Your Inner Conflicts – Old and New Natures

[Timothy]

Well, I've only been on this board for about 2-3 weeks, but I thought I would start my very first thread (vs. being just a responder).

For several years, I've been a big studier of what the Apostle Paul calls our "old man" (our sinful flesh) and our "new man" (our spirit, in Christ), which he outlines in Ephesians and Colossians. Since we are saved by Grace through faith and nothing else, some people (inc. me) refer to this topic as "grace living."

Some time ago, I came across a transcription of a series of radio messages called "Your Inner Conflicts - Old and New Natures." They are from circa 1975 and were broadcast on WMBI (Moody Bible Insititute) by a Pastor Massey. I have found these to be a wonderful supplement to studying Ephesians and Colossians, so I thought that I would share them.

What I had in mind with this thread is posting a segment every few days, with hopefully some biblical discussion in between? If no one is interested, I'll let the thread slide... LOL at myself!

[Timothy]

THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION

The spiritual lives of the greatest characters in the Bible were all marred by personal weakness and major mishaps. The Lord, with candid honesty, gives us glimpses of the lowest points in the lives of those He used most.

Adam and Eve knew the Lord, yet they disobeyed Him.
Noah knew the Lord, yet he drank himself to a stupor.
Abraham knew the Lord, yet he had an illegitimate child.
Jacob knew the Lord, yet he deceived his father.
Moses knew the Lord, yet he murdered a man.
Achan knew the Lord, yet he was a thief.
Samson knew the Lord, yet he became involved with an ungodly woman.
David knew the Lord, yet he committed adultery and murder.
John the Baptist knew the Lord, yet he doubted.
Thomas knew the Lord, yet he did not believe.
Peter knew the Lord, yet he cursed.
Paul knew the Lord, yet he could not get along with people.
Demas knew the Lord, yet he left the ministry to enjoy carnality.
We know the Lord, yet we have done some of these same things.

[Timothy]

THIS IS SEGMENT/CHAPTER 1


Chapter 1
Your Inner Conflicts

Why is this? Why, oh why, oh why?

Every thinking Christian, at one time or another, agonizes with this question; usually in the privacy of his mind. The lack of an answer has caused anxiety, doubt, insecurity, disillusionment and in some cases, suicide.

This is the way Satan wants it. He does not want Christians to know there is a satisfying answer to the question. It is his delight to rob the believer to the uninhibited joy the Lord wants to provide.

Satan does it by offering believers subtle options instead of Spirit-filled actions. Christians fall for their trickery and run hither, thither and yon seeking help and finding very little. As time goes on their lack of knowledge causes them to sink into a monotonous, dull kind of Christianity with no life, no joy and no excitement.

Thoreau’s description of the human race fits many Christians. He said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

Yes, every Christian is faced with inner conflict but it is not so that he must endure defeat, for there is a Bible doctrine which not only offers knowledge of why we do things, but also offers a joyful solution to the problem. The problem reaches Christians from all walks of life and until the truth is known they suffer.

A superintendent of a rescue mission in the skid row section of one of our large cities was standing on a street corner inviting men to come in for the evening service. An alcoholic, very drunk, made some vile comments about the Lord Jesus Christ. The superintendent, in describing the experience said:

“I was used to hearing things like that, but they had not bothered me. That night was different. I believe now that it was a frontal attack from Satan using this man as a weapon.

“The man told me that he had been raised in a Christian home and that once he had believed much as I believed. During his college years he began to think, and it wasn’t long before he came to the conclusion that Christianity was not valid and that Christ was nothing more than a legendary character, or, at best, a confused man with illusions of grandeur.”

The superintendent went on with his story. “He made a series of most revolting, derogatory remarks about Christ.

“Later that evening when I was speaking to the men who were at the mission a sudden thought exploded in my mind. ‘What if this unbeliever’s evaluation of Christianity were accurate? What if Christ were a legend or a fraud? What proof could I offer to counteract his statements: faith with no evidence?’

“In that fraction of a moment the faith which I had enjoyed for so many years seemed to be gone. It began a period of my life of utter misery. Vicious questions tormented me. Where did I come from? What was the purpose of my life? Where was I going?

“I begged God for some reality of Christ; some little acknowledgement from God that He knew I existed and needed help. Nothing happened. The statements made by a drunken man continued to hammer my intellect until I was on the brink of insanity.

“From then on I didn’t speak at the mission. I brought others in to speak and I listened to them for some hope, but found none. I began a campaign of visiting pastors and Christian leaders, describing my situation, but telling them I was asking on behalf of someone who had come to the mission. As I look back now, it was astonishing that I received no help at all in my search. More than once in the next six months I encountered Christian leaders who were going through the same doubts, but in every case they tried to cover it up.

“I stopped reading my Bible. I stopped praying. My family life disintegrated and I began to withdraw more and more.

“Finally I decided to commit suicide. I planned to make it look as though an accident had taken place. I took out extra insurance on myself to support my wife and children after I was gone. I chose the place and time.

“When the day came I had a sense of relief that soon I would be out of my misery. It’s odd that I didn’t think of going to Heaven or Hell. I just thought of escape.

“As I drew closer to the appointed place my turbulent mind cried out to God for help. The answer I received may seem like an over-simplification, but it is the way it was. Romans 8:37-39 filled my mind. My dulled senses were able to sort out a truth I apparently had not seen before; I had separated myself from God. God had not separated Himself from me. He never had and He never would.

“The effect of the verses was not enough to give me peace, but it deterred the suicide attempt.

“Shortly after that another verse reached my confused mind.

“…..faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) I wanted faith. I had looked for the source of faith from men, and had not found it. I had begged God to answer my prayers, but what had I expected him to do? Are not the answers found in what He has to say to us through the Scriptures?

“It struck me that for almost all of my life my Bible study had simply been to prepare messages for others. I could not remember ever studying the Bible for my own good.

“That was the day I became a student of the Bible, and within a week the Holy Spirit was teaching me the doctrine of the two natures which I had never known before. I understood that the confusion which had reigned in my life stemmed from my old nature which had taken over my life. The more I learned about the doctrine the more I enjoyed the Lord. The more I enjoyed the Lord, the more I learned about the doctrine.

“The concept of my ministry changed. I became a compulsive advocate of telling others about the two natures.”

This is basically true of all Christians who discover the doctrine of the two natures.

The fundamental verse of our study is found in John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”

The word, ‘flesh,’ is a comprehensive word and includes all that a man is in his natural birth: his intellect, his emotions and his physical life. The component parts which make up the man are corrupt, for the stream of humanity became polluted as its source when Adam and Even introduced death by sin. No one escapes this pollution, for all mankind traces its heritage back to Adam. This background accounts for the evil that each generation encounters.

Man, in his natural state, knows something is wrong and he tries to do something about it. His most earnest efforts end in defeat.

A few years ago one of the most promising fields was psychiatry, but today psychiatrists themselves are questioning their science. Recently a psychiatrist wrote a book and he said, in essence, “We have been attempting to develop a field of scientific research which, at best, is unproven. If success is an indication of the validity of psychiatry, it may be that we will have to take a second look at ourselves, for the positive are meager. We have clothed our analyses in vague, non-understandable terms, and to further cast shadows on the profession, we find that the rate of suicides among psychiatrists is greater than in any other field.”

Through the ages great thinkers, without Christ, have gone to their graves with no solutions to the problems they encountered. The flesh nature has no answers for Satan, the prince of the power of the air, and the god of this age, gives no answers. He has manipulated man into thinking that the solutions can be found without any supernatural source of information. Each man who speaks on the subject, following this premise, adds more confusion, and each generation blunders on; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and remains flesh.

God has offered an alternative and this alternative is the only solution for escapes from the inheritance of the flesh.

God has said that not only is that which is born of the flesh, flesh; but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The flesh nature cannot be improved, so God in His sovereignty has arranged for a painless death for the flesh nature.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Romans 6:6)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2)

This takes place when a person receives Jesus Christ as has saviour. The Lord instantly identifies that person with the death of Jesus Christ. A spiritual birth from above takes place simultaneously. The death of the old sin nature does not mean that the flesh becomes unconscious or annihilated, but it does mean that from that point on God looks at that person only in his spiritual essence.

A problem is encountered at salvation and this is where most Christians become confused. The flesh nature is dead to God, but very much alive to the world. The spirit nature is dead to the world, but very much alive to God. This sets into action two competitive forces within the new born Christian: one born of the flesh, and the other born of the Holy Spirit. The person thus becomes a battlefield, and the two natures war against each other, seeking to dominate the mind, the emotions and the body.

This accounts for the constant conflict in the believer. The old nature: ego-centric, selfish, linked to the world, wants control of the individual for fleshy gratification. The new nature: spiritual, related to Christ and eternal, wants to control of the individual to produce eternal values. It is a running battle and neither the old nature or the new nature will surrender, for, as we read in Galatians 5:17, “The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: (the word, ‘lusteth,’ means craven, hungry to dominate, thirsty to kill) and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

Few believers understand the intensity of this warfare, and since most do not understand what is going on they encounter what has been called, “mountaintop experiences,” or they are plunged into what are called, “death valley experiences.” The death valley experiences occur when the old nature, greedy for personal gratifications and fed by the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, dominates the spiritual nature.

The old nature, trained by Satan from the time of birth, uses guerilla tactics in the believer’s life.

A Christian, under much stress, illustrated this action of the old nature. He said, “We were on vacation. We traveled about six hundred miles that day. Our two children had been restless. We had a flat tire. We had also lost an hour because we had to take a detour. We had made reservations in a motel but when we arrived much later than we had expected to we learned the manager of the motel had given the room to another family. The other motels in the area were also filled.

“The children were squabbling. My wife said, ‘I told you you should have called when we knew we were going to be late.’

“That did it. My temper exploded: a temper which had been under control for fifteen years. I can’t believe some of the things I said, but I said them. Family unity dissolved. My children, afraid of me, attached themselves in a very obvious way to my wife. My wife counteracted my temper by refusing to talk to me.

“We slept in the car for a few hours, or tried to, and then started the long trip home. That was two weeks ago. Things are getting worse.

“The thing I can’t understand is how, as a Christian, a member of the church board, and a Sunday school teacher, I could so quickly revert to non-Christian attitudes and actions. I used words I never used before. I threatened. I screamed. I also said that I wished my kids had never been born.”

