Page 17 - Personal Spiritual Life Syllabus w videos

What Paul is telling us in Romans 7 is that every believer possesses two natures: the nature we were
born with called the OLD SIN NATURE (hereafter referred to by OSN) and a NEW NATURE in Christ
(hereafter referred to by NN).

The Old Nature is still in the Believer.

The believer who would be truly spiritual must recognize the presence of the OSN within. It would be
dangerous not to recognize a foe so near.

The old nature in the believer is referenced in the Bible as “begotten of the flesh.” It is called, “the
flesh,” “the old man,” “the natural man,” “the carnal mind.”

Just as “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8) so that which is of the flesh in the
believer, cannot please God. “The flesh” is totally depraved. God calls it “sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3), warns
that it seeks “occasion” to do wrong (Gal. 5:13), and declares that “the works of the flesh” are all bad
(Gal. 5:19-21).

Nor can OSN in the believer improve by its contact with the NN. It is with respect to “the flesh” in the
believer, even in himself, that the apostle declares that in it “dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18), that it
is “carnal, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14), that it is “corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22),
that it is at “enmity against God,” and is “not subject to the law of God, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE” (Rom.
8:7).

“The flesh,” even as it remains in the believer after salvation, is that which was inherited through Adam.
It is called the Adamic nature. It is sinful in itself. It cannot be improved. It cannot be changed. “That
which is born [begotten] of the flesh is flesh,” said our Lord (John 3:6) and it is as impossible to improve
the “old man” in the believer as it was to make him acceptable to God in the first place.

The “old man” was condemned and dealt with judicially at the Cross. Never once is the believer
instructed to try to do anything with him or to make anything of him, but always to reckon him dead,
and so “put him off.”

The OSN is not eradicated in this life.

Jonathan Wesley, founder of Methodism, sought to live a holy life. In fact, he taught that eventually,
with enough determination and self-purification, that he would one day reach a point in his life where
he was 100% holy. On his deathbed he claimed that he was in error, but that reaching true holiness was
impossible, no matter how ardent the believer tries.

There are those who, like Wesley, to be sure, with good motives strive to achieve the eradication of the
OSN in this life. Such do not help, but hinder, the attainment of true spirituality. Those who teach this
false doctrine must remember the clear teaching of Galatians 5.

Galatians 5:5 We, through the Spirit, WAIT for the hope of righteousness by faith.

The Bible teaches that there is a future date that our OSN will be eradicated and that is when we are
received up in glory. In fact, that doctrine is called Glorification – when we will be MADE like Christ.

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