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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

in your Bible to the book of 1 Corinthians, since that is where all of your notes will come from, a carnal Christian is one that is not persevering in the faith. You often hear people say, well, if you’re really saved, you will persevere in the faith. This is a whole book on people who were not persevering in the faith. Therefore it is a detriment to the teaching of Calvinism, but the book is in the Bible. There are really two groups of people in the world, and some people classify it this way.

Those who can believe and those who can’t believe. They say the only ones who can believe are the ones that God wants to believe and the rest of them can’t believe so there’s no hope for them and that God does not love everybody. So you mainly have two groups of people what we call Calvinism and Armenianism. Armenian means you can be saved but lose it. Calvinism believes you can get saved and you can’t lose it because your perseverance of faith is the proof that you are really of genuine faith.

So one believes you can get saved and lose it and the other one believes you can get saved and you can’t lose it. So people automatically say well then I must be a Calvinist because I believe in internal security, not so fast. They believe that if you are saved, you will live it. And if you don’t live it, that means you’re not really saved. So there must be another explanation. And there is. There is a group of people who can trust Christ as Savior, have eternal life, and actually go to heaven and never live it.

This book is about those people. It’s about people who are in between. They can’t get saved and lose their salvation because see those who believe you can lose it is because you did something bad and those who believe you can keep it is because they did something good. So whether it’s something bad or something good that you look at should not determine your salvation. It should be determined by what did Jesus say? What did he really do? So I want you to look at this and 1 Corinthians in chapter 3.

Just to identify that there are such a thing as a carnal Christian. They are believers but they’re carnal. Carnal means fleshly minded. Carnal means living like a lost man, living like that natural man. And that is explained here in chapter 3 verse 1. And I brethren, so we already know he’s talking to brethren, though that our believers in Jesus Christ could not speak unto you as unto spiritual. So there were brethren, but not spiritual. Brethren, in the Lord, saved, but they’re not spiritually minded.

He says, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ. In other words, you’re like babes in Christ, but you’re carnal and verse two, I have fed you with milk, not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet, nor are you able. If they were supposed to be able And they’re not, it’s a sight, they were not growing. They were not maturing in the Lord. They were not growing in grace. Saved but not growing.

Now some people teach that you can be saved, but if you don’t grow, that’s a sign you’re not saved. This scripture alone reputes the teaching of Calvinism. In 1 Corinthians in chapter 2 I want you to see this. Where it makes a statement. In verse 12 of chapter 2, now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit, which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual means.

verse 14, but the natural man, the lost man, the man that does not have the Holy Spirit of God, receive if not the things of the Spirit of God for their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. These things that God has for us are discerned spiritually. It means the Holy Spirit living within you must teach you what the word of God says and explain things and he is your teacher. But there’s people that do not obey the Lord and do not study the Word so they do not feed upon the Word and so they do not grow.

And if they do not grow they will be a babe in Christ. They never mature, saved but immature, saved but a babe. Now there are people who teach that this classification of people do not exist. You’re either obedient or you’re not saved at all. See, their obedience are not saved. Both of them teach that. No obedience, not saved. But the Bible says that you can be saved and disobedient. Now, this book explains some of those problems these people were having saved but disobedient, carnally minded, living like lost people.

Even though they went to church, they were not right with God. And they didn’t study like they should and their lives were not as a Christian should be. Look there in verse 3. They were living according to the flesh or according to the old nature. You are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions. Well, that would be a dead giveaway. These people were not persevering in the faith. Therefore, they must not be saved.

But what does the Bible say? They are brethren, they’re babes in Christ. They’re carnally minded and walking as lost men, living like a lost man. And so he says, are you not Carl and walk as men, walk as the natural man that he talked about just in the previous chapter? Like the Holy Spirit has no effect upon your life. So can you be saved and live like a lost man? Yes, you can. And any preacher who denies that cannot adequately teach you the truth of the scriptures, Scriptures and they have to have add-ons to the gospel to make you think if you’re really saved, you’re not going to live that way.

