Christian and Carnal Don’t Mix

“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
1 Peter 1:15-16

Lately, I have been thinking about how often we try to mix Christianity with carnality and make it seem normal.

I mean no harm in anything I say. These blogs are not Neccole-led. These blogs are Holy Spirit-led, and as He gives, I write.

“God is Dope” is a popular t-shirt brand. I never gravitated toward it. Not because I believed the creators or everyone who wore it had bad intentions, but because the word “dope” felt too small, too casual, and too insignificant for such a holy, powerful, sovereign God.

I mean, think about it. There are terms we do not like applied to us. Terms that make us feel minimized, disrespected, or reduced. These days, calling someone “basic” could lead to a full-fledged argument.

So think about God.

Why are we some comfortable attaching casual, common, or cultural language to the One who is holy, majestic, and worthy of all reverence?

God is not merely cool.

God is holy.

God is righteous.

God is sovereign.

God is worthy.

Then there were other sayings like, “I’m hood and holy.”

But Jesus only called us to be holy.

“since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭

We added the hood.

And I could go on and on about the contradictory statements we have taken on as Christians. We have found ways to attach culture, carnality, and compromise to Christianity, then package it as personality, confidence, or being relatable.

But Christian and carnal don’t mix.

We cannot keep trying to blend what God called us out of with who God called us to be.

The call has always been holiness.

Not holiness mixed with a little worldliness.

Not holiness mixed with a little compromise.

Not holiness mixed with whatever part of our old life we still want to keep.

Holiness.

At some point, we have to ask ourselves: are we trying to reach the world, or are we trying to remain close enough to it that we do not feel too different?

Because Jesus did not save us so we could blend in.

He called us to be salt and light. 

Salt preserves. Light exposes. Neither one conforms to darkness.

Christian and carnal don’t mix.

We can be honest about our struggles, but we should not glorify them.

We can admit where we came from, but we should not make it our identity.

We can testify about what God delivered us from, but we should not keep wearing it like it still owns us.

Jesus wants complete surrender.

That is not a suggestion. That is the call.

The same God who calls us to be holy also gives us the grace, strength, and power to live holy.

So let us surrender the labels, the excuses, the compromise, and the contradictions.

Because Christian and carnal don’t mix.