QUESTION:  I have a friend who prophesies all the time but still has a battle with sin in her life.  Can these prophecies be of God?

ANSWER:  Yes.  That a person can be carnal and still be used in the gifts of the Spirit is evident from the Corinthian Christians.  Paul told them in I Corinthians, "ye come behind in no gift..." and yet he had to chastise them for their carnal living in the same letter.  The Lord will sometimes use a baby Christian who's not yet developed in the fruit of the spirit to prophesy.  Actually, a lot of times, baby Christians are more sensitive to spiritual things -- more yielded to the Lord.

However, it is true that if a carnal Christian who is used in spiritual gifts doesn't soon make an effort to clean up his life, he will begin to sound like "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" when he prophesies.  Anyone who is used in the gifts should be especially conscientious about living right, thereby setting a good example to people who may be looking at them as being very "spiritual".