Can my sin nature hold me back?
Can my sin nature hold me back?
(What is the sin nature, and can it stop me from abiding?)
What is sin nature?
The “Old Man” “The Flesh Man” was born within us at conception. It taught our flesh how to find meaning apart from God. It brought an identity that was separate from that which God called us.
This was part of the curse placed because of man’s choice. Now the seed of rebellion caused by our independence brought forth a nature that was inherently against God. Romans 3:10-12 gives us the dilemma.
Romans 5:12-14 Sin spread throughout the world through the sin of Adam.
How does it affect unredeemed and redeemed individuals?
Unredeemed man- Just as stated above, death came through sin, and death spread to all men. It brings condemnation. It brings a nature of rebellion and therefore they cannot pursue God or please him. It brings an identity in things that change, and those things will always bring grief.
Redeemed man- We have the after effects, the hauntings, habits, and memories of what occurred before, but only as far as we allow these to affect us. It has no power to the believer. When we spend time away from God’s word, allowing the world to influence our thoughts, it allows our flesh to fall into those old patterns of comfort and security. These are the trappings as they never fully bring comfort, security, or peace. But when we fill ourselves with him, and who he is, and who we are in him, then we find these trappings have no place. The old temptations that plagued the unredeemed or the non-abiding christian no longer have their pull.
As a Christian, Do I have a sin nature that I must fight? How would this affect me?
What does Romans 6:1-7! NO It was crucified. So how then could it continue to actively affect our thoughts. It still affects our actions in that the trappings and hauntings of our past are still there. The flesh was taught these responses based on traumatic events judged by the mind. But it can no longer actively impress our will. We have been resurrected, this mean new life/new nature. We had a sin nature. We died to sin in Christ and were resurrected unto his likeness into a new nature, a spirit nature. 2 Peter 1:4 (given a divine nature or spirit nature).
If it were true that we had a duel nature, then we would never be free of its influence. We could never please God. We would never seek God. Every action in our life would be part willful disobedience and if focused part accepting of God. Jesus was quite clear about this position, a house divided against itself cannot stand. So if he said that, then how can we have a dual nature, part evil, part redeemed. God doesn’t do anything part way, He is a Whole E God, dad pun, he goes the whole way.
What is the implication of crucifying the old man for the believer?
We are free forever from its grasp. It means we aren’t a sinner saved by grace, but that we are blood-bought born-again children of God, SAINTS! We are a holy people. Do we still find sin in our life? Yes, our flesh can still respond outside of faith. But we aren’t our flesh. Paul talks about this in Romans 7:25, “So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” If I, the most true me, am sinning, then I am not redeemed. But my flesh, this earthly tent as Paul calls it, is just a vessel. A poor damaged carriage that holds us physically until we can take our heavenly vessel, or tent.
With the Old man gone I can stand righteous in front of God. It isn’t just positionally. It is fully.
Food for thought, 1 John 5:1, then 1 John 5:18 How is it John can tell us with absolute certainty that we are born of God, then tell us that no one who is born of God sins? These are the same chapter, the same discussion. Beloved, it means we no longer have the sin nature and therefore we are free, and free indeed! Rejoice
