very well that flesh means the sin nature.

We're not supposed to be IN THE FLESH....IN THE SIN NATURE.

The goal is to dominate it.
(as much as possible).

 

[GodsGrace]

What does “abiding in Christ” mean to you?

Is it a metaphorical or metaphysical connection, or both?

Hmmm.

Explain each term please.

(I'm thinking it could be both...not sure).

 

[MatthewG]

What did I say or share. I’ll stick to what that said.

 

[Lambano]

If we're alive!

But you know very well that flesh means the sin nature.

We're not supposed to be IN THE FLESH....IN THE SIN NATURE.

The goal is to dominate it.
(as much as possible).

Why do you suppose Paul used the term sarx ("flesh") to represent the sin nature? Was he a closet Gnostic? "Flesh" was viewed more positively in the Hebrew culture. 19 ... And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19b-20)

That we need to dominate the sin nature implies that it's still there. It didn't just go away when we became a Christian.

 

[Lambano]

Hmmm.

Explain each term please.

(I'm thinking it could be both...not sure).

To abide means "to dwell in" (and I cannot abide anyone who thinks it means "to tolerate" or "to agree to live with").

Co-Pilot gave me this synopsis:

To abide in Christ means to maintain a deep, ongoing relationship with Him characterized by:

• Continual Fellowship: Living in constant communion with Jesus, drawing strength and guidance from His presence.
• Dependence and Obedience: Relying on Christ for spiritual sustenance and obeying His teachings.
• Transformation: Allowing His Word to fill our minds and transform our affections, leading to a life of love and obedience.
• Empowerment by the Holy Spirit: Being empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out this relationship.
• Permanent Relationship: Understanding that abiding in Christ signifies a secure and lasting relationship established through salvation. This concept is central to Christian faith and emphasizes the importance of a vibrant relationship with Jesus.

The list treats "abiding in Christ" as a metonym for all these terms. However, some (with a mystical inclination?) also claim to have a very real (metaphysical) connection with Christ. I find this concept interesting.

 

[GodsGrace]

Why do you suppose Paul used the term sarx ("flesh") to represent the sin nature?

Paul uses the term flesh because it's in the flesh that we sin.
But the flesh cannot sin of itself - it's always the sin nature that causes sin.

Was he a closet Gnostic? "Flesh" was viewed more positively in the Hebrew culture. 19 ... And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19b-20)

As you suely know..it was a way of speaking.
Is the heart evil?
No. It just pumps blood.

Is a heart made of stone?
No. It just signifies that some men are like stone and that stone will be dissolved into flesh.

The way Paul uses flesh is different than the above about the heart.....which just shows a change.

That we need to dominate the sin nature implies that it's still there. It didn't just go away when we became a Christian.

§Do you believe the sin nature went away when we became Christian?
Or do we put it under submission and stop being its slave?

Then we'd have to ask...
why do we still sin if we no longer have the sin nature?

 

[GodsGrace]

To abide means "to dwell in" (and I cannot abide anyone who thinks it means "to tolerate" or "to agree to live with").

Co-Pilot gave me this synopsis:

The list treats "abiding in Christ" as a metonym for all these terms. However, some (with a mystical inclination?) also claim to have a very real (metaphysical) connection with Christ. I find this concept interesting.

I agree with what Co-Pilot stated.
Abide means all those things.
Abide means to live with.
It does NOT mean to tolerate or to agree. I also cannot abide with those! LOL

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Is this also how you read the bible?

OUT OF CONTEXT?

Not very nice of you.

Those that walk with the Lord KNOW His Word is more than sufficient.

They not just guessin

 

[lforrest]

let no man , woman or c hild follow a gnostic . as i am sure you would agree .
Let not man , woman or ch ild follow an inclusvists as i also sure hope you do agree .
For an inclusivist will use the a TRUTH to deny THE TRUTH .
example .
THEY will say JESUS IS THE SAVOIR OF THE WORLD , T RUE RIGHT
but then say and imply it matters not if ONE BELEIVED on HIM .
YET dont you find that rather odd . BECAUSE THE VERY SAVOIR OF THE WORLD
SURE MADE IT VERY CLEAR YE MUST BELIEVE ON HIM . that ol serpent is a real clever one indeed
and knows exactly how to pump a lie to the world . always making it seem as though
SOMETHING GOD said is not true . WHILE USING SOMETHING GOD said .
That ol serpent is real sneaky . But the sheep , JESUS HAS the sheep and ITS HE who the sheep do heed
and not the wayward strangers voice .

