How to Continue the Reformation Until Jesus Christ Comes Again

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Happy 500th anniversary of the Reformation! But should the Reformation end at 500 after today ends and next year God-willing the 501st anniversary will be celebrated? Absolutely not. While I do believe that the 500 years of the Reformation is already a sign that Jesus Christ could be coming soon but I could be wrong. Since we do not know when He is coming should it not be the time to be ready all the time?

The Reformation did not happen because the Church supposedly fell into apostasy but because the true Church was at war with the Roman Catholic institution. The Roman Catholic institution claims to be the Church founded last 33 A.D. all the while she is adding her own unbiblical traditions with Scripture when the Biblical formula is all Church traditions must come from Scripture.

So how can the Reformation be continued until the Lord Jesus Christ comes again? It is time to get serious and enumerate how the Reformation can continue for the greater glory of God (and no, the Jesuits have no right to wear Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam because they use it for their own selfish purposes) which is equivalent to Soli Deo Gloria or Glory to God Alone.

Continue the Reformation by preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ the right way

It should be a great concern of how many people today came from Evangelical families, they grew up in the Evangelical background but they suddenly slip away. I have even read of how some Evangelicals and Baptists have become Roman Catholics, Mormons or members of any cult in general. I even read John F. MacArthur sharing his experience two of his seminary mates have become Buddhists. The reason has to do with this one: they were not saved to start with. I used to think salvation can be lost the moment you stop trusting Jesus for your salvation. I struggled with that idea until I read 1 John 2:19 that says that such people were not saved and that truly saved people will not completely fall away.

The problem today with many Evangelical churches is that they do not preach the Gospel as it should be. Both Hell's Best Kept Secret and True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort provided a lot of discomforting truths about apostasy. The uncomfortable truth that Comfort wanted to show was the problem of modern-day evangelism. There is no real exposure to the Law. Comfort several times gave the difference of how the Reformers or great preachers like Jonathan Edwards and Charles H. Spurgeon preached vs. how modern-day evangelists preach. I read through some of Edwards and Spurgeon where they heavily use the Law. Why use the Law? The law has been kept behind when the Bible says that the law exposes us as sinners (Romans 3:10-10, Galatians 3:24, James 2:10-11). How can people fully know that they are sinners? 

The problem of telling people that if they receive Christ they will feel peace and joy is misleading. True, receiving Christ will make one have some peace and joy but that is not the whole point. The illustration used by Comfort of the flight makes sense. Think about what would happen if you told a person that the parachute will "improve their flight" vs. if you told the person the parachute is there just in case something happens. If the person wore the parachute believing it will "improve their flight" they are to throw it away when something wrong happens. On the other hand, the person who wore the parachute in case of emergency will hang on to it even if something goes wrong.

If you preach the Gospel with the hard truth then it will be easier to understand. False converts will most likely not stay behind or they will be truly converted. They must first be allowed to understand the seriousness of sin. If you simply tell them they are sinners without asking why then think they can "agree" but they do not understand anything. If they were told all about the dreadfulness of sin by showing them the Law and telling them the hard truth Jesus spoke about murder and adultery (where hatred and lust violates that standard, Matthew 5:21-27) then they can understand. It would make no sense to teach of a Savior from sin if the Savior is not preached as Lord and the person does not accept that they are sinners.

The problem today is also with the easy prayerism. While Once Saved, Always Saved is a biblical truth but there is more than to eternal security than just staying safe and secure. The Bible also offers warnings about fake faith. James 2:14-26 warns about faith without works is dead. If that faith does not result to works then that faith is not real. Many can say that they are saved by grace but they live licentiously (Jude 1:6). The Bible says that God's grace promotes righteous living (Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 2:11-14) and any doctrine that teaches that you can be saved and still remain the same is stupid. Worse, how many fake converts from easy prayerism are assume saved but they were never saved? 

Why do some sinner's prayer evangelism still produce true converts? It would be because of pastors who preach the Gospel right. I remembered Paul Washer addressing some got saved in spite of the sinner's prayer and not because of it. One of the points he addresses are pastors who may have led through the sinner's prayer but they also warn of false conversion. When these false converts show signs of sinning the pastor confronts them about it. They may have had a sinner's prayer evangelism which is not taught in the Bible but they have genuine repentance when they asked Jesus into their lives. Revelation 3:20 says that Jesus comes into the life of the believer and there is fellowship. 

