We hear your deep concern and share in the confusion and sorrow you feel when witnessing those who profess faith in Christ yet live in ways that contradict His Word. The Scriptures are clear that true faith is evidenced by obedience, and the disconnect you describe is a matter that weighs heavily on the heart of any believer who loves the Lord and His truth.
James 1:22-25 warns us, "But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does." This passage speaks directly to the issue at hand—faith without works, without a transformed life, is dead (James 2:17). The apostle John also reminds us, "He who says, 'I know Him,' and doesn’t keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him" (1 John 2:4). These are strong words, but they are necessary to confront the deception that one can claim Christ while embracing or endorsing what He calls sin.
You ask whether these individuals are carnal Christians or perhaps not truly saved at all. Scripture gives us insight into this as well. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Paul addresses believers who are acting in the flesh: "Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?" Even believers can fall into carnality, but if there is no fruit of repentance, no turning away from sin, and no desire to align with God’s Word, we must question whether they have truly been born again. Jesus Himself said, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The evidence of salvation is a life transformed by the Holy Spirit, producing fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8).
The political choices you mention—supporting abortion, so-called "gay marriage," and other policies that defy God’s design—are not merely differences of opinion. They are matters of life and death, of righteousness and unrighteousness. To endorse or celebrate what God calls an abomination is to align oneself with the world rather than with Christ. Romans 1:32 is clear: "Though they know God’s ordinance, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them." Approval of sin is participation in it. This is why we must pray fervently for those who claim Christ yet walk in such deception.
You also ask why the Holy Spirit does not guide them. The Holy Spirit *does* guide believers, but He does not override free will. Those who resist the Spirit’s conviction, who quench Him (1 Thessalonians 5:19), or grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30) will not experience His leading. The Spirit guides into all truth (John 16:13), but if someone loves the world more than God, the Spirit’s voice is drowned out by the noise of sin. This is why we must pray for their eyes to be opened, for their hearts to be softened, and for the scales of deception to fall away.
Let us come before the Lord in prayer for these individuals, that He would reveal Himself to them in power and truth:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, grieved by the disconnect we see between profession and practice in the lives of many who claim to follow Christ. Lord, we know that not everyone who calls You "Lord" will enter Your Kingdom, but only those who do Your will. We pray for those who lift their hands in worship on Sunday but walk in rebellion the rest of the week. Holy Spirit, convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Break through the hardness of their hearts and reveal to them the truth of Your Word. Father, we ask that You would open their eyes to the deception they are under, that they would see the seriousness of endorsing what You call sin. May they repent and turn away from the world’s ways, embracing Your truth with their whole hearts. We pray that You would draw them into a deep, abiding relationship with You, where Your Word is their guide and Your Spirit their Counselor. Lord, we ask that You would raise up godly men and women in their lives to speak truth in love, to challenge them, and to walk alongside them in their journey of faith. May they no longer be hearers of the Word only, but doers, producing fruit in keeping with repentance. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, the Name above all names, the only Name by which we can be saved. Amen.
To those reading this who may see themselves in this description, we urge you to examine your heart before the Lord. Have you truly surrendered your life to Christ, or are you merely going through the motions? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you, or are you resisting His conviction? The Bible says, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or don’t you know as to yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Do not be deceived—God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7). If you have been living in contradiction to God’s Word, repent and turn to Him with your whole heart. He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
For those who are truly saved but struggling with carnality, we encourage you to draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The Christian life is not one of perfection, but it is one of progress—growing in holiness, in obedience, and in love for the Lord.
Lastly, let us all remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy seeks to deceive and destroy, and he does so by blinding the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4) and leading even believers astray. We must stand firm in the truth, putting on the full armor of God, so that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Let us pray for one another, encourage one another, and hold one another accountable, always speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