Satan waited for the ideal moment to support this man in his old nature and give it strength. He infused the old nature with anger and pride, and without warning the new nature was completely overwhelmed. The family members, in turn, had their old natures stimulated and the love bond of marriage became hate.

How could a problem like this be solved? It wasn’t too difficult when the family was brought together under pastoral care, and the doctrine of the two natures was presented and understood.

We are told Galatians 4:29 that the flesh nature will always persecute the spiritual nature as Ishmael persecuted Isaac. The believer should understand that this flesh nature and spiritual nature dwell in the structure of his mind, his emotions and his body. He should realize the conflict is personal and goes on twenty-four hours a day and will go on until the rapture, or the departure of the Christian by death. The old nature will never surrender in any situation. The old nature will intimidate and manipulate until he gets his way.

The Apostle Paul was very much aware of his old nature and he said, as led by the Holy Spirit, “Oh, wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:24)

A girl at a Bible Conference illustrated this by saying, “I need help. Everything is falling apart, and I thought everything would be so perfect. I told the Lord I wanted to work at a Bible Conference this summer, and here I am at one of the greatest ones in the country. I told the Lord I wanted to work with children, and I have a cabin with twelve girls. I told the Lord I wanted to meet a Christian boy I could pal around with this summer and I did. I needed some money for college in the fall and I’m getting twice as much as I expected.

“But suddenly everything is wrong. The boy broke up with me. I can’t handle the kids in my cabin. I’m not interested in reading my Bible. I had a dream last night that was so vile I don’t like to think about it. I’m critical. I’m complaining. I had an argument with the camp director….” She paused and then went on, “I’m supposed to love those kids and I hate them. My own worst enemy is me.”

And that is the truth. Our own worst enemy is the old nature which dwells within us. We will see more of the characteristics of this enemy when we study the titles God has given to him in the next chapter.

Someone, we don’t know who, wrote a most interesting rhyme all believer’s should memorize:

Two natures beat within my breast.
One is foul, the other blest.
The one I love – the one I hate
The one I feed will dominate.

Every Christian, and may we repeat this emphatically, every Christian encounters these skirmishes in the battleground of his being. The old nature, stimulated by its relationship to the world, attacks in tens of thousands of different ways to upset the tranquility and joy of Christianity.

The solution to the problem is for the spiritual nature of the believer to take deliberate action in gaining strength from the Word of God.

“….put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14)

Since the Word of God was authored by the Holy Spirit, it follows that eating the Word and enjoying His nine individual flavors for the soul as offered: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance will result in the control of the old nature.

Thank God that the old nature is dead to the believer, but this dead enemy is a dangerous one and he should be kept in the coffin and not be permitted to expose himself and cause shame in the Christian’s life.

[evangelyn]

cool...bump.

[Ponderin]

Someone, we don’t know who, wrote a most interesting rhyme all believer’s should memorize:



Two natures beat within my breast.
One is foul, the other blest.
The one I love – the one I hate
The one I feed will dominate.

I will check tonight. The quote is in the book Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, I think,as well as others . . . I have the page folded down. Certainly, the race is against ourselves.

:)

[spirit]

Awesome, thanks for posting this.

It was a blessing. :)

[Ponderin]

Originally posted by Ponderin
Someone, we don’t know who, wrote a most interesting rhyme all believer’s should memorize:



Two natures beat within my breast.
One is foul, the other blest.
The one I love – the one I hate
The one I feed will dominate.

I will check tonight. The quote is in the book Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, I think,as well as others . . . I have the page folded down. Certainly, the race is against ourselves.

:)

Ah! No, maybe it is the book, God in You.

Neways, I'll check L8R . . .


:)

[Gods Trombone]

Timothy,

Thanks for the material. It seems to be well in line with Romans.

:)

[Ibelong2Him]

THANK YOU for posting this!

We have been studying the book of Galatians in Sunday School, and I've been thinking alot about the war of the spirit and the flesh lately.

I find that the more I learn about the subject, the easier it is to defeat the flesh. Right in line with that little poem...

:)

[Ponderin]

I love learning stuff I forgot again and again! Next time I forget I hope someone reminds me.

:D

It was the book God in You by Dr. David Jeremiah! Walking in the Spirit, An Everyday Dependance on God. Chapter 7 p. 144 and from the notes . . .

<drum roll>

One of Becky's favorites?

There is nothing else listed in the notes, sept this:

1. A. W. Tozier, That Incredible Christian (Harrisburg Penn.: Christian publications, Inc. 1964) pharaphrased from introduction, 11-13.

Hmmm

[carmen]

Great post. This kind of study is really needed today, IMHO. I have found that sometimes there is a tendency to think that a "good" Christian doesn't have to deal with hard sin issues in their lives (especially among other Christians--which I really don't get :confused). Maybe it's because we can be all too easily embarassed about revealing our faults and flaws to other Christians. But the thing is, many of us DO deal with sin, and struggle and struggle with overcoming it, trying too often to go it alone because we don't want to ruin others' perception of us.

Sometimes it's good to remember that we all have these two natures, if only to remind ourselves that sin is there, crouching and waiting to pouce at the first weakness.

[rs41]

Bring on the next installment.:)

[tuco22]

Good post, Timothy. :D

[Arabesque]

I had just posted about little issues I had experienced recently, and Ruckus pointed me in the direction of this thread.

It definitely helped me and I can't wait to read more.

As far as you wondering if anyone might be interested in these posts, I think you now have an "enraptured" audience. (pun intended).

:lol

Please.....keep posting them!!

[Peasant]

Thanks for posting this, I was thinking upon this very issue today and your post was a balm to my soul.

I can't wait to read the next installment!:D

[aboverubies]

Originally posted by Timothy




The solution to the problem is for the spiritual nature of the believer to take deliberate action in gaining strength from the Word of God.

“….put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14)




Amen ... thank you for this timely encouragement. :)

[Timothy]

I'll post the next installment today. Just for clarificiation, I don't want you to think that I'm just "throwing" it out here. I'm reading it for the ump-teenth time.

As it was originally a radio broadcast, it doesn't have as many scriptural references as I would prefer. Here are some notes that I have jotted down:


When he mentioned "lack of knowledge" in Chapter/Session 1, I thought of the following verses:

Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Colossians 1:9 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding"

The "new man" (nature) is renewed in knowledge:

Colossians 3:10 "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."

Knowledge is the issue as the battlefield is for our mind:

II Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"


When he mentioned the person who "looked for the source of faith in men, these verses are good references:

I Corinthians 2:5 "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God"

I Corinthians 3:21 "Therefore let no man glory in men..."


When he mentioned that "man knows something is wrong and tries to do something about it," these verses came to mind.

The law works wrath because we can never fulfill it. Ever notice that when Christians put themselves back under the law, they can be mean, nasty, backbiting, angry people?

Romans 4:15 "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression."

If you "try," you fail. If you focus on your actions (the outside, the natural man), you will fail. We need to focus on our thoughts, our spirit, the new man (the inside). The new man "forgets" about the law, as the new man knows that actions follow thought.

Galatians 5:18 "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."

When he mentioned that thethe flesh nature cannot be improved, I thought of:

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."


Our whole focus should be on the spirit, not the flesh:

Romans 1:9 "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers"

Romans 8:5-7 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

When Paul is taking "death" above, he is talking about spiritual death.

[Timothy]

This is segment/chapter 2, Part A (the character limit on the board forces splitting it)


Our greatest fears come from what we do not understand. Every Christian experiences, from time to time, the realization that he is capable of seeing, hearing or saying something evil, and often enjoying that which he knows to be contrary to the will of God.

When a young or unindoctrinated believer reverts to the old life and impulsively falls into some sin trap, serious problems will arise. Satan, in his subtle way, inserts negative options, none of which offer solutions. In the early days of their Christian experience few people escape thinking such thoughts as, “Have I really received Jesus Christ as my Saviour?” “How can God love me after what I have done?” “I’ll have to try harder, “ or, “I’ll have to get saved again.”

All of these thoughts produce anxiety.

The more sincere and earnest the person is, the more bleak the situation becomes. There are people who flounder over a period of many years before they have any sense of security in Christ. When they hear invitations given for salvation or dedication they respond repeatedly, but in spite of their sincerity they stumble on with little satisfaction, riding on the waves of uncertainty which sweep over them repeatedly.

It is only when the believer is indoctrinated with the knowledge of the two natures that he can cope with this insecurity. Experienced Christians, even with the knowledge of the two natures, may find themselves wallowing in the same pattern.

Peter describes this act of reverting to the old nature to be, “like a dog returning to his own vomit.” (II Peter 2:22) That is not a pretty picture, but it is an illustration of the depravity of the old nature. Some give up in despair and live shallow Christian lives, plagued constantly by the lust of the old nature. This is not necessary, because the situation is not hopeless.

The Lord has supplied us adequately with information on the doctrine of the two natures which will enable the believer to understand himself and the conflict he encounters in his daily life. The intelligent believer, when he does become enmeshed with sin, will remember that the Lord said that we can be, “renewed in the inner man day by day,” (II Corinthians 4:16) and that we can, “forget the things which are behind.” (Phillippians 3:14)

Not only does the doctrine solve the problems of why the believer reverts to the character of the old nature, it also enables the believer to come to the place where he can cope with the situation instantly and actually enjoy winning the battle over his old nature. He will come to understand that there are going to be moments when his old nature will dominate and defeat, but he will know that the situation is but temporary and that victory is absolute.

The important thing is to understand the character of the old nature. This is done by studying the titles God gives to it.

We will discuss four of them in this chapter and each will give us insight into a different facet of what and who we are.

THE FLESH

The word, “flesh,” is used repeatedly by the Lord. Sometimes it is used simply to describe meat, as of an animal or bird. More often it is used to describe man in his unsaved condition. This involves man’s mind, emotions and body. When man is born into this world he brings with him all the pollution that has spilled into the human race since the time of Adam’s fall. When he is born he begins to die, for Adam gave death to the human race; both physical and spiritual.

The world does not see this flesh nature as God sees it. Religion and philosophy have insisted that the flesh is not corrupt; that it is good. Some claim that it also possesses a kinship with the divine, but this is not so in the light of the revelation of the Bible.