You can be saved and not live right. So how do you deal with the problem? I’ll show you that. I knew you wanted to know. Now look in chapter 4 and you look there at number 3 in your notes, they were sitting in judgment of those that were more spiritual than they were. Here’s these carnal Christians sitting in judgment against people like Paul and Peter. Look what he says here in these verses. Look in verse 3, but with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man’s judgment.

Yay, I judge not my own self. For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby therefore justified, but he that judges me is the Lord. I am going to be judged by the Lord someday. Your judgment may be right, your judgment may be wrong. I’m not to stand in judgment on you. The one day we will stand before the Lord. And here were carnal people judging these others and God says, are you not carnal and walk as men?

So they were turning people against the Apostle Paul. This was going on. So later on, Paul has to defend himself of why he did what he did. But there’s a lot of things in these scriptures that are so important because in our own life, as we live our life, there are times when we may not say and do the right thing and we have a little flesh showing. I preached a sermon one time called, Your Flesh Is Showing. What I meant by that is, Your Own Nature Is Showing.

Now, do you ever have your old nature show? Anybody ever seen your old nature? That means you’re not dressed correctly. It means you may be walking out and meeting people and you don’t have your clothes on. You’re naked, you’re in the flesh. Means you’re not clothed with the clothes that God has for you. So what’s interesting anyway? Now look there in verse five. Therefore it judged nothing before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart, then shall every man have praise of God.

The day is coming when we’re gonna all stand before the Lord and the righteous judge, the Lord himself, who never makes mistakes, knows everything, knows all truth, is going to judge us. Or haven’t you ever heard of the judgment seat of Christ? You ever heard of that? That’s where God is going to weigh what we’ve done. And we’re gonna be blessed with rewards that we’ve earned or we’re gonna suffer the loss. And so this is what he uses to try to challenge these people to serve the Lord.

So he tells him, look, we’re gonna stand at the judgment seat of Christ one of these days. So chapter three talks about this. So in looking verse 12 of chapter three. Now, if anyone built upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stub them, you are saved, and one day you’re gonna stand at the jedness of Christ. And God is gonna judge your works, and whether or not it’s gold and silver and precious stones by which God will reward you for, or wood, hay, and stubble by which you will lose it all.

But he himself, if you’ll notice there in verse 15, If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be what? He still saved, but he’s wasted his life. So is that taught in the Bible or not? How can God tell a child of God you can have hay, wood, and stubble at the judgment seat of Christ? If you do those things, some say you can’t even appear there because at the sign, if you have hay, wouldn’t stubble, you did not persevere in the faith.

So how is God gonna judge you with the judgments of the Christ, which is only for believers? There is so much air in their teaching. They have to mutilate the scriptures. But when you come here and you get a Bible and you look at these things and verse by verse by verse, we try to walk you through the scriptures so that you can see and understand what’s going on in your own life. I am not telling people who saved and I’m not telling people who’s lost.

I wanna test teach the book and say, Now if God says, if you trust Christ as Savior, God says you’re saved. I don’t tell people they’re saved. I see God says. And if you are rebellious to the Lord, I want to teach the Bible in such a way, you’ll be able to detect it. True? Don’t you want that? If you’re not right with God, don’t you want to have something by which you can discern, I am not right with God and I want God to reveal it.

So we try to teach the word of God in such a way that a child of God can know, hey, I’m not growing as I ought to. I’m not walking the Lord as I ought to. These things are so important. Look at number four in your notes there. And you’ll notice that the Bible talks about us being puffed up. The Bible says, knowledge puffeth up. Love edifies. Knowledge puffs up. And anyone can gain knowledge. transfer that knowledge into the experience and you’ll have some wisdom.

Wisdom is applying the knowledge to life and a lot of people are not very wise because of the decisions they make in their life. So you’ll notice here in chapter 4 and verse 6 and these things brethren, brethren, still talking to believers. I have in a figure transferred to myself and do a follows for your sakes that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written that no one of you be popped up for one against another.

So God does not want us lifting up and putting down. God will take care of that. We’re God’s servants and God is going to either bless you or chasten you because of your walk with God. And if you’re not walking close to the Lord, God knows that and He may put you on a shelf. And God may exalt you and then God may have time when He needs to not humiliate you but humble you where you’ll learn some things from the Lord.

