Essentials Of The Christian Life / Part 3

Series – September 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Essentials Of The Christian Life

Part 3:The Old Nature And Victory Over It

Discovery Of A Sinful Nature
In the happy enjoyment of the new nature with its desires Godward, the young Christian is soon disturbed by the discovery of evil still present in his heart. In spite of love for the Lord and eagerness to please Him, the young convert finds that evil desires are also in his heart and mind. This is a disappointing but true discovery every Christian has to make. That evil nature which we were born into the world with still remains in the Christian after he is born again of the Spirit of God.

Experience Of Romans 7
In reading Romans 7, we find that our experience of the discovery of evil within us is somewhat like that described in this chapter. Here the personal experience of what the flesh in the renewed man is under law is delineated, or described: “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” (Rom. 7:21-23 KJV). The converted person thus discovers that he has two natures, the new nature of the inward man and the evil nature of sin. The second is human and polluted; the other is from God, holy and sinless.

One also learns that when a believer does what the new man hates, “it is no more I [the converted person] that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (v.17). The sinful nature that still dwells in the believer is the source of all the evil thoughts, feelings, passions and actions, which the new nature hates.

Furthermore, the believer experiences that his evil nature is not any better since he was saved than it was before salvation, and that it cannot be improved or changed. “The carnal [fleshly] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (8:7). We have to learn the lesson of Romans 7:18: “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” This is a hard lesson to learn, but it must be learned if one would have settled peace about the old nature and have victory over it.

Crucified With Christ
In Romans 6:6 we read: “Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin” (JND). Here is something vital which God would have us know, that “our old man has been crucified” with Christ.

The term “old man,” as related to the old nature, is found but three times in Scripture. It expresses what the believer was in his past state as a responsible sinner – “the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22 KJV). This state has been met and judged in the death of Christ on the cross. Christ has so fully accomplished deliverance for the believer that he can identify himself by faith with Him on the cross and see in His death his own death as a responsible sinner before God. Thus we can say with the apostle Paul, “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). By faith we can look back to the cross and say, “Our old man has been crucified with Christ.”

This gives rest of heart and a true sense of power against sin, “seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” (Col. 3:9-10). It is an accomplished fact for the Christian, and as we realize this by faith the practical result will be “that the body of sin [indwelling sin] might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin” (Rom. 6:6 JND). Power to overcome indwelling sin is by believing these truths of the death of the old man and the existence of the new man before God. Because God says, “ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3 KJV), the believer mortifies, that is, he puts to death practically, everything that is inconsistent with the death of Christ (v.5).

“God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). In the person of Christ, our Substitute on the cross, God condemned sin in our flesh – our sinful nature – and judged it there once and for all. He not only died for our sins, but for that root principle of evil in us, sin in the flesh, and has “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). The condemnation of sin in the flesh by the just judgment of God is the doing away of it before God by Christ’s sacrifice. This act is effective for everyone who believes in Jesus; He accomplished it.

Thus we are not to try to improve, eradicate or burn out the old nature of sin within us, as some would teach. We should accept God’s condemnation and judgment of sin in the flesh in the cross of Christ and rejoice that it too has been put out of His sight. Although He forgives our sins, He does not forgive sin in the flesh, but has judged and condemned it.

A New Standing
In the cross of Christ our old standing before God as children of Adam’s lost race came to an end. There we died under the judgment of God, which was executed upon Christ our Substitute. As believers in the Savior who died for us, we are now associated with the risen and glorified Christ and have a new position before God in Him. God no longer sees us as standing before Him in our sinful nature. He no longer sees us in connection with the condemned life of the first Adam; instead we are seen in the risen life of Christ, the last Adam. He is not looking at our sinful nature, about which the young convert is sometimes occupied and distressed. God sees the believer in Christ, “accepted in the Beloved” and “complete in Him” (Eph. 1:6; Col. 2:10).

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). This is the Christian’s new standing before God, and the realization of this is a great comfort to one troubled by the discovery of his sinful nature and occupation with it. Knowing that God is done with our old man and does not see us as such any longer helps us to be done with the old nature too and not be further occupied with it.

Reckon Yourselves Dead To Sin
Knowing that God reckons, or considers, our old man as dead with Christ, we are told, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (6:11). We are to reckon like God does, owning that we have died with Christ and are risen with Him, and thus dead to sin.

Although our old nature is still very much alive within us, we should refuse to listen to or obey it when it makes its voice heard – telling us to think or do what would be displeasing to God. We must treat it as a dead person – without life or voice. It must be kept in the place of death, and we must ever remember God’s death sentence upon it. This is the way to practically reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (v.12). Although sin still dwells in us, we are not to let it reign or rule in us. We should not obey its lusts.

