Question:

Patterns of Truth received the following question through our website:

How true is the “carnal Christian” view that one could be saved and get to heaven without obedience, without holiness, but saved by “the skin of one’s teeth,” although perhaps missing out on some rewards?

Answer:

Today’s question has proven divisive in Christian circles, but I believe Scripture shows a “carnal Christian” condition can exist. It also shows that I cannot read anyone’s heart. So, I can neither discount a person’s claim of faith nor have an unguarded relationship with a person whose claim is denied by their way of living. This is not an easy balance to hold, and I want to review several Scriptures before explaining what it means.

Meanwhile, two common positions are used to reject the idea entirely. Briefly summarized:

One view holds that a person may start as a Christian saved by grace, but lose their salvation. Such teaching is notably found in some Catholic and derivative traditions.¹ Here, someone could dismiss the “carnal Christian” problem by pointing to serious sins and concluding that salvation was lost. But I believe Scripture shows that eternal salvation in Christ is neither obtained nor maintained by works. Patterns of Truth has previously answered related questions regarding eternal security of the believer and “partaking of the Holy Spirit” in Hebrews 6, so I would point to those articles for additional help.

Another view is “Lordship Salvation,” first described in the 1980s by the well-known pastor and author, John MacArthur.² MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Paul Washer, and others from that generation of Reformed-tradition theologians felt that unless a professing Christian had outward evidence of change to show the Lordship of Christ, there was no inward work of salvation. Carnal behavior must mean salvation was never present, and the late Sproul famously dismissed carnal Christianity as “heresy” at a Ligonier Ministries conference in 2015.³

I think your question may reflect an encounter with this second position. MacArthur and others were troubled by a growing trend in Christianity to promote easy salvation without personal holiness. Although their concern was sincere, their solution had problems. For more discussion, I recommend “Lordship Salvation and the Assurance of the Believer” by Brian Reynolds.⁴

That said, Scripture does show that salvation should produce practical righteousness in the believer’s life. Ephesians 2:8–9 and Titus 3:5 are examples where Scripture establishes that salvation is not obtained by works, but then shows that an inward change should produce good works. The book of James also takes up the topic. Somehow, both positions must be true, so let’s look closer.

The carnal condition

Paul’s rebuke to the Corinthians shows carnality can be a real condition: “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1).

The ESV quoted above uses “flesh” while the KJV and NKJV use the older word “carnal.” Per lexicon, the original Greek word can refer to a natural body, but Scripture often uses it to mean the morally corrupt nature of mankind. For example, “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:17).

Paul had greeted the Corinthians as “the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…” (1 Cor. 1:2). They were true believers, but living in a poor state.

There were divisions and contentions (1 Cor. 1:10–13, ch. 3). They boasted against the apostles (ch. 2, 4, 9). They tolerated extreme sexual immorality by a brother in fellowship (ch. 5). They had deeply flawed attitudes toward sexual immorality in general (ch. 6:12–20) and a poor understanding of intimacy in marriage (ch. 7:1–16). Some were fighting each other in court (ch. 6:1–11). They used Christian liberty selfishly (ch. 8). They struggled to remain separated from their culture’s idolatry (ch. 10). They were arguing against apostolic teaching on headship (ch. 11:2–16). And they had turned the Lord’s supper into a regular meal where some had nothing to eat while others were getting drunk (ch. 11:17–34)!

Paul had to expose all this and re-establish the right basis of worship before addressing further issues. But he never suggested they were unsaved. Other passages in the New Testament do take up issues such as believers mixed with unbelievers (notably, in Hebrews 3:12) and departure into apostasy (e.g. 2 Timothy 2; 2 Peter 2; 1 John 2:18–23, and Jude), but those issues are not brought up here.

The heart of the matter

Paul wrote to Corinth as an apostle, with the special authority and discernment God gave to him. But in Scripture, even the apostles and prophets sometimes had to check their natural instincts when evaluating people.

For example, when David was announced as Israel’s next king, Samuel was presented with seven of Jesse’s eight sons and thought the firstborn looked good. God intervened: “Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). Six more were also refused. Finally, David was called in from his shepherding and was approved.

