You see, when questions like these are asked "What happens when a Christian lives like the world", it is necessary to go back to the basics. Who or what is a Christian? Well known people like Don Lemon who is homosexual and "married" claims to be a Christian. Others like Steve Harvey believes that Jesus is not the only way to salvation yet professes to be a Christian. Even the most venerated of all black people Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who was a Baptist preacher did not believe in the central and core doctrines of the Christian Faith like the resurrection of Jesus on which our faith rests. Long time word of faith teacher Kenneth Copeland said that when Jesus was dying on the cross He took on the nature of Satan, went to hell and was beat up by the devil and demons for three days.
Think about the implications of Kenneth's heterodoxy. He said Jesus was possessed by the devil while dying on the cross! Kenneth Copeland is and has been a false teacher for decades and must be marked and avoided (Romans 16:17-18).
Simply put a Christian is someone who has placed their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins to receive eternal life. Also, a Christian is a disciple of Christ. A real Christian realizes that Jesus is the only way to be saved. Jesus said of Himself, "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6). Peter in Acts 4:12 said, "There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved"
The prophet Isaiah said regarding the Lord, "And understand that I AM HE. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior (emphasis added). I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there is no foreign god among you" (Isaiah 43:10b-12). You can read my article on what is a Christian by clicking here:
https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2023/09/what-is-christian.html
To be honest the word Christian and Christianity does not have a glowing reputation because of what has been done in the name of Christianity. Slavery has been justified in the name of Christianity. So were the Crusades from the 11th to 13th centuries. Those that fought in the crusades against Muslims to recover the Holy Land of Jerusalem were promised they would receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven if they did so by Pope Urban II.
So when people claim they are Christians and live like hell, the authentic gospel fades in the shadows so much so when those of us who declare the actual truth of the scriptures, it is rejected. The Bible way is the narrow way and for most who claim to be Christians feel that narrow way is suffocating and want nothing to do with it. For many the Word of God is legalistic. What has been the fall out of this? The social gospel has taken center stage sharing its deceptive shine with the prosperity and political (or what I call the grievance) gospel. Guess what, although the aforementioned are popular, they are fake gospels. Remember, gospel means good news. At the end of the day none of these are the good news - they cannot save the soul.
It is essential to carefully and Biblically analyze who a Christian is by the scriptures.
Is a person a Christian if they habitually sin and never repent yet they claim to still be a Christian?
The writer would argue that person does not know what a Christian is. We see this all the time with celebrities who will do the most heinous things on stage and screen. Yet when they win an award, they have the audacity to thank Jesus Christ with tears in their eyes. That is hypocrisy. Remember, we all can see the difference between a good tree and a bad one. Every tree bears fruit after its own kind. For those of us who are living faithfully by the Bible, how should we address this? Should we condemn them to hell? Absolutely not! Is that where they are going if they do not genuinely repent? Unfortunately and tragically yes. You see we all have short term memories. That is why we need to continually feed on God’s word so we can remain spirit filled. The Psalmist said it best, “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you" (emphasis added, Psalm 119:11) . The power of God’s word convicts and compels us to successfully conquer sin in ours lives. Without it, we are sitting ducks for the devil’s attacks. That’s a shame, many are going to spiritual war naked - that person is defeated before the battle begins.
A real Christian is always thankful and remembers what Jesus has done for them. As a result, when they sin, they're devasted and will go to the Lord and humbly ask for forgiveness so their fellowship with the Father is not broken. A person who claims to be a Christian yet continues in sin without any godly repentance should be very careful. 1) They may be a fake Christian and that is why they live ungodly although they attend church and are in the choir so they "feel" saved. Its an emotional-gospel experience for the hour. Or 2) They may be a Christian, but their lives betray their profession of faith; they are in a pattern of sin which they know is wrong. If they are not careful, God may give them over to the devil (1 Corinthians 5:5). You see the difference between the two is the fake Christian does not feel bad about their sin, so they continue in it. The second person knows their sin is wrong, but has decided to give in to their sinful desires and fulfill their lustful flesh.
Both of these types of people are hypocrites and makes Jesus and His church look bad to the world. All the more reason for those that are faithful to teaching and preaching and living the truth have to always do damage control. Its not pleasurable but it is crucial to correct those in the Church that are wrong. This always causes dissension between mature and immature Christians.
How should Christians live in this world of sin?
The Bible commands us that although we are in the world we are not be of it (John 17:14-16). Believers are members of the ekklesia which means called out ones. We morally must practice separatism - obey God's commands and disobey the world's commands that contradict the Lord's. This makes us hated and a target of all who oppose the truth. Jesus warned His disciples of this reality ahead of time (John 15:19). Living counter culture takes courage and strength. Declaring the gospel will guarantee you enemies. Why? Because men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). We are commanded not to love the world - that is the evil godless system. If we do, the love the Father is not in us (1 John 2:15).
To put it simply and bluntly, love what God loves and hate what God hates.
God, Jesus, and the Bible are under constant attack. We must defend them all. It is our charge and one we must be honored to be enlisted in the war for truth. The writer describes it as a glorious burden because it honors God (Matthew 11:28-30). The more vigorous the devil is with his lies, the even more determined we must be in declaring the truth to quench his fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16).
The faithful Christian will be one where we always speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). What does that mean? It means we imitate our Lord Jesus. We never deviate from the truth of those who need to hear it, at the same time have a burden for the souls of all. It is the kindness of the Lord that leads to repentance of sin and salvation (Romans 2:4). The most important thing of all is for someone to repent of their sins and receive salvation. Everything else is secondary - social justice, taking care of material needs and political correctness. Nothing else matters if the person dies and loses their soul in a eternal hell.