Christ states very simply that the flesh profits nothing (John 6:63). That is a hard fact to accept, for our old natures reject such an evaluation and rebel against any criticism. Pride is the major flaw in the old nature. The old nature has great reluctance to admit that he is ever wrong. Man clings to the idea that he is basically good. He is quick to point out his human virtues.

A heavy snowfall made travel impossible. Homes were opened to strangers and all sorts of heroic deeds were reported. A radio announcer jumped upon the opportunity to substantiate his idea that all men are good. “A storm like this brings out the decency of man to his fellowman,” he said. “This is religion in its noblest effort.” He sounded much like a man who had been searching for something good in the human race and at last had found it. It is true that the flesh will act for self-preservation and mutual self-help, but at best, the human good that is done is only temporary and the profit is not the Lord’s.

Paul, in writing to the people at Rome, said, “I know that in me, that is my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18) Paul had come to the conclusion that not only were the actions of his flesh no good, but the flesh itself on its natural plane was corrupt and incapable of producing good.

The flesh nature is very religious and would like to put on a good show, and often it does; then pats itself on the back for what it sees as its own goodness. Many religions of the world, based on humanistic philosophies, demonstrate sacrificial elements which call attentions to the virtues of the individual. There is no evil that is done so well as that which stems from the old flesh nature in demonstrating false humility with obedience to man-made religions.

But, regardless of man’s efforts, Paul writes to the church at Rome, “So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)

Why can’t man please God? The answer is obvious. As far as God is concerned sinful man is dead in trespasses and sins. Man, in his unregenerate state has walked according to the course of this world, and has been subjected, not to God, but to the prince of the power of the air. A physically dead man is of no value to humanity. A spiritually dead man is of no value to God.

But God does offer a way out of death: He offers a new birth; a birth from above, as a gift – a gift of a Person, Jesus Christ.

When the gift of Christ is accepted, God sees the old nature nailed to the Cross and in Christ God sees the flesh as dead. In the same instant God gives that person an eternal, spiritual life. It is at this time that the conflict between the spiritual and the flesh begins in that person’s life.

Paul when writing to the church at Philippi, evaluated his former fleshly, religious position. For some thirty years he had been proud of his heritage, but on the road to Damascus he suffered a wonderful death; the death of his old nature, and from then on, as he puts it in Philippians 3:3, he had “no confidence in the flesh.” That is what an intelligent, indoctrinated Christian ought to believe. The glory of life is in Christ, and the flesh nature and all that it produces is only ego-centric, selfish and temporary.

THE OUTWARD MAN

The old nature affects the physical part of man. Another title of the old nature is found in II Corinthians 4:16. Here were are told that, “the outward man perishes.” This is evident, for observation tells us that time takes its toll on everyone. With age comes the deterioration of the body and from the moment we are born we begin to perish because the sin of the old nature is in us and age and death are the result of sin.

Soon we find Solomon’s description of the flesh coming true; the eyes get dim, the ears cease to function, the mind falters, legs and hands tremble and finally, death takes its prey.

This procedure takes place regardless of what kind of life a person leads. By good health practices perhaps a few years may be added, but the inevitable finally comes. In this respect the outward man of the believer is no different than the believer.

Paul graphically describes the believer’s problem with his outward man. “We ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, we agonize with the problem.

It is interesting to notice in II Corinthians 12:7-8 that the Apostle Paul hurt so much he called upon the Lord three times to help him. The Lord did not correct the situation, but did tell him that in his new nature he had the solution to the problem, for the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (Verse 9)

Paul thus shifted his viewpoint from the old nature to the new nature and said, “I rather glory in my infirmities, “ (Verse 9) and again, “I take pleasure in my infirmities,” (Verse 10)

Now that is hard to say, unless the person knows the power of the new nature in an experimental way. When he does, he can cope with physical problems.

The believer must recognize that the body which he possessed before he received Christ as Saviour, is the same body which he has at the present time. So every problem that the outward man has is brought over into the Christian’s life.

Our bodies are doomed, and their infirmities will increase with time and perish progressively until either death takes us, or until Christ comes. Then, and only then, shall we be delivered from the old nature’s influence on the outward man. The victory lies in recognizing the new nature to be eternal and the problems encountered in this life will pass away.

CONTINUED

[Timothy]

THE CARNAL MIND

The old nature affects the intellect of man.

The influence of the old nature on the unregenerate mind is devastating. The unsaved man is diametrically and diabolically set against God. The Lord said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8) And in another place we read, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” (Psalm 94:11)

The world appreciates the value of the mind of man and attempts to develop it to the highest level. Yet, with all the effort that man has made to cultivate his mind, we find that he fails to solve basic problems. Mankind cannot handle himself. In spite of all the educational efforts, we find society failing to produce man’s greatest desires.

Man wants peace but wages war.
Man wants foods, but is faced with famine.
Man wants to live longer, but if life is prolonged, it simply causes more problems.
Man wants to preserve his natural resources, but his lust for money cause him to abuse them.
Man wants clean water, but the refuse from his profitmaking factories destroy it.
Man wants economic security, but his manipulation of money creates chaos.
Man wants a safe society, but crime runs on almost unabated.
Man cries for clean politics, but many politicians use their power for personal gain.
Man desires moral standards, but the lust of the flesh destroys him.
Man attempts to educate against the use of drugs, and yet he produces them for self destruction.
Man dreams of a healthy race, but continues to manufacture health-destroying products: cigarettes which produce cancer, liquor which produces over nine million alcoholics in American alone, harmful additives to food.

The intellects of man without God have failed to solve any of these problems. The fact is, that the problems increase in spite of man’s efforts to curtail them.

Not only has man failed to turn to the Lord for help, but there are now nations which officially deny that the Lord exists.

The carnal mind is an enemy of God. Romans 8:7 tells us this. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

We are also told that God gave man over to a reprobate mind. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” (Romans 1:28)

The carnal mind knows how to lie, to cheat, to covet. The carnal mind perverts everything it thinks about. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in you mind by wicked works…” (Colossians 1:21)

The shocking truth is this: when a person becomes a Christian the characteristics of the carnal mind still exist in his life, and continually harass the Christian’s enlightened mind (the mind of the new nature). This is why the believer’s thought patterns are constantly in conflict. Alternatives are set up and the believer can choose right or wrong. If the new nature is in control the mind thinks as Christ thinks. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) If, on the other hand, the old nature’s mind is permitted to be dominant, the believer will revert to the carnal mind.

The carnal mind is an enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is also an enemy of the believer, and it constantly suggests thought patterns that are in opposition to the revelation from God’s word. We are told that we are to keep the unity of the Spirit. The new nature knows this and recognizes that he owes others around him patience, gentleness, forgiveness and love. These are all simply requests of the Lord and should not be too hard to obey. Yet the average Christian often fails.

A woman who was very much involved in an excellent church sought counseling. She said, “I teach Sunday school. I never miss church. I love the Lord – but I’ve become a shrew. I’m overcritical of my husband and my children. I say things that I don’t want to say. I have an urge to apologize, but my pride keeps me from doing it. What’s happened?

As the counselor described the believer’s two natures the woman understood for the first time the cause for her actions. “So,” she said, “that’s why I have these problems. My old nature pulls me one way and my new nature pulls me the other way. Even though I know it’s wrong, I allow my old nature to have its way and I do those foolish things repeatedly.”

This woman’s experience has been matched by countless Christian people. Once the old nature gains control it stubbornly resists subjection. The same problem repeatedly enters the life of the believer.

There is only one way to control the carnal mind. That is for the new nature to come to grips with the situation and begin a program of intake of Bible study. In the beginning it may be by sheer force of will, but as the new nature gains strength, energy and vitality, the carnal mind will grow weaker and lose some of its influence.

THE HEART

The old nature affects the emotions of man.

The old nature’s control of the body is an absolute for the old nature is doomed to die and the body goes along for the ride. The control by the old nature of the believer’s mind is optional, and the believer can bring the mind into subjection for Spirit-control. Of course, the battle will rage and there will be loss of skirmishes, but over all, if the believer listens to the Lord he will enjoy victory instead of experiencing Christianity as a burden.

Now we will study the old nature’s control of the heart, or the emotional part of man, for that’s what the word “heart” indicates. The Lord tells us in Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart deviseth his way.” And indeed, our emotions usually determine what we do. As in the physical, and the mental, so in the emotional, there is the battle of the two natures for control. Everyone possesses thousands of different emotional feelings, covering every area of life.

In Matthew 15:19-20 we read, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; these are things which defile a man….”

The emotions behind these crimes are obvious: hate, bitterness, temper, smoldering anger, jealously, greed, coveting, lust of the mind, lust of the eye. The old nature’s pride is an extremely emotional area. When the Christian is criticized the old nature and its pride lash out.

There are many illustrations to demonstrate this:

A Christian couple, recently married, find subtle power struggles developing almost at once. These power struggles stem from their old natures. Instead of the two growing closer together, they drift apart.

A Christian mother suddenly finds herself in opposition to her fifteen year old daughter and they clash, with the mother demanding respect, and the daughter resisting more and more.

We see the old nature’s emotions sometimes at their worst in the local church. Things seem to be going along well, the suddenly there is a critical attitude against the pastor, or some conflict between people within the church. No one surrenders and the will of the Lord is lost. Friends become enemies.

How often we hear of someone who seemed to be all out for the Lord Jesus Christ, who seemed to grow for a year or so; suddenly drifting, failing to demonstrate any spiritual interest.

A missionary who had served faithfully in her field was forced to come home because of depression. “I can’t believe what has happened to me, “ she cried. “My depression was upon me before I knew what was happening. I never worried much about the future, or finances, or health, or retirement. Now I’m anxious about everything and for a year and a half I’ve existed with constant depression. I feel guilty, ashamed and defeated.

In this particular case the missionary was in an area where she was isolated and received no Bible study except on her shallow plane of teaching nationals. While she was very busy about her work, without realizing it, she was not growing spiritually. Satan is always clever enough to wait until a Christian is weakened by lack of spiritual growth. The he is there and the faith that is so necessary for vigorous growth is momentarily lost. Some people, encountering this loss, seek for an emotional uplift. When they get it they seem to be restored for a little while, but the drift sets in again and the old nature’s emotions well up and effect the life once again.