Continue the Reformation by doing and supporting missionary work

 Soulwinning is a very important part of the Church. The Great Commission is spelled out as Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15 gives the commandment to preach the Gospel. This preaching includes making disciples and following them up for baptism. The command is to first believe and then be baptized (Acts 2:41). But how can this soulwinning be kept? This is at the individual and organizational level that must be monitored.

Everyone must contribute to reaching out each one. As the song goes, "Each one must reach one for the Savior, and together we can tell the world that Jesus is the way if each one, reach one." Everything starts with the organizational level with everyone having the duty of passing out the Gospel. The church is full of the Gospel tracts but who will distribute them? That is why everyone must do their part in passing them and also preaching the Gospel.

Yet soulwinning is not only individual but also organizational. You cannot have a soulwinning church if there is no unity. True one must spread the Gospel but it has always been better to go two by two than one by one. While one can do it one by one but Jesus sent the disciples two by two. The local New Testament churches must also work in groups to saturate the country as part of the fulfillment of propehcy (Matthew 24:14).

There must be support from the people. It is not enough that people should pass out Gospel tracts and witness to others. It must also be that the pastor and deacons must get support. How can this support be done? I would like turn to Malachi 3:9-10 for answers. The Old Testament had a formula for the Levites or priests. The priests were family men who perpetuated a family of priests from the House of Aaron. The tithes were given so there will be food in the storehouse. In short, the tithes and offerings were given to support the Old Testament church.

Some may argue that tithing is an Old Testament issue. However, if people do not pay their tithes and offerings what will the local New Testament church use then? 2 Corinthians 9:7 says God loves a cheerful giver. No one should be giving out of a begrudged heart or out of necessity but rather out of love for God. If you love God then giving a tenth of what you own is not a burden. God delights in obedience over offering. Christians should have the right attitude that they give their tithes and offerings because they love God and want to support missions.

Continue the Reformation through constant Church discipline

A lack of church discipline is one good reason why many churches fall apart. If a church lacks discipline it will invite plenty of sin-loving false converts. There is the importance of church discipline because a little yeast will leaven the whole lump. Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 18:15-17 that there is the need for church discipline. 

In the Old Testament, God did not only use the prophets to warn people of impending doom but to also correct Old Testament believers from their backsliding. 2 Samuel 12 shows us the example of David's backsliding. We read in 2 Samuel 11 that David was idle and he fell into adultery with a woman young enough to be his daughter. David was fifty and Bathsheba was probably in her early 20s to late teens. In 2 Samuel 12, we see that Nathan was sent to David to rebuke him. Nathan was more than a person who warned people of their doom but was also sent to straighten up backsliders. The same happened in 2 Chronicles 19 when the prophet Jehu reproved Jehoshaphat of his ungodly alliance with Ahab. Miciaiah was also there to indirectly warn Jehoshaphat not to have an alliance with the wicked Ahab. Jehoshaphat looked for a prophet of God and he got it but he foolishly did not listen at that time.

While doing my reading of 1st Corinthians I noticed something. There is the need for church discipline. Paul addressed the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3 about their carnal understanding as babes in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5 he reproves them for accepting of who could be a false converts. In 1 Corinthians 11 he talks about church customs including not allowing backsliders from attending the Lord's supper. Even if the Lord's supper is not the literal body and blood of Christ but it is still a serious occasion. It would have the spiritual presence as it is the time of the year to remember the Lord's death until He comes. The Lord's death is a serious issue because sin had to be paid for in death and the wrath of God had to fall on sin for salvation from sin to be possible.

Ephesians 4:11 says that God gave apostles, prophets, teachers and pastors to help in the perfecting of the ministry. Today, we have no apostles or prophets but the responsibility of preaching God's Word now falls on pastors and teachers. The pastor is assigned to take care of the Church. The pastor is there to preach and teach the Word of God. Every pastor is a teacher to his pulpit. It is his responsibility to be a good example to everyone (1 Timothy 3:1-7). A true pastor of God would discipline His flock as required. He is there in charge of keeping the flock in check. If the shepherd makes sure the sheep are in check then the pastor is assigned to do the same. Jeremiah 3:15 says that God will give pastors according to His heart. The problem in Jeremiah's day would be pastors who have erred. You can see how the pastors have erred from their jobs. They are all not according to God's heart. 

