“To be clear: “Christian” must never be defined merely as someone who as at some time or another, made some sort of decision for Christ. A Christian, in the sense of being a born-again believer is someone who has believed the Gospel, continues to believe the Gospel, and does so until the end.”
This view is easily disproved by reading Paul.
Christians do have the ability to choose poorly, living a carnal life.
It is sad when it occurs.
At the Bema seat Judgement, a believer’s works in his Christian life are tested as to their quality. Carnal works are destroyed in the fire - though the believer himself is saved - smelling of smoke.
“This view is easily disproved by reading Paul... Christians [may live] a carnal life.”
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians did not make being “carnal” a normative condition. There is no such category as “carnal Christian.”
Paul described professing believers who were behaving like unbelievers.
1 Corinthians 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
Why? Because they were divisive and envious. These are things that God will reprove and correct in the life of a believer.
Hebrews 12:7-8
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Do you think God will allow His true children to live in sin? to live a “carnal” life? to go on sinning, without correcting it?
The Corinthians were reproved and corrected by Paul. And they repented, showing that they were genuine believers.
2 Corinthians 7:10-11
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
And even in the case of more egregious sin Paul was addressing in Corinth, it was unthinkable that this could continue to go on.
1 Corinthians 5:5
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
So, yes, even Christians can commit very serious sins. But true, born-again believers can not continue in sin. Real believers are not going to be comfortable living in sin. And even if this were possible, God would intervene to discipline the the disobedient believer. This could even result in death.
The Bible encourages believers with the confidence and assurance we can have in knowing that we have eternal life now. Assurance is based in the evidences of being a true believer. It is never based merely on having said a prayer to receive Christ. The test is having fruit, transformation, obedience, continuing in the faith, and an awareness of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
This last verse underscores the importance of testing out our own personal belief that we have eternal life. Because it is possible for people to be convinced they are “Christian,” but actually be on their way to hell.
So I return to my original point. A Christian is not someone who has merely, at some time or another, made some sort of decision for Christ. That criteria may be fine for a brand new believer. But it is not acceptable for someone who professes to have been a follower of Christ for some time and is not demonstrating the outworking of this salvation in his or her life. Those who are elect of God are chosen not just to make one initial response of faith, but to also walk in faith and bear fruit that is consistent with someone who has the eternal life of Jesus Christ inside of him or her.
People who profess faith in Christ but remain in sin, bear no fruit to God, demonstrate no grief over sin, but stubborn persistence in sin, are headed for hell. They may have confessed with their mouth, but their works deny Him. And those who preach a Gospel that allows this lack of repentance and absence of the transforming work of the Spirit of God, are preaching a false Gospel, which is a wicked offense that God will punish.
Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Ephesians 5:5-6
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Galatians 1:8
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
A true believer will “hold fast” and go on believing the Gospel. The anguish over sin that leads a sinner to flee to the cross will continue to work within the believer to cause him or her to continue to seek God, confess and get rid of sin, and grow in righteousness. Those who preach otherwise are spreading “vain words” that lead men to destruction.
The New Testament does not use the term “Christian” as the main word to describe followers of Christ. It uses words like brother, sister, disciple, and mostly believer.
A person who does not follow Christ is not a follower. A person who does not continue in the faith is not a believer. There are those who receive the word of God with joy and fall away. There are those who show initial signs of faith but turn away due to cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches. These WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God. These need to hear that they are hell-bound and need to go back to the message of repentance and faith in the cross of Christ.
Those who think they are just “carnal Christians” who will just miss out on some rewards but will escape hell because of the fire at the bema judgement need to realize they are LOST and still need to repent and believe the Gospel.
Romans 8:9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.