Look at the next scripture I want you to see here. In chapter five, a verse that I wish was not in the Bible. I wish a couple of these verses were not even here, but lo and behold, here they are. If you call this persevering in the faith, we got a serious problem. But they say, well, if you’re really safe, you’re not going to do these things, but they did these things. Look in verse one, it is reported. See that word commonly?

Commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentile that one should have his father’s wife. Now, a believer, a child of God, having his father’s wife, his mother or stepmother, whatever it is, it’s not pretty and it’s not nice, it’s not good, this is wicked. Evidently, this person is not walking in the Lord. This person must be a carnal Christian. He’s fleshly minded, and he’s walking out to the lust and the desires of the flesh.

Wouldn’t you say? If you say, well, he’s not really saved, you’ve got a serious problem, because the Bible says he is. So evidently, perseverance in the faith is not a guarantee. It would be great if all of God’s children would just naturally serve God, but they don’t. They have an old sinful nature. And some of God’s children do wrong. Did David and the Bible, a man after God’s own heart, did he make any bad decisions? Almost everybody knows what he did, didn’t he?

Would you like everybody to know what you did? What if I pull that screen down here and showed everybody what you’ve been doing for the last four or five years? Even what you thought about? There wouldn’t be nobody in here to say it. Because everybody would be leaving. And I would go through that door right there. You said, there’s no door right there. There would be. So I’m so glad to know that the Bible says, even though you are saved, you’ve trusted Christ to save you, and you’re not serving God, you’re still His child.

Otherwise, why would God chasten His children if all of His children were guaranteed to walk Right. If it was a guarantee, you’ll persevere in the faith, where then where’s the chasing from? Automatically, they will do right, but they don’t do right. And the whole teaching of Calvinism is wrong, is wicked teaching and does a lot of damage. And you’d be surprised how many churches are teaching what I’m telling you right now. And they preach it every Sunday morning. Well, if you’re saved, you’re not gonna wanna do that.

That’s a lie. God did not save that old sinful nature. He gave you a new birth. He didn’t change the old one. He gave you a new birth. Many people think that God just changed in this old man. No, God’s not changing that old man. He gave you a new man separate from the other one. And you can walk in the flesh just like everybody else can. It’s not good, but it’s in the Bible. So here’s somebody that’s messing up.

And verse two, and you are popped up and have not rather mourned that he He that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. So is it wrong? It’s wrong. He said, let’s pray that God will take him home. Pray God will take him home, or the man get right. Now that’s good church discipline, isn’t it? God take him home, or did he get right? Well in 2 Corinthians, when you read it, he got right. The man got right.

And God says, now, don’t make it harder on him than he needs you. Learn to forgive him. So a man was wrong and the people prayed and God still saved him. He was still saved. He did some things wrong in his life. And so he says here in verse 5, to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Some are dead. Now you’ll notice when we come to the 11th chapter, when the Bible talks about…

For this cause, many are weak, some are sick, and many are dead. Some are sick and weak and dead. Now, it’s not just because of the Lord’s Supper, it’s because as a carnal Christian, many are sick and weak and dead. Not just because they didn’t take the Lord’s Supper correctly, but the whole book is about showing why some are weak. And he talks about those Christians that are weak in the Lord. And those that know better cause others weak Christian to stumble.

And why are they stumbling because there’s so many of God’s children walking in the flesh, living like lost people? And they’re a detriment to God’s children. they ought to know more, know better, and walk better, and they’re not doing so. So God has a way He can chastise and take them home. And you have no idea the thing that God is doing and working in people’s lives. You cannot live as you please and get away with it. sin has consequences, even in the believers life.

And it’s very, very important. Look at number seven here in chapter six. Look in chapter six. And you’ll notice in verse one, there any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unjust and not before the saints. Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world and if the world shall be judged by you? Are you unworthy to judge the smallest of matters? You can’t settle things among you. Do we always have take people to court?

Now isn’t there a way that God’s people can settle things? Now we have insurance and health insurance and things like that. There’s nothing wrong with that. And there’s sometimes accidents can happen and so forth and you have a legal right to be compensated for that which has been wrong to you. That’s taught in the Old Testament. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what we’re talking about is among God’s people. Learning to someone, you see babes in Christ, they’re filled with envy and bitterness and jealousy and they want to get at each other and He said you’re not maturing in the Lord.