Most believers use the word “feel” to indicate how they react but feelings are not reliable, for they stem from emotions. It is wise, therefore, in spiritual things, not to let the emotions control the mind and the body, but rather to let the Word of God control the emotions, the mind, and the body. The phrase, “Thy will be done,” should be a pattern in the prayer life as we will see later. There will be times when the old nature violently resists the new nature’s decision to do the will of God. The old nature is persistent and clever, and uses intimidation and manipulation to win for the flesh.

There is one sin which constantly embarrasses Christianity. This sin involves the mind, the emotions and the body. It is the sin of sexual abuse among believers. The Lord constantly warns against licentious practices. There are over fifty references stating the Lord’s displeasure with fornication and adultery in the New Testament alone. In the Old Testament we find many excellent men and women whose testimonies were marred by immorality. Abraham, David and Solomon, along with many others, were trapped in this sin by the lust of their old natures.

The believer should understand that the drive for sexual fulfillment should be conducted in accord with the Lord’s program for marriage. When the old nature takes over and sexual abuse occurs, it affects many people.

Several Christian couples enjoyed a delightful social relationship together. They were all active in their local church and their friendship developed quickly. At first there was some innocent teasing within the group. It wasn’t long before the teasing developed into something far more serious between one of the girls and one of the men. When the affair was discovered the innocent mates were shocked and hurt. The man and woman who were involved said that they could not understand how it all happened; that it wasn’t intended, and they didn’t was to be immoral, but they were carried away by their passions. They asked for forgiveness from their mates and received it, but the scars remained. The Lord’s work suffered.

The guilty man and woman stopped their ministry in the church. The wife of the guilty man was so broken by what her husband had done that she attempted suicide. The other couples in the social group were effected also.

The old nature’s sexual drive can cause many heartaches and unless the believer has a well developed new nature, the temptation in this area can easily cause defeat.

CONCLUSIONS

The Word tells us that, “…the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” (Genesis 8:21) This is a fact and not to be treated lightly.

The old nature, corrupted, disobedient and arrogant, opposes the Lord Jesus Christ. When a person receives Christ, the old man is crucified with Him on Calvary and a new creation takes place. A battle begins. The old nature and the new nature compete for control. If the old nature goes on unchecked, the Christian life falls apart; it becomes sinful, guild ridden, negative, depressive and uninteresting. When the new nature is kept in healthy condition by constant Bible study, the Christian’s new nature becomes dominant. An exhilarating faith, love, joy and peace become the believer’s experience.

[Timothy]

As far as our flesh goes, this verse says it all:

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."


The passages that he provided, such as Proverbs 16:9, Matthew 15:19-20, Genesis 8:21 are excellent example of how we should be knowledge based not emotion/feelings based. Not that emotions/feelings are wrong, but they should be the result not the indicator or the lead. Another example is:

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"


The old nature wants to think we are "self sufficent" but:

II Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God"


Any other verses that come to your mind?

[C_Chap]

Thank you for posting. A must read for every believer.

[Gods Trombone]

Excuse me please for going a little "off-topic" but this Pauline doctrine illustrates for us why Paul met with such strong opposition throughout his ministry.

He preached the Gospel of the Grace of God and was misunderstood greatly by most. They would, and still do, accuse Paul of saying that we may continue to sin," in order that grace may abound."

These misguided folk are the enemies of the cross of Christ.

The true Gospel has always had its detractors and opposers.

This is true today.

The anwer Paul gave, and the answer we must give today to these "naysayers" is

Anything you do to try and make yourself "more spiritual" or "holy" that is not "Christ in you" is nothing but "filthy rags" i.e., it is *sin*.

The only way to live the "Christian life" is to allow Christ to live in you.

Paul is our example and he is our teacher. Jesus is in heaven and He gave Paul the message for us to learn how to live.

(GT now gets down from soapbox.):cool

[David Mark]

edited

[Marcia]

Thank you so much for posting this! As you can see, I am a redhead, and you know what that means!! :eek

There are times when I feel I am going to absolutely lose it; and I know without a doubt, it is the remnant of my sinful nature rearing its ugly head.

I pray for strength in these situations, that God will grant me grace and understanding.

[anasazi]

Thank you so much!

[joyttw]

A lot of great stuff here! I have a couple of questions though. If any of you have read my past posts on the flesh, you probably know where I am going with this:

1) Is there a difference between the flesh and the sinful nature? Do Christians really have two natures? What happens to this dual-nature theology when one does not use the NIV translation of Romans 7?

2) If the old man has been crucified and we are a new creation, where does scripture indicate that the old man has resurrection power? (I'm serious about this question, I don't know the answer.)

3) Is it really a civil war within me going on, or is it Satan working through sin dwelling in my flesh (my outer man) warring against my inner man, my spirit (which is a partaker in the divine nature)?

Perhaps it doesn't matter if we agree on the fine points of theology here, because practically speaking this is excellent reading. I just think it comes down to a battle for our soul between flesh and spirit, not between old nature and new nature. I don't think Christians are schizophrenic. Maybe I'm just splitting hairs. If it seems that way, I apologize. But maybe the understanding of this subject influences our understanding of our identity in Christ.

Thank you Timothy. And welcome to RR!

[EricN79]

Wow, excellent teaching! I'm going to save it in Word and give it out to my family and friends.

Thank you very much for posting this!!

-Eric

[Timothy]

Originally posted by joyttw Is there a difference between the flesh and the sinful nature?

The flesh is corrupted and therefore is sinful nature by nature.

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing..."

Ephesians 4:22 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts"


Originally posted by joyttw Do Christians really have two natures?

Yes. That is what Paul is talking about with the "old man" and the "new man."

Romans 5:12 "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

Ephesians 4:22 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

Also see the other passages referenced in earlier posts (i.e. Ephesians and Colossians)


Originally posted by joyttw What happens to this dual-nature theology when one does not use the NIV translation of Romans 7?

I'm not sure what you mean. I hapen to use the King James it is clear that we have two natures.


Originally posted by joyttw If the old man has been crucified and we are a new creation, where does scripture indicate that the old man has resurrection power? (I'm serious about this question, I don't know the answer.)

I would not say that the old man or our physical bodies have any ressurection power in of themselves. God, through his power and glory, will ressurect our bodies and change them.

I Thessalonians 4:13-16 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first"

Philippians 3:20 "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

I Corinthians 15:42-52 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption...Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."


Originally posted by joyttw 3) Is it really a civil war within me going on, or is it Satan working through sin dwelling in my flesh (my outer man) warring against my inner man, my spirit (which is a partaker in the divine nature)?

Yes, there really is a civil war. Even if Satan were destroyed right now, our flesh is corrupted, and we would still sin.

Romans 7:15-25 "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Stay tuned for the next segments, as this will get amplified.



Originally posted by joyttw I just think it comes down to a battle for our soul between flesh and spirit, not between old nature and new nature.

What you describe is one and the same. The old man is our flesh. The new man is our spirit.

[joyttw]

I disagree. I don't think we have two natures. I don't think "flesh" and "sinful nature" (the NIV translation in Romans 7) are the same thing.

Romans 7:22-23: "For in my INNER BEING (my SPIRIT, who I really am) I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my BODY (my FLESH, where sin dwells - Romans 7:17&20 ), waging war against the law of my MIND (located in my SOUL) and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."

2 Peter 1:4 says we are partakers of the divine nature. So, are you saying we have both a divine nature and a sinful nature? Is that possible?

I found an article explaining what I'm trying to say...

http://www.gospelcom.net/lifetime/local/equipped/journalRead/149

The “Power of Sin” is not the Sin Nature
by Dr. Bill Gillham
I wrote an article entitled The Power of Sin in our May, 1988 Ministry Letter. In it I pointed out that the word “sin” appears forty-one times in Romans 5-8, forty times as a noun, once as a verb. That is one of the most astounding revelations I have ever received from the Holy Spirit. I believe that most people who read this section of Romans interpret the word sin as a verb, or if they do see it as a noun, they either interpret it as a single sin, which was committed, or as their sin nature.

As most of you know by now, Lifetime Guarantee teaches that Christians do not battle against themselves, but against the power of sin, an agent of the devil which works through the flesh (old ways) to try to control the soul (personality). When we lose this battle, we “do the thing which we do not wish” and fail to “do the thing we wish.” We do not “wish” to sin, and yet we sin.

The power of sin is what its name implies, a power to entice you into sin. It dwells in you (Rom.7:21) yet it is not you any more than a gold tooth that dwells in your mouth is you. Sin’s goal is to deceive the saints into living to get their needs (though good and godly) met by sinning rather than by using the Matt. 6:33 method; that is, “seeking Christ first.”

The power of sin is not your sin nature. Your sin nature is a synonym for old man or old self. That “old you” was crucified in Christ (Rom. 6:6). Before you were saved, it was as normal for you old nature to rebel against God’s authority as it is for a fish to swim. However, with salvation the new you hates to sin (Rom. 7:15a, 19,22). That’s why the Bible addresses Christians 56 times as “saints” (holy one) rather than sinners saved by grace like we’ve erroneously believed. Even the Corinthians, the most carnal church in the epistles, are called “sanctified” and “saints” (1 Cor. 1:2).

Yet the power of sin is alive and well in you, saint. It indwells your body (Rom. 7:23). On page 1055 of W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vine states that sin is, “a governing principle or power” that is “personified” in the following passages. He then lists sixteen verses in which this holds true. The term personified means “represented as a person.” The power of sin can represent itself as a personage.

You have heard us teach that the power of sin’s key tactic is to personify itself as your sin nature, the old man or the old you who was crucified with Christ. It accomplishes this by sending thoughts into your sound mind, the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16) with first person singular pronouns in order to deceive you into believing that the old you has somehow jumped off the cross to “do the very thing you do not wish to do." Hey, nobody but Jesus can come down from a cross.

Let’s examine a few of the sixteen verses where Vine says the word hamartia, the Greek noun translated “sin,” is personified.

“Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts” (Rom. 6:14). Mr. Sin (the personification) cannot master you. Since sin is personified, let’s call it “Mr. Sin” so we won’t confuse it with the verb. Mr. Sin tries to control you, to make you live to satisfy your bodily needs.