The reason of church discipline is to keep believers in check. There is the harsh reality that the world is ready to forgive the millions of sins of their own but they will skewer the believer in the flames of hypocrisy for one sin. Ungodly Ahab was well loved and David became well-hated after his affair with Bathsheba. Today, we have the Roman Catholic priests who are still well-loved even with all their scandals while a repentant pastor is forever scorned. The issue is that Jesus said to let one's good works shine before men (Matthew 5:16) but how can these good works abound even better if the pastor does not do any church discipline?

The principle of church discipline can be found in John 15:1-8. God is the Husbandman, Jesus is the Vine and the Christians are the branches. False converts are the branches that get thrown into the fire. If there is anything in your life that God does not want then the pastor must take responsibility to chastise. God would use his pastors to trim the branches so they can bear more fruit. Hebrews 12:5-7 also says that God chastises those He loves. No one should be weary of church discipline. God disciplines those He loves and a godly pastor will discipline those He loves. If the godly pastor should ever fall into sin then he should also repent and confess to restore fellowship and authority. 

Continue the Reformation by having proper worship services

The Christian life is worship but the problem is that is your praise and worship done right? One of the books that would speak of proper worship is MacArthur's book "Worship: The Ultimate Priority". It is the ultimate priority of the Christian life. Worship is a way of life. Christians are saved to worship. There is no question that worship itself is not something you do the way you want. You worship God the way God wants you to worship.

What is wrong with the attitude of "I can serve God the way I want?". It is stupid to criticize Cain all the while you think you can worship God the way you want. Cain was probably told to bring an unblemished lamb but instead bragged about his finest vegetables. They were rejected because he never did as he was told. If God tells you to bring an unblemished lamb for a blood sacrifice you bring one. When God says that no strange fire will be offered you do not offer strange fire. One false move in worship can be very dangerous. You can think of how Leviticus 10:1 tells us that both Nadab and Abihu offered fire but not from the holy fire from the temple. They were both consumed. Do you still think you can save God the way you want instead of the way He wants?

It is also an issue right now with churches becoming like the world. Some of the biggest problems are churches that are becoming concert halls. In short, it is the entertainment driven church. No true church should be entertainment driven. Yet you have the problem of genuine Christian music getting replaced with rock and roll. The problem is that entertainment driven churches only care about people coming in and not about true worship. By adding "Christian" rock they are actually mixing secular music with the world. While it sounds bigoted but Christian music always has its standards. The wrong kind of music helped the orgy in Exodus 32 in the scenario of the golden calf. The right kind of music brought glory to God.

What God wants is not a concert but a worship service. If you are having a concert then it is not a worship service. Sunday worship services whether they be the Sunday services (morning and evening) and the Wednesday services should focus on God's Word. There is the singing of hymns and not rock and roll songs. There should be the focus on God and not getting there to be entertained. A true church would focus on God's Word. It is making sure that from the music to the sermon everything is glorifying God and focused on Him. The need for old fashioned revivals is urgent. Unfortunately, not so many people want it (Jeremiah 6:16).

This does not mean that the Church should reject modern technology. A church can have the benefit of the Internet, printing, Powerpoint presentations, office software and other modern conveniences. It would be good if these churches allowed people to listen to their sermons online. The kind of modernization that churches must reject is modern theology and modern methods of evangelism. While churches can enjoy the benefits of modern technology but they must be selective about modernization. Just because it is new does not mean it is automatically good. New life in Christ is good but new doctrines not found in the Bible are bad.

Continue the Reformation through serious fellowship studies with the Word of God

It is viewed to be a problem today when churches do not have a serious study of the Word of God. the pastor has the huge responsibility of the pastor to do so. But what can the local New Testament churches do to foster a stronger foundation with studying the Word of God? It should be taking activities seriously or adding certain ministries from the Sunday devotionals and the Sunday services. We could start with tackling on the Sunday services and how they can be more effective.

I used to think Sunday evening services were useless until I found out there's much to learn. I thought it was good enough to have one Sunday morning, everyone goes home and maybe goes to the beach on Sunday afternoon. I remembered how a pastor's wife once said that if you went to the beach on Sunday and you drowned - you deserved it. She was right. Sunday should be a day attending in fellowship in the House of God. It is a problem for many where they grew up in a religion where the Sunday morning service is just repeated in the Sunday evening service. But there is a difference between a Christian worship service and a Roman Catholic Mass. The Sunday evening service gives you another sermon while the Roman Catholic Mass gives you the same message in the afternoon.