You’re not growing up You’re still acting like a babe in Christ. You’re a carnal Christian and you’re not acting like a mature Child of God, which is what God wants us to do and this is so important now Look there at the next scripture first Corinthians in chapter eight First Corinthians chapter 8. Before we get there, I want you to see this here in chapter 6, because when we get to the Lord’s Supper today, you know we talks about the Lord’s body, the Lord’s body.

And we talk about the bread and we talk about the grape juice representing the body of Christ and the blood of Christ. And so we tie that into the the Passover that was done and the Lord’s up at the communion service that we have. But I want you to think for a second. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, did not your body become the Lord’s body. Think about it. Did not your body become the Lord’s body. Why are you right here?

Look in 1 Corinthians in chapter Look down there in verse 16. First Corinthians chapter three, looking verse 16. Now this is a little side road here we’re going on, but it’s good for you. It’s good. Looking verse 16. No ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth where? In you. And if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy, whose temple ye are.

Now is your body the temple of God. So your body belongs to the Lord. And the Bible tells us God can destroy this body. It means shortening your life, taking you out of here early. Can God allow the body to get sick and for you to get weak and for you to die? He said, well, Whatever will be, will be. Yes, but it didn’t have to be the way you think it is. We know we’re all going to die, but maybe God has to shorten our life a little bit.

He says, many are weak, many are sick, and many are dead because of their disobedience. The Lord’s body, you do not discern the Lord’s body. Why are Christians living like this? because you don’t discern your body doesn’t belong to you. That all sinful nature you have and that all sinful nature that I have, it’s not to control this body. This body is the temple of God, it belongs to God. So I am supposed to discern this evidently the way they were living and how they were judging and what they were saying and what they were doing was not discerning this body is not mine.

It belongs to God. Now look there in chapter six. Look in chapter six. And notice what he says. In verse 15, he says in verse 15, no ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ. Shall I then take the members of Christ, this body, and make them the members of a harlot? The answer is given, no, God forbid. So this body that belongs to God, should you take this body and join it to a harlot? It’s wickedness, it’s wrong.

Do you not discern that this body that you have belongs to God? Should a Christian shack up with somebody and just live together? Is it right or is it wrong? You know it’s wrong. I was talking to the other day at a roadside little bait shop. We had gone out and caught a couple fish and we came back. And there was a girl standing there, a woman standing there, about 25 years old. And she was stranded or boyfriend left her.

So she standing there, came from up north somewhere. And I walk up to her, my grandson wanted me to talk to her, so I sure I’ll talk to her. So I started talking to her. And I says, what’s the problem? She said, will he left me? I said, can I ask you another question? She said, Yes. I said, have you been sleeping together? Yes. I says, do you know for certain where you’re going to go in your day? She says, well, yeah, I know where I’m going.

I says, where she says, I’m going to hell. You know, most people say, well, I hope I’m going to hell. And I explained the gospel to her. She trusts Christ as her Savior. And I says, now, as a child of God, you’ve got a choice. I says, you can make a choice to do right and serve God and He’ll bless your life. And reward you when you get to heaven. Or you can be rebellious. I said, but just still be His child.

I said, if you’re rebellious, God, you don’t have to chase it and discipline you. I said, no, that’s a choice. I said, now, what choice do you think you ought to make? Should you obey your heavenly father who now loves you and is your father, near his child? Or should you become rebellious? She said I should serve and learn and dear to just to run in that energy. It was hot out there and she’s standing there and I’m standing there and it’s hot.

And we’re standing on asphalt and yet it was a great moment. And I said, here’s what you need to do. She told me where a parent I said, you need to call them up and say, mama, I’ve trusted Christ, is my savior and I’m coming home. I said, that’s what you need. And she says, I will. Now whether she ever does or not, I don’t know. But I’m not gonna tell her, you know, if you don’t straighten up, that’s the sign you’re not really saved.

Now I enjoy telling them what God says. Once you trust the Lord, you’re God’s child. But now your body belongs to the Lord. Your body, my butt belongs to God. So this is the Lord’s body. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones.

This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Cut up and meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.