“For sin shall not be master over you…(Rom. 6:14). Mr. Sin (the personification) cannot master you. Remember how sin is “represented as a person?” It tries to master you through presenting thoughts to your mind by masquerading as the old man who has risen from the tomb. But no one except Jesus can do that, right? That’s not the old man; it’s the power of sin personified.

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to Mr. Sin you became obedient from the (new) heart…and having been freed from Mr. Sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18). In both instances above, sin is a noun. It doesn’t say, “you were freed from sinning (verb)”; rather, it teaches that you have been freed from being controlled by the power of sin, which results in sinning. There’s a tremendous difference. The first would be robotical sinless perfection; the second would require a moment-by-moment appropriation of your freedom from being controlled by Mr. Sin.

“But, if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but Mr. Sin which indwells me (is somehow doing it)” (Rom. 7:20). This verse can really be a puzzler if you interpret the word “sin” as a verb. But it’s a noun, and Vine says it is personified (represented as a person). How is the power of sin involved in your sinning? The same way wind is involved in a windmill, electricity in a light bulb, water in a hydroelectric generator, or gasoline in an engine. It’s a power. If you let it, it will control you and you will sin (verb).

In the same way, Christ is your wind, electricity, water or gasoline, for righteous behavior if you will believe He is and act like He is by faith. He, Himself, is the power in the Christian life.

“But, I see a different law in the members of the Christian lie war against the law of my mind, and making me prisoner of the law of Mr. Sin…” (Rom. 7:23). Mr. Sin, the “personage,” wars, fights and seeks to control your mind. But your mind does not want to be controlled by this power, so it fights back. In a war there must be at least two sides represented and they must oppose one another. Otherwise the war would cease. Mr. Sin is on Satan’s side, so whose side is your mind on? God’s (1 Cor. 2:16). Otherwise the war would cease! You hate to sin, right? You like to get your human needs met (and that’s not evil), but you hate to sin in order to accomplish it.

The new man is a good person (saint) in Christ. Read the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians to discern what Paul has to say about the Corinthians’ true identity in Christ. He calls them “saints (holy),” “confirmed to the end,” “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus,” etc. After reminding them of who they are, he kicks the daylights out of them because they are not acting like who they really are.

Can you see what a difference this makes in motivating a Christian as opposed to berating him by constantly telling him what a sorry, no-good sinner he is and how he is going to face an angry God some day? Folks, it’s our works which will be judged in the future, not our personhood (2 Cor. 5:10) and God is not mad at the saved. He took out all the anger He had against us on Jesus (Isa. 53). We’ll either be rewarded or we’ll lose what we potentially could have won, but “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Rom. 8:1).

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56). The Law is the source of Mr. Sin’s strength. To couple law with Mr. Sin is like pouring gas on a fire. This personage called sin needs a law to aid it if it is to optimally control you. It “eats, breathes and sleeps” via the Law.

“The Law is not made for a righteous man” (1 Tim. 1:9). Why? Because you, the righteous man (2 Cor. 5:21), don’t need it. The lost man does (in order to show him his condition), but you don’t. You now “have the laws of God written on (your) heart and mind” (Heb. 10:16). God’s ethical, moral law of agape is built into the new creation. You desire to obey God. Choose to let that law control you and you will keep the Commandments. Jesus summed them up in loving God and others (Mk. 12:30-31).

“But encourage one another…lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of Mr. Sin” (Heb. 3:13b). In this verse, sin is represented as a personage which can harden you through deception. It’s not talking about the deceitfulness of a single sinful act, but of a power called sin which “wars against your mind” (Rom. 7:23).

“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against Mr. Sin” (Heb. 12:4). This is speaking of Jesus in the garden, not on the cross. He “sweat great drops of blood” as He struggled against this power called “sin” which was trying to coerce Him into rebelling against the Father God. But He won! And He continues to win in and through us if we, too, will learn that we are “dead to Mr. Sin” (Rom. 6:11).

These are some of the verses in which Vine says the word sin is personified. As I have studied the Word, I believer there are additional ones which he does not mention. In any case, it was exciting to discover that a man of Vine’s stature as a scholar testifies that the power of sin is often personified in the Word. What liberty there is in knowing that the rebellious, evil, hateful thoughts I experience are being presented to my mind, not generated by it. By simply standing on God’s Word and thinking, “Nope. I’m dead to you Mr. Sin. That’s not my idea,” and then acting “alive to God through Christ”, I have victory over the power of sin. Truly, “Mr. Sin shall not be master over you…” (Rom. 6:14a) when you act and therefore live like you are dead to its thought and alive to Christ.

© Lifetime Guarantee Ministries [published: 1988-11-01]
These articles are written for your spiritual growth. Copying, printing, and distribution are encouraged. Thank you for crediting Lifetime Guarantee Ministries and our website (www.lifetime.org) as the source.

[joyttw]

Oh, I just found another one. I think I posted this a few months ago. Last article, I promise :)

http://www.gospelcom.net/lifetime/local/equipped/journalRead/180

Do Christians Still Have a Sin Nature?
by Dr. Bill Gillham
“The King is Dead! Long Live the King!” When I was a kid, I heard a Shakespearean actor in a film make such a statement and was thoroughly confused. How could the king be dead but alive at the same time? Little did I know that he was talking about two different people! Indeed, the former king had died and was no longer king…he had ceased to exist! But the new king, who could never have emerged as king had the old king not died, lives indeed! So long as the old king remained alive, the new king could not be “born.” But after the one’s “birth” as the new king, the old king could never again resurrect himself because he had no capability for self-resurrection! The very existence of the one precludes the existence of the other and vice versa! They cannot jump in and out of the grave, womb, grave, womb, etc.

The analogy is obvious to those who understand the Believer’s identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. The old man has indeed died (Romans 6:6, etc.) and the new man has indeed been generated by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 3:10, etc.). But, unfortunately, the pervasive position taken by most Christian leaders is that the old man is still “alive and well’ within the Believer…that sinful performance gives daily testimony to this as “fact.” The old man is seen to leap in and out of the tomb many times during the typical day. However, one seldom hears a teacher claim that the new man leaps in and out of the womb, but most never see that the very existence of either precludes the existence of its opposite! The two can’t coexist any more that the two kings can! It was the death of the old man, which enabled the new man to be born! It is impossible for the new man to exist until the old man has died and the old man cannot resurrect himself. There is but One Life Who has such resurrection power…the Life of Christ!

Galatians 5:17 says that the “flesh lusts against the spirit” and vice versa and there is obviously a war going on inside of every Christian, but it’s not the old man versus the new man doing battle. Those cannot exist simultaneously. The Greek word interpreted “flesh” in all pertinent New Testament verses refers to the body…the physical body with its frailties and vulnerability (to sin). Romans 7:20 speaks of the POWER OF INDWELLING IN (not the sin nature) working in man to produce undesirable (sinful) behavior. The power of sin simply deceives the Christian by masquerading as the old man, suggesting (deceiving) to the will that a choice be made to perform according to the old self-serving patterns programmed in previously. This is referred to as “walking after the flesh.” Satan could never deceive a Christian with a direct approach as a “little man in red underwear.” He must disguise himself if he is to have any hope of victory. There is one way and one way only to accomplish this deception and that is to masquerade in the thought life of the Christian posing as his unique version of the old man! The naïve Christian will believe he, himself, is generating the unchristian suggestion and thus direct his defensive efforts against the wrong foe…what he perceives to be a darker side of himself! He fires all his bullets at a shadow! This is the explanation for the frustration depicted in Romans 7:15 “…why do I do the very thing I hate? Why can I get no victory?”

For many years it appears to me that to adopt the posture that the sin nature was crucified in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) would be rationalizing and excusing the Christian’s sinful performance. It seemed more logical to believe that Christians all have a sin nature against which the new man constantly must do battle. It would also appear that this is the noble, the more conservative, the more Spartan posture, and that to believe otherwise would be to fly in the face of personal experience as well as God’s Word. While subscribing to this view I was blocked from recognizing the truth of Rom. 7:20 cited previously. Though it would appear that the “two-natures” view places the greater responsibility for poor performance squarely on the Christian and that the “one-nature” view is a cop out, the opposite is actually true! So long as one embraces the former, he is constantly deceived into believing his failure is just standard Christian experience. As Scofield said (paraphrased), “This is not standard Christian experience, it’s the standard experience of most Christians,” the tragic result of faulty discipling. Once the Christian enters into identification with Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, claiming he no longer has two natures, but is now “the righteousness of God in Christ” and “holy and blameless in His sight” he is without excuse when he sins, because he knows what it is to possess the Life (“Christ in me”) which overcomes on a moment-by-moment basis. He is discerning of how sin is able to deceive him by masquerading as the extinct “old man,” hoping the Christian will take the bait, believing that the old man has generated this impulse or thought and ends up “doing the very thing he hates.” (Rom. 7:15-20)

In reality, it is accepted as fact that Christians no longer have a sin nature that places one squarely on the hook and totally responsible to choose, moment-by-moment, against the wooings, deceptions and accusations of indwelling sin working through the flesh. “Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus (moment-by-moment) in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:10—NAS)

“We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross (Note: this isn’t just our sins that Christ paid for on the cross, although PTL for that blessed truth, but that the old “you” died there, too) with Him in order that (our) body, (which is the instrument of) sin, might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be slaves of sin.”(Romans 6:6 Amplified)
Indwelling sin deceives the “two-natures” Believer into rationalizing, “I’m just human. I just fail a lot and God understands it’s just my old sin nature that got the better of me.” This is the true cop out position! Such Believers often have Romans 7:15 underlined as “evidence” that their experience is “the normal Christian life,” when it is, in fact, wandering in the aimless circles of the wilderness with Canaan just a promise away. Awake sleeper! The king is dead! Long live the King!

© Lifetime Guarantee Ministries [published: 1980-01-01]
These articles are written for your spiritual growth. Copying, printing, and distribution are encouraged. Thank you for crediting Lifetime Guarantee Ministries and our website (www.lifetime.org) as the source.

[Timothy]

Thanks for joining the discussion! I said it before and I will say it again, I don't claim to know it all, and always pray for the "readiness mind" of a Berean. My purpose in starting the thread was not just to throw it out there, but to generate discussion such as this.