I believe Sunday evening services are important for the reason churches must have expository preaching. It is good to have topical sermons but expository preaching is necessary. Expository preaching means understanding the context of the Scripture and going verse by verse. If you have tried looking at expository sermons some of them may be divided by Part 1, Part 2 or even more. Sometimes, a Sunday morning is not enough. Part 1 can happen in Sunday morning while Part 2 will continue during the Sunday evening. It would be better to have two parts or more if necessary for easier digestion of one's spiritual food. 

Having expository preaching also means taking the Word of God in context. One problem today is that churches fail is because they fail to preach expositorily. One of my favorite topics to repeat like a broken tape recorder is MacArthur's lessons on bad hermeneutics. It still makes me cringe and laugh at the same time that someone could preach the Rapture of the Church from John 11. Another person in that same lecture misapplied Joshua's marching around Jericho. Should I mention how often cults take Scriptures of their obvious context to create their cults then they claim only their council may either read and/or interpret the Scriptures? 

Continue the Reformation through exposing fake pastors

Why should quack pastors be exposed? The command is to beware of them (Matthew 7:15). How many times did Jeremiah condemn erring pastors? Jeremiah 2:8, 3:15, 10:21, 12:10, 22:22, 23:1-2 says of how often pastors in their time have erred. The shepherds have been misleading the sheep. The issue of fake pastors can be more subtle than you think. It would be easy to identify a Mormon missionary, a Watchtower pastor or a Roman Catholic priest as members of a cult but there is more than that. Some pastors may appear to be men of God, they do not belong to these quack cults all the while they are actually quack pastors. 

It reminded me of how often some Baptist publications have exposed a couple of fake Baptist pastors. One Baptist pastor showed how stupid he was in telling people to do the most absurd things like drinking sewage water. Another involved a Presbyterian pastor who misquoted from the New Testament a lot to justify homosexuality. It also saddened me to know how I keep hearing of the terrible truth about the Hyles Foundation's scandals and false conversions. Worse, you have some pastors who claim to be Bible-believing Christians who are openly working with the Vatican. Martin Luther King worked openly with Pope Paul VI. Billy Graham was a good friend of Pope John Paul II. Rick Warren is good friends with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. There have been cases of quack pastors left and right.

These fake pastors can easily harm newbies in the faith or put doubt into them. They can be very misleading. I remembered when I was newly saved I was really feeling doubt on whether or not leaving the Roman Catholic system was right. It even placed doubt in my head that maybe I was just a close-minded bigot while I was watching Trinity Broadcasting Network. I was so hungry for God's Word then I ended up landing on Billy Graham's crusades... only to find out he was supporting the Vatican. The very fact Pope John Paul II called him a brother in Christ was a serious blow on my spiritual growth.

It would be stupid to keep talking about priestly scandals all the while there are pastoral scandals at the same time. It would be stupid to keep talking about priests and their lasciviousness all the while certain Baptist churches here and there are also full of cover-ups. Exposing them would be good to clean the cancer of fake conversion. It is all about keeping the Church's mission up. Remember it is a hospital for repentant sinners, a museum of righteous saints who were once lost sinners and an army sent to fight off evil and rescue repentant sinners and to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But how can any church accomplish its mission as a hospital museum and army if a fake pastor has just infiltrated it? 

Continue the Reformation by resisting the ecumenical movement

There is the saying that you may not be able to prevent the New World Order from forming one of these days but you can fight it at a daily basis. While the Christian is still around the New World Order cannot be completed. There is the task to resist the New World Order by exposing evil and preaching the Gospel. One of the greatest evils of the New World Order is the ecumenical movement. This is the idea where all religions today serve the same God. There is even the dangerous half-truth that says that there is good in every religion except Satanism.

The ecumenical movement today is a huge tool for the One World Government. One of the biggest dangers that Arthur W. Pink wrote about is the dangerous doctrine of the universal brotherhood of man. The Bible says not everyone is a child of God yet this dangerous movement says we are all children of God. If we were all children of God then why does John 1:10-12 say that you need to have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior to be one? If everyone is a child of God why did Jesus warn in John 8:44 that the people who he was talking to were children of Satan instead of God?

