Is there such a thing as a carnal Christian?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

According to 1 Corinthians 3:1–3, carnal Christians—those who disobey God as they pursue the carnal, sinful things of this world—do exist. However, hope is not lost for such Christians. They can confess their sin to God and be cleansed from their unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). As believers, we must live in accordance with our new identity as we live in reliance on the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 2:8–9; Galatians 5:16). We are set apart for good works, not the desires of the flesh (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:16). Instead of conforming to this world (Romans 12:1–2), our focus should be to grow in the grace and knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18). If we are Christians yet are living a carnal lifestyle, we should remember that we show love to God by obeying Him (John 14:15). Although 1 Corinthians 3:1–3 is referring to believers, there are those who merely claim to be Christians yet have not actually believed in Christ (1 John 3:6) and live unrepentant, disobedient lifestyles not evidenced by true faith (James 2:18). However, these would be defined as carnal unbelievers, not carnal Christians.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament acknowledges the fallen nature of humanity and the ongoing struggle with sin, as seen in passages like Psalm 51 and Ecclesiastes, which express inner conflict and the need for God’s cleansing and renewal.
• God repeatedly calls His people to live holy and righteous lives (Leviticus 19:2; Isaiah 6:3).
• Books like Deuteronomy contrast blessings for obedience with curses for rebellion (Deuteronomy 28), showing that God's people often struggled to fully live according to His ways, reflecting a tension between spiritual calling and earthly weakness.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• We must remember that we show love to the Lord by obeying His commands (John 14:15). When we disobey Him by living a carnal lifestyle, we are being unloving toward Him.
• A carnal Christian should feel conviction to conform to Christ's calling for his or her life (Romans 12:1–2).
• First Corinthians is written to believers—those who are "sanctified" and "called to be (God’s) holy people" (1 Corinthians 1:2 [NIV]). Paul's description of them as "carnal" means that there were times when they acted in selfish, worldly ways. Instead of rising to the goal of God's holiness, the Corinthians slid back into old habits. The phrase "carnal Christian" comes from the King James Version of 1 Corinthians 3:1–3, in which the Christians in Corinth were described as living a spiritually immature lifestyle. Sadly, some “carnal” Christians of today live similar lifestyles, characterized by envy, strife, and division.
• The antidote for carnality is to live moment by moment in communion with and reliance on the Holy Spirit of God. "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
• Salvation is by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–9), yet believers have been set apart to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Carnality in a Christian opposes all of this.
• Those who continually display disobedience to God may not have been true followers of Christ in the first place. James said, "I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). At the same time, only God knows the hearts of other people, not us. Some Christians go through rough patches in their faith (like the Corinthians). We should pray for people that we see are disobeying God—whether they are believers or unbelievers.
• As believers, our goal is to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18)—not the carnal things of this world.
• If we, as believers, confess our carnal, sinful actions to God, He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
• The passage discussed is not referring to unbelievers. However, there are those who claim to be Christians but don’t actually have a personal relationship with Jesus: "No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him" (1 John 3:6).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The word "carnal" comes from a Greek word that means "worldly" or "fleshly” and involves giving into fleshly appetites. While there are “carnal Christians” in this world, they are not without hope because God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We do not have to stay set in our ways. We can step into living in accordance with our new identity, as we walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) instead of our flesh and pursue good works for the Lord (Ephesians 2:10). We must remember that like the Corinthains, we have been washed, sanctified, and justified “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). We are no longer slaves to our fleshly desires but are alive in Christ, and we should walk in our Christ-given freedom: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11; see also Romans 6:14).

UNDERSTAND

• Carnal Christians are believers who still live according to sinful desires.
• Scripture urges believers to pursue holiness and promises forgiveness when they confess their sins.
• Ongoing, unrepentant sin may indicate a lack of genuine faith, rather than mere spiritual immaturity.

REFLECT

• Where do you find yourself living according to the flesh, rather than the Spirit, and how does that impact your walk with God?
• How do you respond when you feel convicted about sin?
• What practical steps can you take to rely more on the Holy Spirit and grow in spiritual maturity?

ENGAGE

• How can we support and encourage fellow believers who struggle with carnality in their walk with Christ?
• What distinguishes true spiritual immaturity from a lack of genuine faith, and how should the church respond?
• How do the biblical promises of forgiveness and transformation shape our understanding of ongoing struggles with sin?