All because people have itchy ears, listening for what they want to hear. Not realizing what they want to believe is from the soulish desires of their hearts. They don't want to get to know Jesus, they want their own version of him. Someone who is more agreeable.

 

[Button]

From the Latin carnis, meaning “steak”.

From Outback="Filet Mignon"

The word, "carnal” is translated from the Greek word sarkikos, which literally means “fleshly.”

I think some of us believe we need to live like John the Baptizer in order to be considered true Christians.

We're in the spirit of Christ and yet we are also living in the flesh . Flesh that has needs in order to survive.
Years ago police were called to a home in Oklahoma.
A family of four were found dead.

They weren't murdered. They died of natural causes over a period of weeks.
A diary of a young lady in the house revealed their plight.

They'd lost support from government agencies, and couldn't find jobs. They were however Christian faithful.
So,they prayed God would save them.

This article may help with a proper perspective.

Rethinking the "Carnal Christian"

The difference between the spiritual Christian and the carnal Christian is one of degree.

www.desiringgod.org

 

[amigo de christo]

All because people have itchy ears, listening for what they want to hear. Not realizing what they want to believe is from the soulish desires of their hearts. They don't want to get to know Jesus, they want their own version of him. Someone who is more agreeable.

And how much worse it would get near the end as we were warned by what was first written to the churches .
The key by which one can test and see if its JESUS or another jesus of men they been learning ,
I suggest to all a fast return again to the holy scriptures .
The scrips were never in this gray area that planted doubt and confusion .
Quite clear was the Christ Jesus and later his apostels on how
sin and error was to be dealt with in the Church .
As well as all t hings . Many made the mistake of thinking
that mentioning sin , correcting sin in the church was not good and that rather
people just needed to hear smooth things and be entertained . To make them FEEL g ood
But this led to l eaven being allowed to remain and grow
and the longer it went on the worse it has got . Till now the very love they talk about
has sadly led them into rebellion against the very words of GOD , of Christ and of the apostles
that get in the way of their error and sin .
We really need to understand that being grave is not a bad thing , its a good thing .
That correcting is not being a hater, but is being done for good of the church and those in error .
IF we take the time to go back and simply read the bible again and stay in it and learn T HEIR pattern
IT would not have taken long to realize , SOMETHING has went wrong and its getting worse fast .
We have to remember that the number ONE we were to have Loved first above all
was GOD , HIS CHRIST. THUS we had loved our neighbor as our self the RIGHT WAY
and not this other way that puts pleasing man f irst , NOT GOD . that love works only destruction
unto all who heed it . TIME we focus on PLEASING GOD and not rather tickling ears of men .
Its simple really . So i suggest to us all we get back into the bible and in prayer and watch what happens in time .

 

[Marvelloustime]

And how much worse it would get near the end as we were warned by what was first written to the churches .
The key by which one can test and see if its JESUS or another jesus of men they been learning ,
I suggest to all a fast return again to the holy scriptures .
The scrips were never in this gray area that planted doubt and confusion .
Quite clear was the Christ Jesus and later his apostels on how
sin and error was to be dealt with in the Church .
As well as all t hings . Many made the mistake of thinking
that mentioning sin , correcting sin in the church was not good and that rather
people just needed to hear smooth things and be entertained . To make them FEEL g ood
But this led to l eaven being allowed to remain and grow
and the longer it went on the worse it has got . Till now the very love they talk about
has sadly led them into rebellion against the very words of GOD , of Christ and of the apostles
that get in the way of their error and sin .
We really need to understand that being grave is not a bad thing , its a good thing .
That correcting is not being a hater, but is being done for good of the church and those in error .
IF we take the time to go back and simply read the bible again and stay in it and learn T HEIR pattern
IT would not have taken long to realize , SOMETHING has went wrong and its getting worse fast .
We have to remember that the number ONE we were to have Loved first above all
was GOD , HIS CHRIST. THUS we had loved our neighbor as our self the RIGHT WAY
and not this other way that puts pleasing man f irst , NOT GOD . that love works only destruction
unto all who heed it . TIME we focus on PLEASING GOD and not rather tickling ears of men .
Its simple really . So i suggest to us all we get back into the bible and in prayer and watch what happens in time .

@amigo de christo