One big reason why I refuse to accept Pope Francis or any of his predecessors as the successors of St. Peter is their stand for ecumenism. The Lord Jesus already said in John 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man comes to the Father but through Him. So how can the successors of St. Peter (the officially elected Popes) ever even think of embracing other religions? It would not make sense to think of yourself as Peter's successor if you even teach a lot of stuff Peter never did. Peter never taught confession to a priest or priestly celibacy. Also, Peter never embraced other religions and why is it that the Vatican II Popes are doing the same?

Christians today should really voice out the truth of John 14:6 even if it means that they should be labeled as bigots. Today, the world just wants to accept everything. Satan has redefined what it means to love in the eyes of the people. People say that Christians can be so unloving and bigoted when they preach the truth. Worse, you have Christians getting compared to Islamic terrorists even when they are only preaching the truth of the Scriptures. This is really a sign of the last days.

Continue the Reformation by preaching against the wickedness of society

The protest should not end with Rome. It should continue in today's society with a lot of ills that are going on. The world is getting worse and it is no surprise. The Bible already predicted it in Matthew 24 and 1 Timothy 6. Sin is already the norm and righteousness is becoming more and more suppressed by society itself. Worse, the same people who condone to sin are nitpicking Christians for the slightest sin while they still applaud the most wicked sinners of society.

You can see how sexual immorality is getting more and more promoted. The problem of adultery is now "remedied" by the sinful divorce law. Marriages are now perverted with trial marriages and homosexual marriages. Abortion is considered to be normal. You have all forms of sexists who are pulling apart whether it would be the male sexists or the female sexists. You have governments that do not tell the difference between discipline and abuse of authority. You have many cases where spanking a child is outlawed all the while real abusive parents do not get apprehended. You have cases of abusive authorities who do what they do in the name of discipline. You can see how screwed up people are right now. 

The truth is Christianity always has the tendency to get criminalized. Our Lord Jesus said in John 15:18-19 that Christians are not of the world. James 4:4 says that Christians are not friends of the world and that friends of the world are enemies of God. Christianity can always get accused of sponsoring hatred and terrorism. It is no surprise to see how Christians who lovingly warn sinners are falsely accused of hate crimes. It was sickening to me how homosexuals called Christians who helped them from the homosexual bar shooting incident as hypocrites for helping them while hating them. They are so blinded into believing that loving them means condoning to their sins.

Society is wicked and God calls Christians to reach out to it. Although there is the order of separation yet Christians are not to separate themselves from the world. Instead, they are called to be separate in terms of having the wrong alliances but to preach to sinners the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to testify against sin. They are called to be salt (Matthew 5:13-16). To be salt means to be salty. It means to testify against sin. You have different types of salt. Salts used for cleansing, salts used for purifying and salts used for preserving. The job of the Christian is to be as salty as possible against sin while lovingly telling the truth to a world gone wrong.

Continue the Reformation by loving one's enemies and praying for one's persecutors

This is a very hard thing to do is it not? Whether you like it or not Jesus tells you to love your enemies and pray for your persecutors (Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-35). The Jewish people were living in a very hard time. They have perverted the Law of Moses talking about the eye for eye and tooth for tooth law as a formula for personal revenge rather than as a regulation for punishments. Jesus had shocked the lost world by defying all odds. He told them to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors.

All these are very hard to do outside God's grace. How hard is it to ignore an insult by turning the other cheek? It is easier to slap the person or even hurt the person for an insult. But Jesus told them that if somebody insults you then ignore. Don't get into a fight because of an insult because it will just aggravate matters. How hard is it to walk an extra mile for an enemy? It is easier to punch that person or let him or her walk that mile. Instead, Jesus told them to treat these people with love and kindness. He was not teaching a revolt against Rome but He taught them to return their wickedness with kindness.

St. Paul also wrote in Romans 12:14-21 to do the same. He was once a Pharisee and an enemy of God. He was forgiven so forgiveness was now a growing lifestyle for him. He was telling the Roman believers to love their enemies and bless those who curse them. He taught them to return the wickedness with kindness. You have to take note that he wrote this letter during the time of the Roman emperor. We have Caligula and we have Nero. Nero treated the Christians like garbage. The Christian virtue of forgiveness and mercy only made it increase. Some unbelievers in Rome were amazed at the Christian virtue of loving one's enemies aside from something worth dying for. The bloodier the persecution the more it grew. The grace of God continued to show loving forgiveness even for those who least deserved it.