I've read through the two artciles twice, and will do so again as we proceed. I found some really good things in the articles, many of
the same things you will see repeated as additional segments are posted

The one statement that did stick out in my mind though like a sore thumb is this:

Indwelling sin deceives the “two-natures” Believer into rationalizing, “I’m just human. I just fail a lot and God understands it’s just my old sin nature that got the better of me.”

Though I belive scripture outlines that we have two natures, after thinking about this since last night, I can see where he is coming from, though. I would agree that someone who attempts such a rationalisation for sin is in error.


Some of what you posted may be putting the cart before the horse, so I would prefer to delay discussing the new man until that segment is posted. But let's discuss the old man, the new man, two natures, etc. I'm going to take the liberty of paraphrasing parts of your comments into questions:


1 - DOES MAN HAVE A SINFUL NATURE?

We definitely have a sinful nature that we inherited from Adam. Some call this our "Adamic nature."

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Ephesian 2:3 "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."


By the way, regarding sin and sins, yes there is a difference. In case I forget, someone remind me to discuss the "sin process" when we get to the new man.


2 - ARE OUR FLESH AND OUR SINFUL NATURE ONE IN THE SAME?

Hmm, per se, no. Our flesh has a sinful nature because it is corrupt. I would say they are intertwined. Paul says that nothing good dwells even in a saved person's flesh:

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing..."

Romans 6:19 "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."


3 - IS THE FLESH THE SAME AS THE OLD MAN?

Interesting question. I have always understood the old man to be a personifcation of the flesh. We know that from scripture that the flesh (even of saved people) is corrupt. Scripture also states that our old man is corrupt.

Ephesians 4:22-23 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

I believe they are one and the same, as they are both corrupt. When we get to the new man, you'll see how we are to view our old man/flesh as being dead - based on knowledge.


4 - DO WE HAVE TWO NATURES?

Yes. As you see later, based on knowledge, we are to view the old man as being dead, because that's how God sees it. But once we are saved, our flesh and old man are not eliminated, purified, etc. They are still with us. Paul tells us that we are to "put off" the old man - it takes action on our part. The old man is still there, as you will see later, we are to put him in his place by considering him dead.

Ephesians 4:22-24 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."


4 - IS THERE A WAR GOING ON?

We definitely do have a war in ourselves, as the flesh is lusting against the Spirt, and vice versa.

Galatians 5:16-17 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

Romans 6:11-12 "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."

As you will see when we get to the new man, the war is for our thoughts, our minds, knowledge:

II Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"

[Timothy]

Feel free to continue the discussion from my post above. I'm going to post the next segement, as it is a continuation of the same topic, the old man/nature.

[Timothy]

Segment/Chapter 3
More Titles of the Old Nature

The conflict of the two natures makes the Christian life extremely unpleasant at times. The old sin nature constantly harasses the new nature by seeking a self-centered approach to life. The old nature has an affinity with the world, and since the believer lives in the world, the old nature finds plenty of carnality to feed upon. This gives the old nature an advantage.

The new nature has no natural food source from the world but must draw aside for Bible study and fellowship. As we know, the new nature is seated in the heavenlies and has no interest in carnality.

Even the believer’s body finds its source from the elements that make up the cursed earth; it is therefore cooperative with the old nature when it comes to fulfilling its lusts.

For an example, take the Christian who has the problem of overeating. The new nature knows that temperance is important, but the old nature wants gratification and since the body, with its ability to enjoy the fragrance and taste of food is willing to cooperate with the old nature, gluttony results. Thus even this becomes a spiritual problem. It is not that eating food is at all sinful, but when the old nature takes over and gluttony arises it becomes sinful.

Not only does the body cooperate with the old nature, but the mind does also.

A dedicated Christian young person may enter college and almost at once encounter peer group pressure to accept the evolutionary theory. Since the majority of the people in the world accept this as truth, the believer’s old nature often confronts the Christian with the apparent reasonableness of the theory. The new nature accepts the creation record that God has given. So the two natures struggle for supremacy and the results depend on which nature is fed.

Not only do the body and mind cooperate with the old nature, but the emotions do also. Human relationships are bound to involve the emotions and a man and woman thrown together constantly, even in a Christian work situation, may find an unwholesome interest in one another. Both may be very aware of the Scriptural injunctions against such a relationship, but because of their carnal, emotional needs they are drawn almost irresistibly toward each other. Unless the new nature is fed with good, spiritual food the sin of the old nature will prevail.

We have seen these characteristics of the old nature in the first four titles we have studied. These characteristics are further established by the study of five more titles of the old nature.


CARNAL

We looked specifically at the carnal mind. Now we will look at carnality in a more general way. Paul, in writing to the church at Corinth said, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:1) He established immediately that he considered the people he was writing to to be spiritual brethren. Then he explains that he has a problem in speaking to them as spiritual, for they were carnal.

Flesh, as used to describe the whole unregenerate man: mind, emotions and body, has a worldly indentity and has a desire to do what the world does. The word “carnal” describes the bridge that the old nature builds to reach out into worldliness. The world, in turn, crosses the bridge into the carnal character of the Christian and produces attributes that are in opposition to God’s will. In I Corinthians 3:3 you will notice three things that result from carnality: envying, strife and divisions. “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?”

What individual Christian has not felt the effect of these three problems? What church has escaped the bitterness that arises from them?

Paul had the local church in mind. In the first chapter he had described the carnal condition of these believers by pointing out that they were man followers. One liked Apollos, one Peter, some Paul, and then there was the super-spiritual, self-righteous group which divided itself from the others and said, “We are of Christ.”

This is one of Satan’s cleverest methods of dividing Christianity. How often we hear that this speaker is so much better than that speaker; or, “The pastor we had before did it that way, and our present pastor does it this way.” Such words as, “great, tremendous, dynamic and deep,” are attributed to men by people who latch on to certain speakers. One of the recent words of flattery is “charisma.” These comparisons are not only non-spiritual, the are carnal, but the old natures of believers keep right on falling into the same trap.

When the church grew to about four hundred a pastor appealed to his board for an associate. After interviewing several dozen men they chose one they “liked.” For a year the pastor and his associate seemed to work well together.

During the second year there was a gradual polarization of the people. The younger couples gravitated toward the associate, while the older ones were “loyal to the pastor who had originated the church.”

Within three years the division developed to the point where the church split. Why? The answer is obvious. The people had become victims of carnality. With it came the agony of hosts of kindred sins: gossip, anger, self-righteousness, criticism and disunity. Of course no one on either side admitted doing wrong for, because of pride, the old nature will never surrender.

When a church has a mass of Christians acting on a carnal basis there are very few who will listen to the spiritual solutions to the problems. It is amazing how often the evil that Christians do in their old natures is accepted as “the defense of the faith” or “a matter of separation.”

In this case the older pastor, discouraged and broken, left the ministry. This was a chain reaction, for his decision was the result of his old nature.

It should be noted that in I Corinthians 3:2 Paul place carnality as an expected problem of young believers. “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” This is an accurate evaluation. Since it takes time for the new nature to grow and develop by absorbing the Word of God, it may be expected that a young Christian would encounter difficulties associated with the sins of his former life.

The tragedy is that the old nature is always carnal and while we may expect problems with young Christians, it is disappointing to see older Christians involved in worldly responses and actions.

We have looked at the outward expression of carnality, but each believer should understand that the inward action of the old nature is always reaching out to the world for satisfaction and repeatedly tricks the believer. The new nature will always be threatened and especially so when the Christian is not feeding on the strong meat of the Word.

Paul brings this out graphically in the Book of Hebrews where he tells the people that while they should be teachers, he finds it necessary that they still be taught. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God: and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat.” (Hebrews 4:12) Why were they still on milk when they should have been able to consume meat? They needed their spiritual senses exercised so they could discern good and evil, which, of course, are the options faces by every believer.

The old nature’s senses, exercised by the world, will always want to choose the world’s approach; and exercise brings strength. In contrast, when the new nature’s senses are exercised the believer is enabled to choose the will of God.


THE NATURAL MAN

Another title of the old nature is the natural man, as we find in I Corinthians 2:14. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Peter also mentions the natural man and he likens him to a brute beast. “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things they understand not: and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.” (II Peter 2:12) Again, this is not a pretty picture, but to be a well balanced Christian, and to know how to cope with the animalistic desires which well up in the believer’s life, every Christian should understand his old nature’s potential for evil.

The natural man will not receive nor accept the things that the Spirit of God would teach to the new nature. This accounts for some of the awful things Christians do. It can be observed most clearly in the life of a Christian who rebels against the will of God and enters into some sinful realm.

A teenage girl, raised in a splendid Christian home, graduated from high school and went to work for the summer. An unsaved man, years her senior, already married and divorced, worked near her. The girl, who had been somewhat sheltered, had not dated very often and was captivated by this man’s flattery. Frightening changes took place in her attitude toward her home, her former friends and spiritual things.

About three months after the girl met this man she announced to her parents that she was going on a weekend camping trip with him and several others. The parents were appalled, and demanded that the girl see the pastor.

The pastor appealed to the girl on the basis of the Bible. She answered almost every plea with old nature responses: “God let me meet him….God let me fall in love with him…We won’t be alone, there will be other people on the trip…Nothing’s going to happen I don’t want to happen…I can handle myself…I don’t care what people think.”

Toward the end of the hopeless counseling session the pastor asked, “Don’t you know you’re wrong? Is the Holy Spirit leading you in this?”

“Oh, I suppose I’m wrong, but I’m going anyway. I’m eighteen and I can do what I want.” And she did, and to make a sad story even sadder, she married the man and was very disturbed that her pastor refused to perform the ceremony. Within a year she reaped the results of her “natural man” and was divorced.

The natural man, as Peter suggests, possesses animal-like qualities. We often hear people liked to animals. A woman who quietly slips around maligning others is called “catty.” A woman who flirts is called “kittenish.” A man who pursues women without discrimination is called a “wolf.” A treacherous man is called a “snake in the grass.” A grouchy man is called an “old bear.” A shrewd businessman is called “foxy.” A promiscuous woman is called a “birdie.” A coward is called a “chicken.” A dumb person is called an “ox.” A stubborn person is called a “mule.” A glutton is called a “hog.” A foolish person is called an “ape.”