Regardless of how positively or negatively I might evaluate someone’s condition, I cannot know their heart. On one hand, the Lord warned His disciples about false teachers and used the example of fruit trees: “By their fruit you will know them” (Matt. 7:20, see vv.15–20 for context). But He then indicated that some people will seem to have good professions but will not be recognized by the Lord in the final judgment (Matt. 7:21–23).

So, works and professions should be evaluated, and good works can be recognized, but always with the cautious understanding that only God truly knows the inward state.

Out with the old…

In Romans 6, Paul asked a rhetorical question: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?…just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:1–4).

That is the standard. In Corinth, by contrast, an entire local assembly of true believers was very “carnal.” They were not walking in newness of life, and Paul did not excuse or soften their sin. They were dishonoring their Lord and Paul rebuked them, and even ordered them to dissociate from the man who was “called a brother” but lived in extreme immorality (1 Cor. 5:9–11).

To live in grace, and not abuse it, requires that a believer’s personal occupations and desires be the kind that will positively influence outward behavior. “If you then have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Col. 3:1–5).

…in with the new

It is important to clean out bad things, but an empty space tends to fill up with something. Galatians 3 describes the proper replacements:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love…” (Col. 3:12–14, and I suggest reading all of ch. 3:1–4:5 for the context).

Many other Scriptures could be cited, including Eph. 4:22-24, 1 John 2:15–17 and 1 Peter 1:13–16. The fact that Scripture regularly challenges us to show our inward condition by outward activity, is evidence that serious failures can occur if the inward condition is not properly maintained by feeding on Christ.

Saved through fire?

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he encouraged him to stay faithful against a growing rejection of Scriptural truth, and gave this two-sided statement: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’ ” (2 Tim. 2:19). So, discernment must be exercised, and I do examine both profession and conduct as the basis for fellowship. But I only see the outside, while God fully knows what is inside.

For those who claim salvation but do not show evidence, I would point to Paul’s challenge to the Corinthians against their fleshly behavior. He used that same theme of God’s foundation:

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:11–15).

I believe all of us will be surprised to learn that some small acts of service were valued highly in the Lord’s estimation, while some of our greatest works were partly built from things that burn. But it would be truly awful if an entire lifetime of activity was reduced to ash! That was where the Corinthian form of “carnal Christianity” was headed.

Final thoughts

Since a “carnal Christian” looks almost the same as an unbeliever, it is fair to ask questions about their profession: “How sure are you that you are a Christian? I hear you say your life is secured by Christ’s sacrifice, which means sin is wrong and requires the Savior. If you believe that, how does your sinful activity fit into it?”

Perhaps the question will challenge a true Christian conscience, bringing conviction. Or perhaps an unbeliever’s conscience will be awakened to the gospel. But, whether saved or not, the person may refuse the challenge and go on as they are now. That has to limit my fellowship with that person: “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22).

Practically this can be a difficult path, especially when it splits up friends or family. Grace and wisdom are required to keep things in balance. If you find yourself facing this choice, focus on Christ as the One who evaluates and rewards obedience. What is He asking you to do in this situation?

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Endnotes

1.  A summary of the Catholic teaching: “However, some Protestants advocate an idea known as eternal security.…[it] is not possible to lose salvation. This view was unheard of in Church history prior to the Reformation.…The Catholic Church recognizes, based on the clear teaching of the New Testament, that it is possible for Christians to lose their salvation.” The source cites several Scripture references, and I would encourage the reader to review those passages in context, and not be misled by sweeping claims about church history.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/can-salvation-be-lost (accessed by author on April 26, 2024).

2.  MacArthur, John: The Gospel According to Jesus. Zondervan: 1988.

3.  Liogonier Ministries YouTube channel, clip from the 2015 Fall Conference, published May 16, 2018: https://youtu.be/xBHACg_zecw?si=IAvtCHdyNzE5CbHs (accessed by author on April 26, 2024). Sproul was already in poor health and passed away two years later, leaving this statement as one of the most-remembered examples of his endorsement of Lordship salvation.

4.  Reynolds, Brian. Lordship Salvation and the Assurance of the Believer. Believers Bookshelf Canada: 2015. Available for purchase at the publisher’s website: https://www.believersbookshelf.ca/products/lordship-salvation-and-the-assurance-of-the-believer-reynolds-brian?_pos=1&_sid=774c6d3e0&_ss=r