The Dark Ages and the Islamic wars came. Why neither the Roman Catholic institution nor Islam succeeded was because they were driven by hatred and bitterness. It is amazing how many times Roman Catholic priests preach about forgiveness all the while the Inquisition ran on an unforgiving heart. We have the incidents of the Inquisition and its bloody tortures. We have Muslim governments doing unimaginable tortures. Both sides have so much blood that has been hushed up to the point that the average Roman Catholic or the average Muslim today knows little to none about them. The virtue of Christian forgiveness also made it possible for Christianity to greatly weaken the direct hold both Islam and Roman Catholicism had on several states.

The value of forgiveness is not easy to fathom. It is not easy to do but by God's grace it can be done. Returning hate for hate only perpetuates the circle since it is fighting fire with fire. You do not fight fire with fire but fire with water. It is like returning insult for insult never causes it to end. Returning an insult with a fist only worsens the situation. Helping out the enemies in need will heap coals of fire on their head in a figurative sense. It would baffle them or confuse them to why their enemies are helping them. It would crush their pride. It would be a huge blow to their wickedness when there is nothing to fuel or motivate them to do worse. By continuing to return wickedness with kindness it would make more sense to preach against evil than to live a lifestyle of vengeance.

Continue the Reformation by maintaining good works

 Although good works do not save but they spring out from being saved. It is just like that the sacraments the Lord's supper and baptism do not save but they are part of sanctification. That is why any true Christian would have every doubt on anyone who claims to be a Christian but is showing indifference towards good works and the sacraments. The sacrament of baptism is the next step of obedience after salvation. The sacrament of the Lord's supper may not serve the literal body and blood of Jesus but Christians will take it seriously as a result of being saved. They make sure that these good works are not taken lightly.

Jesus mentioned in Matthew 5:16 that good works should be shone before men. This does not mean to brag about good works but to show how one is changed by God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 shows the lifestyle changed. These people were once unworthy to inherit God's ingdom. The problem is no one is righteous (Romans 3:10-19) so no one may inherit God's Kingdom. But there is good news. There is deliverance from a lifestyle of sin. Once you are saved you are saved from sin (Matthew 1:21). Christians are saved by grace to walk in good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Titus 2:11-14 says that the grace of God teaches people to resist ungodliness. You cannot have God's grace and still live in sin. The very doctrine that a person can get saved and never change is nowhere in the Bible. I would dread to think of salvation that saves me but not from the sin that would have condemned me. I have a Savior not only from Hell but also from sin. The seriousness of sin is addressed by God's grace. God's grace helps people to overcome a lifestyle of sin in the daily battle.

Titus 3:8-14 says that Christians must be careful to maintain good works. No one can be a Christian and remain indifferent towards good works. Instead, there is the desire to do good. David has mentioned in his Psalms that the Law of God is his delight (Psalm 1:2, 40:8, 119:70, 119:77, 119:92, 199:174). David pleaded in Psalm 25:4 and Psalm 119:26 for God to teach him the right way. Romans 7:22 has St. Paul declaring that he delights after the Law of God. In the same chapter where he moans about sin he also declares his love for the Law. How can anybody get saved and not love the Law of God as a result?

It would also be stupid to do good works without God's grace to aid the Christian. God does not just save people leaving them on their own. Instead, it is a fellowship of grace that would make one do good works and grow as believers. People fall down and become complacent when they get arrogant in the flesh. David became so arrogant about his past battles it only took one night with Bathsheba to destroy his testimony. Solomon was so drunk with power that he ended up having a thousand women (700 wives and 300 concubines) that he wrote his repentance in Ecclesiastes. Jehoshaphat got so complacent he ended up having an alliance with wicked Ahab (2 Chronicles 18). Peter got so arrogant that he ended up denying Jesus three times (Matthew 26:34, Mark 14:30, Luke 22:34, John 13:38).

In truth, while there are no carnal Christians in the sense of habitual lifestyle but Christians can fall into states of carnality. 1 Corinthians 3 addresses the newly converted who still had some carnality to deal with. While they were not carnally minded in the sense they were degenerate but you can see that Christians can fall into carnal states. That is why there is the need of God's grace and His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is sent to reprove sin (John 16:8). The Christian is still on the road to perfection that is why He the Holy Spirit is sent to aid the Christian in doing right. It is the power of God to restore broken fellowship, lead true repentance and help the Christian in becoming better in their Christian life.

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