Each Christian should analyze his old nature and get an honest evaluation of what his old nature is like.

The old sin nature, with its Adamic inheritance, latches on to sin patterns in babyhood. These sin patters often persist through childhood and extend into adulthood. As life goes on new sin patterns are adopted.

When a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, and thus receives the new nature, it must be remembered that the old nature will not give up the pattern that has been developed through the years. If a person had a temper before he received Christ, the old nature still will have a tendency to display temper. If a non-believer is melancholy, with his tendencies to self-pity, depression and criticism, those tendencies will extend into the Christian life.

The only way that these things can be curbed will be by the objective action of the new nature in counteracting them by obedience to the Word. This involves, as Paul put it, bringing the body into subjection and locking up the passions of the old nature.

But the potential for the old nature’s action will always be present.

This was illustrated by a young man who was a cleptomaniac before he became a Christian. He spent some time in jail. When he was twenty-six he received Christ as his Saviour. The only job he could get was driving a taxi. Within a month he was in the pastor’s study. “I’m in trouble. I’ve been taking money from the fares, “ he said. “The man who owns the company is tough. If he finds out I’ll lose my job.”

He was counseled to go to the owner and tell him exactly what happened and pay the money back then ask for a voluntary probation period. This was done and the owner of the taxi company willingly gave him another opportunity.

This act has helped to contain the tendency of this young man’s old nature. Yet, as this man acknowledges, “I still have to watch myself, and if I lower my guard I could be in trouble in a minute.”

Remember, the old nature is dead to the Lord, but alive to the world. Remember that the new nature is alive to the Lord and dead to the world. Remember that the two natures are going to cause constant conflict, but the victory can be the new nature’s in any given situation, for the Lord Jesus Christ has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you, “ and the Holy Spirit will teach the believer how to cope with his old nature.


LEAVEN

The Apostle Paul calls the old nature leaven. “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” (I Corinthians 5:7)

The word “leaven” gives a number of suggestive ideas concerning the character of the old nature. Yeast, which is a form of leaven, is actually a corruption that consumes everything it can feed upon. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9) The word literally means to ferment and make sour.

This is a graphic description of the old nature, for the old nature does produce evil in the believer and that evil eats, as a worm, until the whole life is influenced.

The leaven of complaining in the chronic stage spoils all joy for the believer. It not only influences him in a negative way, but the corruption spreads to others.

A Christian may be at a picnic and during the course of the day say the following things, giving an indication of her poisonous approach to life. “Oh, isn’t it hot!…Aren’t the flies awful!…You have to be careful of ticks…I wish those kids would quiet down…It’s getting cloudy…Look at that Martha, does she think she’s a kid, playing volley ball that way?…Oh, this coffee’s cold…I’m so tired!…Now look what you made me do! I spilled my coffee…Why did they have to come to this place? I should think they’d pick a spot where you could go swimming…Oh, my feet hurt…I’d like to curl up and take a nap.” And on, and on, and on.

The old nature will not adjust to anything that the new nature would enjoy. Phrases such as, “Why do we have to sing all the stanzas of every hymn?…I think the pastor’s necktie should be more conservative…Do you think the choir was sort of dull this morning?…Oh that pastor’s voice is a monotone…His message was so long…I’ll be so glad when we get out of the Book of Romans, we’ve been studying it for a year now…Church was so hot this morning…The church isn’t friendly.”

A woman talking like this on the way home from church plants seeds of unrest in her children, but when the children rebel in their teens the woman will say something like this: “The pastor never was interested in young people. They never did have a program that was worth anything. And where can a nice girl meet a Christian boy? There are none in our church. No wonder my daughter’s going with an unsaved man.”

The old nature thus takes all the joy out of life, not only for that Christian, but her family and everyone who hears the negative approach. The pastor himself will sooner or later hear of the criticism directed at him. He, in turn, may become discouraged.

This leads us to the next title of the old nature:

THE WRETCHED MAN

Paul had been a Christian for years when he wrote a letter to the believers at Rome. He referred to his old nature as the “Wretched man.” “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24) There was no question but that he had experienced the same problems present day Christians have with their old natures.

We know that he clashed with other believers from time to time. We also know that fears played a part in his life, for when he approached Corinth the Lord had to speak to him because he was terrified at entering the city. There must have been a desparation when he turned to the Lord and called for help when he was physically disabled.

The old nature cannot cope with life and he is constantly reacting to hostility and apprehension. We are told that there are more than two hundred and eighty fears common to man. Someone has reduced this number to six basic fears. Every Christian, if he lives the normal span of years, will experience these fears in his old nature.

When a Christian encounters fear in his old nature he may become apprehensive and ask the question of himself, “If I am a Christian, how can I be afraid? Perfect love is supposed to cast out fear. If perfect love casts out fear, why am I afraid?” But he goes right on being afraid, for the old nature is going to respond in a fearful way to the problems he faces.

A brief review of the six basic fears will give the Christian insight into the personality of his old nature.

[Timothy]

1 – Fear of Poverty

Worry about money matters is a constant problem, and while the Christian knows that the love of money is the root of all evil, his old nature will defiantly love money.

A couple had a problem with their sixteen year old daughter. The wife said, “Raising children always fell on my shoulders. My husband gave me no help. He married his business and left the house at six o’clock in the morning. Often he didn’t get home until nine o’clock in the evening.”

The husband countered, “You were the one who kept after me. ‘We need more money. We need more money. Other people in the church have this or that. Why don’t you get a better job?’ I couldn’t get a better job. I had to spend more time in the job I had to get enough money to keep you quiet.”

Scenes like this will often occur and must be attributed to the lust of the old nature.

2 – Fear of Criticism

The believer’s old nature is extremely over-sensitive. The old nature’s pride responds quickly to negative comments. If you have any doubt about it, try pointing out some weakness in another Christian. You’ll see an instant change in his facial expression and the tone of voice will display resentment.

Our old natures have defense mechanisms which explode when attacked. This fear of criticism is the cause for ninety per cent of the distresses in the Christian community.

A Christian girl was extremely attractive and was often a soloist in her church. Another girl, apparently jealous of this gift, said to the soloist, “Sometimes I wonder whether you’re singing for the Lord, or whether you’re singing to get applause.”

That statement destroyed the friendship between the two girls. The old nature would never admit it might be looking for praise, but the interesting part about it is that sometime later the soloist told someone else that she would like to sing in the secular world.

3 – Fear of the Loss of Love

The old nature quickly arises to jealousy when love is threatened.

A Christian couple repeats vows of fidelity at their wedding ceremony, only to discover that as the years go by they feel threatened by unfaithfulness.

Observe the dating game young people play in any local church. A boy and a girl will go together for six months, then have a falling out. Instead of any continuing friendship, hate grows and they do not talk to each other. Often they go to the extreme of vicious gossip and self-vindication.

Adult Christians are involved in this same pattern. A tight-knit clique develops in the church until old natures clash. Fellowship is broken and division takes place.

The first three fears have to do with the mind and the emotions. The last three fears have to do with the old nature’s apprehension of anything that threatens the body.

4 – Fear of Illness

A lump where it’s not supposed to be; a sudden flaring pain across the chest and down the left arm, a consciousness of diminishing eyesight and many other ills bring terror to the old nature. This is usually time when the old nature becomes a prayer warrior, begging God for help. Sometimes along with the begging come promises of great dedication to future service for Christ. “If only You will cure me, Lord, I’ll do anything for You.”

How often, after the recovery, the old nature’s promises are forgotten!

5 – Fear of Old Age

This is a vicious fear. An old Christian is often possessed by the old nature to the point of chronic depression and self-pity. The old nature often says, without meaning it, “I wish the Lord would take me home. My husband’s been dead for seventeen years and I’m so lonely! I’m a burden to my children. What do I have to live for? It’s terrible to see all your friends die. I’m good for nothing now.”

Instead of seeing life from a spiritual viewpoint, the let the wretchedness of the old nature take over and become complainers.

6 – Fear of Death

This is perhaps the most common fear of all. The old nature of the Christian becomes obsessed with the fear of death and concentrates on the negative, battling the truth that the new nature wants to secure in the mind of the believer: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

The old nature will keep the believer awake nights in torment, agony and resentment against the approaching day of the glorious departure to be with Christ.

Is it any wonder that the Apostle Paul called the old nature a “wretched man?” He went on to say that his old nature was the body of his death, but his victory in his spiritual nature was the recognition that Jesus Christ had delivered him from that body.


THE OLD MAN

The Lord designates the old nature, “the old man.” “That he put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” (Ephesians 4:22) “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.” (Colossians 3:9)

This title indicates that the old nature is older than the new nature. The old nature grows continually, although the Christian may be progressing in his new nature; for the old nature’s contact with the world teaches him new things constantly. With every new thing the old nature learns comes more conflicts with the new nature.

The old nature may hear a dirty joke and because it is funny, repeat it, although the new nature resents this. The old nature may have a conflict with another person and develop nasty attitudes which were not evident before. So the “old man” does grow and become more expert in his deceitful lusts.


CONCLUSION

How can the new nature cope with the old nature? The Lord has not left us without the answers.

When the believer studies the personality and characteristics of his old nature and understands how he operates, he can then, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, set up a program of starvation of the old nature. He will understand that the animal characteristics of this old nature are vicious, deceitful and corrupt. He will know that the antics of the old nature do not threaten his salvation. He will discover that, regardless of what the old nature does, the new nature’s counteraction will alleviate the problem and bring victory.

In a later chapter we will look into this thoroughly.

[noelcourt]

Bump...:D
This is good stuff!

[noelcourt]

Timothy,
Where's the next "installment" (segment)? :)

Or is what you've posted thus far the radio transcript in its
entirety?

Don't leave me hanging:D !

[Timothy]

Segment/Chapter Four
Some Titles of the New Nature

Every person born into this world has an old nature. This comes as a result of Adam’s sin. The old nature is described as being depraved, sinful, corrupt, evil, licentious, unclean, like filthy rags, alienated from God, dead in trespasses and sins, an enemy of Christ, and a stranger to the Lord.

The Lord, being righteous and living in a righteous place, could not allow anyone into Heaven with these characteristics. If He did, within a week Heaven would be as bad as earth. There would be murder, adultery, lying, stealing, swearing, coveting and anger. The Lord has said that no defilement will enter into Heaven.

