Bible Study The Church At Corinth: Can Born-Again Believers Still Be Carnal?

[Fish153]

Here is when you quoted 1 John 2:6:
Hopeful 2 said:
No longer true, since Jesus left us His example of how to live.

It is written..."He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:6)

Hopeful----I would just honestly ask you to ask OTHERS if they believe you no longer sin. You appear to be the only one on this board (unless there is someone else I haven't taken note of) that says they no longer sin. Even the most mature and godly Christians on this board would never state "I no longer sin". I say that sincerely.
1 John says:
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us". (1 John 1:8-10)

Read verse 8 carefully: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us".

"The truth is not in us". Is it possible for someone to believe they are a Christian and truly saved, and yet state things that seem to tell us this person is not born-again at all? I think that is what verse 8 is saying could be the truth for some. John says "If WE say that we have no sin, WE deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in US". John was a true born again believer. John never says he no longer sins. He says that he writes to Christians that no one sin BUT:

"if any man sin, WE have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for OUR sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world". (1 John 2:1)

You should read these verses a little more closely. Are you deceiving yourself?

 

[Hopeful 2]

Here is when you quoted 1 John 2:6:
Hopeful 2 said:
No longer true, since Jesus left us His example of how to live.
It is written..."He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:6)

I see I missed the "1" of 1 John...
I'll be more careful going forward...

Hopeful----I would just honestly ask you to ask OTHERS if they believe you no longer sin. You appear to be the only one on this board (unless there is someone else I haven't taken note of) that says they no longer sin. Even the most mature and godly Christians on this board would never state "I no longer sin". I say that sincerely.
1 John says:
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us". (1 John 1:8-10)

If one has been cleansed of ALL unrighteousness, why can't they say they have no sin ?
I walk in the light, and in God there is no sin.
1 John 1:6,8,and 10, address those walking in darkness, which Pro 4:19 say is "the way of the wicked".
It is the wicked that cannot say they have no sin.
They also cannot say they have fellow ship with God or that they know Him. (1 John 2:3)
Those walking in the light (God) can say yes to all of that.

Read verse 8 carefully: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"
"The truth is not in us". Is it possible for someone to believe they are a Christian and truly saved, and yet state things that seem to tell us this person is not born-again at all?

Just read the scripture for that answer.
1 John 3:8-10 defines who is really converted.

I think that is what verse 8 is saying could be the truth for some. John says "If WE say that we have no sin, WE deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in US".

If one is sinning and saying they have no sin, they are the targets of verse 6, 8, and 10.

John was a true born again believer. John never says he no longer sins.

He doesn't say he still commits sins either.

He says that he writes to Christians that no one sin BUT:
"if any man sin, WE have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for OUR sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world". (1 John 2:1)

The "any man" of 1 John 2:1 are those who have yet to use the Advocate.
Those who have used Him, can say they have no sin.
After His advocacy, it is on them to remain in the light from then on.

You should read these verses a little more closely. Are you deceiving yourself?

No, I walk in the light, which is God, and in Him is no sin.

 

[Fish153]

Hopeful--

If John is talking about those walking in darkness why does he use WE and US?

"If WE say that WE have no sin, WE deceive OURSELVES, and the truth is not in US.
If WE confess OUR sins, he is faithful and just to forgive US OUR sins, and to cleanse US from all unrighteousness.
If we say that WE have not sinned, WE make him a liar, and his word is not in US". (1 John 1:8-10)

John wasn't walking in darkness. He is simply making the statement that WE are all sinners. If WE think we don't sin WE are deceived. "THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US". If you are walking in the daily deception that you no longer sin then you won't confess anything as sin will you? That is dangerous. I really think you need to consider what you are saying. But again--you have continued on with this for a long time now with no intent of abandoning it. I wish you well, but you are not walking according to the Scriptures if you say you don't sin. Most people burst out laughing if they hear someone say "I don't sin". It's like hearing someone say "I'm the humblest guy I know". LOL

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Can Born-Again Believers Still Be Carnal?​

They absolutely can.

I have noticed that when the church talks about carnality they automatically think of sexual immorality. But that is just one of many sins of the carnal (fleshly) nature (Galatians 5:19-21). Paul chastises the believers in Christ at Corinth for the jealousy of their petty factions, calling them immature and carnal:

1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 3for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? 4For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

 

[Eternally-grateful]

You may be driving down the road, and perhaps someone cuts you off, and it nearly causes you to crash. Are you sitting in the driver's seat or the passenger seat thinking, "Thank you, Jesus, that I am still alive?" or are you thinking bad thoughts about that driver?

What about that annoying neighbour who plays their music far too loud? Are you thinking bad things about that neighbour?
You're going to the grocery store, and you're waiting in line for some lady trying to keep a hold of her three very disruptive kids who are ignoring her pleas to behave. Do you just smile and wait patiently, or are you thinking some things that would be considered unkind?

Do you really think that your thought life is different than that of other believers and that God does not know the thoughts of your heart?

Every believer struggles with something, and if they think they don't, they are deceived. We live in the body of this flesh, and although we can fall short at times, he does not expect us to stay there. We need to confess and repent daily because we are earthen vessels, but we have the Holy Spirit in us that helps us daily to be more like God and less like the world we came out of....Glory!

Amen, We all have our besetting sin, as Paul did..

 

[Eternally-grateful]

How can someone who is still bringing forth the devil's fruit, be born of God ?

How can someone call themselves "saved" before they are judged at the throne of God ?
I will start saying "I am saved" when I am raised from the dead to eternal life with Christ.

Then who are you resting in, yourself or God?

 

[JLB]

I wasn't a believer the first hundred times I read it.
How many unbelievers were weeded out of the church at Corinth ?
At least a few, right ?

Absolutely.
Paul writes..."Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor 6:9-10)
And also..."Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 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)

Those not "flying right" will not be awarded eternal life with Christ.

Agreed.

Will not inherit the kingdom of God is painfully clear.