Does the old man of sin still exist in a born again Christian? What a depressing thought! Can you really believe this to be true? These questions and more will be discussed today. Look in Romans 6:6, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Jesus) that the body might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. This is the act of believing Jesus is the Christ and your old man or sin nature (dna) was done away with by God as He made your spirit new. You became His child, born again in Jesus, His only begotten Son. You were set free from sin and you had Gods dna implanted in you ( 1 John 3:9). Your spirit is now united with God once again, forever! Why then are we like Paul was in chapter 7:17-20?
The Bible does not teach that the sin nature was eradicated at salvation or is ever eradicated in this lifetime. This is a quote from Dallas Bible Seminary on Romans 6:5-7. But what does this really mean? The old man was crucified with Christ pertains to the fact that Jesus has made the way once and forever for us to receive the new birth by faith in His death on the cross for us. For all who would dare to believe, forever! The old man was (past tense) crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless. This means that ones physical body is controlled or ruled by sin, but now at salvation the power of control that sin had over us is broken or rendered powerless and ineffective.
Paul was telling us that when we crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) it is a slow, painful act that leads to death. Not physical death, but death to that area of sin that does so easily beset us (Hebrews 13:1). In our unregenerate state a believer was enslaved by sin. But as a new creation, sin no longer has the legal right to force its mastery and control on us for we have died with Christ. The attitude of mind that a believer has died to sin, must be put into action (Romans 12:2) by the renewing of your mind by the Word of God. Only then will we be able to not let sin continue to reign over us (Romans 6:12) as it did before we believed. Break away from this chain of sin and do not allow it to control your life ever.
Christians are not to give in to sin because they are dead to it and it no longer enslaves them. Paul is endeavoring to wake us up (Romans 6:11) when he writes, likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact this whole chapter is about dead men walking, when they should be in the grave. (read my previous blog entitled Dead Men Walking)
It is one thing for a believer to understand that his identification with Jesus Christ that he has died to sin and to count or reckon it to be true. But it is something else for him to deal with the sin nature that remains in our soulish, human side and its effort to express itself in thoughts and actions. This is the internal conflict in the area of sanctification every believer faces (2 Timothy 2:21). This word sanctification means to set apart or consecrate. So as we renew our minds with the Word of God, by reading, meditating, and studying it, we are then able to reprogram our old way of thinking and begin to think like God. His word becomes the agent that makes our thoughts and actions line up with His.
This problem is common to all believers, even preachers. The question Paul asked in Romans 7:24, who will deliver me from this body of death, he recognized that as long as he was alive in his physical body he would face this internal conflict with the indwelling sin principle as long as he tried to defeat it in his own strength, he would fail. As we look to Jesus and keep our mind fixed on Him, only then will we be able to overcome this tendency to sin with our flesh.
If you are beaten down with condemnation and feeling hopeless as a Christian read Romans chapter eight. Pay close attention to verses 1 and 9. Most preachers miss this connection and teach their people incorrectly,as it is the key to freedom in Christ Jesus. When you blow it, just admit it, quit it and then forget it! Get back in the race of life. Pauls conclusion in Romans 8:12-14 was that each believer has the responsibility to live each day in the control of the Holy Spirit. Each Christian is to refuse to follow their inclinations and desires of their sin nature, which has become powerless to control their lives if we are lead by the Spirit of God (see verse 9).
I have much more to say but I believe I have given you enough to chew on for awhile. Please take your position as Priest seriously and study the word of God daily and teach your children the truth of Gods word. I hope to post a study next week dealing with this subject which is not taught much in Organized Churchanity.
Remember you will make it, just don’t give up.
In His Service as Kilted Priest
The Kilted Priest 