In the light of this we can see that a man, in his unregenerate state, cannot enter heaven.

The Lord, knowing what Adam did to the human race, offers an escape from eternal damnation. This plan was unfolded by Christ when He was crucified on the Cross of Calvary. It was there that Christ took upon himself man’s sin. The make this sacrifice of Christ effective, a person must believe and accept what Christ did for him.

Thus, in the providence of God, the old nature died with Christ on Calvary. Instantly a new creation takes place within the person. The old nature is not made clean. The old nature does not change it personality. The Lord asks in Jeremiah 13:23, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?…”

While God sees the old nature as dead with Christ, the old nature has a suspended sentence and lives on in the believer until death or rapture. The old nature still has the capacity to respond to the world. He will always try for supremacy and control over the mind, the emotions and the body. He will constantly harass the new nature. The new nature, in turn, will resist the old nature and seek for supremacy. The believer is never removed from the warfare.

We have looked at the titles of the old nature and discovered its characteristics. A study of the new nature’s titles will give us an insight to its characteristics.


A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)

The physical creation of God ended a long time ago as far as the earth is concerned. But we see that spiritual creation is a continual work of God, occurring each time people receive Christ. This new creation is a birth from above. It is born much like Christ was born; for as the Holy Spirit brought about the conception of Mary, so the Holy Spirit, by planting the seed of the Word of God in the life of a person, produces something new; something which did not exist before.

The old nature with its corruption is dead and buried in Christ, as far as God is concerned. It has passed away with all its lustful deeds, and the new nature with its new life brings about new interests, new goals, new associations, new concepts and a new program for living.

We must insist that the believer keep in mind that the old nature is still desiring to be actively engaged in his carnal relationship to the world.

The new creation has absolutely no flaw in it. We learn that it is created in righteousness and true holiness. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (I John 3:9)

The new creation has only Christ-like attributes. Christ is the life of it; the sustainer of it. It is He Who gives the person the righteousness of God upon believing. “For he hath made Him to be sin for us, Who know sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Corinthians 5:21)

At this time the believer is made an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. This inheritance ultimately includes the wiping away of tears and the elimination of pain, sorrow, defilement and death.

The believer also has a conscious reality of his usefulness to God. God does not simply give the new creation. The Lord tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that our salvation includes the production of good works, so that every believer is a vital part of God’s program. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God, in this new creation, gives each believer gifts, and each believer should study the list of gifts God offers. It may be helpful to enumerate some of them as described in Romans 12.

The ability to witness.
The ministry of the Word.
Teaching the Word.
Exhorting (encouraging others)
Ruling (administration of spiritual work)
Giving of money
Showing mercy with cheerfulness
Loving (every believer in his spiritual nature automatically has this gift of love for others; his mate, his family, the bretheren, and his enemies. But how few Christians utilize this gift!)
Affection
Integrity in business
Serving the Lord
Rejoicing
Patience (when problems arise)
Prayer
Distributing to the needs of other believers
Gracious in hospitality
Identification with other believers in sorrows and joys
Bringing unity where there is division

In other places in the church epistles we find some other gifts.

The ministry of grace
Supporting the weak
The ministry of comfort
Peacemaking
Caring for the feebleminded
Showing gentleness
Forgiving

SPIRT

The Holy Spirit, according to the third chapter of John moves into the believer, bringing the new birth. From that time on, the Christian is a spirit-being and possesses the essence of the Holy Spirit. The spirit nature, feeding on the Holy Spirit, will produce spirit-like fruit, as we find in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

The first three fruits of the Spirit, as possessed by the spirit nature, are love, joy and peace. The unsaved man cannot receive these gifts from God, but the spirit nature receives them with delight. He loves the Lord because the Lord first loved him. He is obedient to the commandment that he is to rejoice in the Lord, and he will continue to do so. The flesh nature is a war with God, but the spirit nature is at peace with God.

The spirit nature also has a different approach to others. The flesh nature intimidates and manipulates other people for self-satisfaction and gain. The spirit nature gives instead of takes. He gives longsuffering, which means he is willing to suffer for an extended period of time. He bears the burdens caused by other people’s old natures. When the spirit nature is in control, gentleness flows from the believer to others. This is a word which stems from grace. In the third place, the believer’s spirit nature produces the attribute of goodness, rather than malice, anger, vindictiveness or vengeance.

Not only does the spirit nature have a new relationship to God and to others, he also has a new relationship to himself as the Spirit feeds him with faith, meekness and temperance. Faith is a gift from God which grows as he absorbs the Word of God. The Holy Spirit’s gift to the spirit nature is a new humility, or a meekness which enhances his personality. In the third place, in a relationship to himself, the believer finds temperance. Temperance is something the flesh nature does not have.

The spirit nature does have self control. The old nature may have been drunken, or obsessed with drugs or lust. These are drives of the bodily organs demanding sinful gratification. When a person is born from above the spirit nature receives from the Holy Spirit the gift of control over the body. Of course, the flesh nature does not go along with this control and will fight it, but the spirit nature has the potential and when fed by the Holy Spirit, it is surprising how the Christian can control the passions of the flesh.

As a result of temperance, the Christian finds himself to be healthier. He may stop smoking, which diminishes the potential of cancer. He may stop drinking, which would diminish the problems of the liver. The may stop overeating, with its kindred illnesses. He may stop worrying, which could reduce the problems of ulcers, high blood pressure, hyper-tension, hives, and may other illnesses.


THE INWARD MAN

One of the most delightful titles of the new nature is “the inner” or “inward man.” The contrasting title of the new nature is the “outward man,” which we learned indicates the body’s deterioration.

“…we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (II Corinthians 4:16)

“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” (Romans 7:22)

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16)

The inward man does not deteriorate, but he does get tired, for, as a citizen of Heaven, he is a foreigner living in a world of evil.

A Christian said, “I am exposed to filthy language eight hours a day, five days a week. I work with a gang of men who constantly use four letter words and constantly use the name of Christ in blasphemy. They all know where I stand, for I have shared Christ with them, but they seem to be hardened to the Lord and unafraid of the consequences of their language.

“I have been in that shop for twelve years. The other day during a thunder storm I had a flat tire on the expressway. When I got out of the car and looked at that tire, the very words I so detested from the men at work were the very words that welled up in my mind. I couldn’t believe it.”

Most Christians experience moments like this. But the Lord has provided an instant ability to shift from that sadistic power of the old nature to the spirituality of the new. The inner man, or the new creation, which dwells in the body is in harmony with the Holy Spirit. The vitality of the Holy Spirit can bring instant strength. The believer can pick himself up from the defeat, as it were, and move on with quiet serenity. The new nature, at a time like this, may say to the Lord, “Lord, you know the corruption of my old nature. He got away from me again, but I thank You that he is crucified with Christ and that I am free from his shackles and sin will not have dominion over my new nature.”

We are also told that we can forget the things that are past, and press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) It is the inner man who responds to this high calling, not the outward man. The decaying of the outward man and the renewal of the inner man causes head-on crashes in the believer’s experience. As long as the believer knows what is going on and realizes the problem, and acts in accord with the Lord’s Word, victory is assured.

There is an interesting aspect concerning the outward man which puzzles Christians from time to time. A person who has lived a balanced Christian life for years may, when he is old, become senile. It is not the inner man which becomes senile, it is the outward man. At a time like this, when physical decay smothers a person, the old nature many burst out with surprising words of carnality, or display vicious attitudes. This has caused great distress to members of the Christian’s family.

One woman was with her father who had been in a coma for several weeks in the hospital. She was amazed when he suddenly sat up in bed and said things she never heard from his lips before; things harsh, things of the world, things dirty. Then he fell back on the bed and died.

The woman, who had been led to Christ by her father, was too shocked to share her awful secret with anyone. She did not understand the power of the old nature. She did not understand that the old nature wanted to destroy the testimony of the spiritual nature. She did not understand that the old nature knew it was terminal, therefore lashed out in a final burst of evil.

Years later, when this woman learned the doctrine of the outward and inward man, she understood what had occurred. She said, “When I heard my father say those awful suggestive, dirty things, I assumed he was not a Christian, although for years he ha preached in missions and led hundreds of people to Christ. He had led me to Christ, but when I heard the terrible things he said I lost my confidence in the Lord and questioned my own salvation. Now I know that it was not his spiritual nature which was involved, it was his old nature.”

A healthy Christian with knowledge of the two natures should expect the old nature to play dirty tricks and bring to mind corrupts thoughts and words. A Christian should know that he has instant recourse with the God of all Grace, Who has forgiven all sin and crucified the old nature with Christ, and nothing can separate the believer from God.


THE PURE MIND

“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you: in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance” (II Peter 3:1)

This title of the new nature has as its counterpart, the carnal mind. One of the amazing characteristics of the new birth is the insertion of purity into the mind that was possessed by carnality before. The mind is the seat of the intellect. When a person receives Christ as Saviour he becomes a dual intellect and, as the Bible expresses it, he becomes double-minded as well as double-hearted and double-tongued. This is a new creation, it is not a cleaning up of the carnal mind.

The brain, with its marvelous ability to store information, does not automatically forget all the evil things it has learned in life. These things continue on in memory and are linked with the old nature’s point of view. The person receives a new mind when he believes. Like in the inner man, the new mind always has access to renewal, refreshment and vigor as it feeds on the Word of God.

As in all other contrasts between the two natures, and perhaps even more so in the two minds, we see the awesome battle raging. The new nature knows what is right and wants to do right. The old nature knows what is wrong and wants to do wrong. So, alternates are set up thousands of times a day, crying for decisions to be made between the two natures.

The pure mind, born of God, says “This is what I should do.” The carnal mind suggests something else, and the power struggle goes on. The believer is supplied with a challenging suggestion in Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The believer ought to look at the world around him and see it from the loftiest of all viewpoints: the mind of Christ.

“…be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” (Ephesians 4:23)


CONCLUSION

In the next section we will discuss five more titles of the new nature. It should be remembered that both natures and aggressively contesting for possession of the mind, the emotions and the body. It is a running battle. The old nature does not mind using any means to get his way, and it is extremely strong and clever in the ways of selfishness. He can take over in an instant,