JEFF TURNER

When Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, he addressed problems of fighting and jealousy among them. He told them they were acting in a fleshly way. Some readers have taken this to mean there are two types of Christians. They think some believers are spiritual while others are carnal Christians who are saved but don’t grow spiritually. I think this understanding misses Paul’s actual message.

The word carnal simply means sinful. The root of the word is the same as flesh. It describes an action, not a permanent state. When someone says they are a carnal Christian, they are really saying they are a sinning Christian, as if this were an acceptable identity. This contradicts the basic meaning of Christianity itself. Jesus came to save people from their sins. This includes both the punishment that sin brings and the control that sin has over a person’s life.

When someone becomes a Christian, sin no longer has power over them. They have been set free from its grip. However, Christians still commit sinful acts because they live in bodies that are not yet fully redeemed. Believers have a new nature inside an old body. They are waiting for the day when Christ returns and their bodies are made new. Until then, Christians will sometimes think and act in sinful ways because of the old nature that remains.

The answer is not to accept sin as normal. Instead, Christians should recognize their sins, turn away from them, and receive the forgiveness God offers.