Yield Yourselves To God
“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (v.13). Here is the third point of vital instruction from Romans 6: Yield your members unto God as servants to righteousness. Once we were the servants of sin, but now we are made free from the bondage of sin, by our Savior, and therefore should yield ourselves to Him and serve righteousness. We need to recognize the Lord’s claims on us and realize that we are His and should serve Him. The apostle told us, “Know ye not that ... ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

As one yields oneself to the Lord and serves Him, that person while doing so escapes temptation to serve the flesh. One cannot do two different things at the same time, that is, serve the Lord and the flesh too. Therefore it is good for the believer to do something for the Lord and get his heart occupied with Him and His things. Through this he is yielding his members as instruments of righteousness unto God and will find himself above the power of the evil nature.

Power In The Holy Spirit
The power to put down the old nature and keep it in the place of death is found through the Holy Spirit, “if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13 JND). We find that we are helpless in ourselves to put down the evil nature within us, for it is stronger than the new man. But, by the help of the indwelling Spirit of God, who strengthens us with might (Eph. 3:16), we are able to put to death the evil deeds of the flesh and keep it under control. This is the secret of victory over the old and sinful nature – victory by the power of the Spirit.

We are exhorted to “walk in the Spirit [heed the voice of the Spirit and do through His power what He tells us to do], and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16 KJV). The Holy Spirit in the believer is like a strong man living in a house where there is a bad occupant that must be kept under control. This bad inhabitant is stronger than the owner of the house and overcomes him, but the strong man helps the owner keep the bad roomer controlled. We may liken the bad occupant to our evil nature. If we let the Holy Spirit have control of our lives, He will keep the old nature down and give us victory, so we will not walk after the flesh but after the desires of the new nature.

Practice Self-Judgment And Confession
If one has listened to the flesh, yielded to its desires and done evil, the Spirit of God within is grieved, communion with God is broken, and one feels miserable. The Spirit of God is then not free to act for us in putting to death the deeds of the body, but is grieved because we have slighted Him and given way to the flesh.

The only way of restoration is for us to judge ourselves before the Lord and confess to Him our wrong. “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). Self-judgment and confession should be practiced daily, for we will always find something in our hearts and lives to judge before the Lord. When we judge ourselves we take sides with the Lord against ourselves and against what is displeasing to Him, and we have the promise that He will forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we do not practice self-judgment, God must chasten, meaning to correct by punishment, and judge us, “that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:32).

Maintain A Good Conscience
Connected with self-judgment is the maintenance of a good conscience, which is very necessary for victory in the Christian life. The apostle Paul said, “Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of [or, without] offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). The only way we can have a good conscience before God and man is to walk in the truth. If we have failed in this, self-judgment and confession must be exercised before God and man. “Maintaining faith and a good conscience; which ... some, having put away, have made shipwreck as to faith” (1 Tim. 1:19 JND). If a believer gives up seeking to maintain a good conscience, he will make shipwreck of faith and have a ruined Christian life and testimony.

“If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 Jn. 3:20-22 KJV). Such is the happy result of a good conscience before God. The opposite is also true; if a believer’s conscience and heart condemn him, he must constantly reckon himself dead to sin, yield himself to God, walk in the Spirit and practice self-judgment in order to enjoy a good conscience toward God and man.

Do Not Feed The Old Nature
Before closing, we remind our readers that if our old man is crucified with Christ and our old nature is to be kept in the place of death, it follows that we should not feed it; we should starve it. Romans 13:14 tells us to make no “provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof.” If we heed the cravings of the old nature and feed it with what it likes, we make provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust, it is thereby strengthened and becomes strong, and it will soon reign over us.

We saw in an earlier part of this article that we need to feed the new nature so it will grow strong and develop. In doing so we will starve the old nature, for what feeds the new nature will starve the old nature, as they each desire different food. As an illustration we may picture a large dog and an eagle chained together. What would feed the dog would starve the eagle and the dog would have the mastery, but if the eagle were fed, the dog would starve and the eagle would become strong and mount up on high, carrying the dog with it. Likewise with ourselves, who has mastery will depend on if we feed the old nature or the new nature.

Summary
The foregoing subjects are, we believe, some of the vital and scriptural essentials for a happy and victorious Christian life. Such a life can only be lived and enjoyed as the Christian realizes that the old man has been crucified with Christ, his sinful nature has been condemned by God at the cross, and as he reckons himself dead to sin, yields himself to God and walks in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As taught by the Spirit, the believer realizes his new position of acceptance before God and man by walking in the truth and practicing self-judgment and confession in regard to any failure therein.

By Raymond K. Campbell

Look for Part 4 of this Series next month.