4 hours ago
I read something interesting the other day in the Bible study book that Derek and I are doing together, and I thought I'd share it here.
"Biblical terminology does not say that a Christian has two different natures. He has but one nature, the new nature of Christ. The old self dies and the new self lives; they do not coexist. It is not a remaining old nature but the remaining garment of sinful flesh that causes a Christian to sin. The Christian is a single new person, a totally new creation, not a spiritual schizophrenic. It is the filthy coat of remaining humanness in which the new creation dwell that continues to hinder and contaminate his living. The believer as a total person is transformed but not yet wholly perfect. He has residing sin but no longer reigning sin (Romans 6:14). He is no longer the old man corrupted but is now the new man created in righteousness and holiness, awaiting full salvation (Romans 13:11)."
From Ephesians: Our Immeasurable Blessings in Christ by John MacArthur.
I thought that paragraph was really good, because I guess in my head I always thought some of the old sinful nature must still be there, because I don't think anyone can deny that Christians still sin. But this paragraph is saying that the old nature is completely gone. There isn't even a little bit left.
When I was growing up, I learned in church that there are three things that can tempt a Christian to still sin, even though they are saved - the flesh, the world, and Satan. When they say "the flesh" can cause a Christian to still sin, I always thought that meant some remaining bit of sinful human nature. But when I read the above paragraph in my Bible study book, I realized that "the flesh" is alot different from "sinful nature", or the old man. The Bible states very clearly that when we come to Christ we are a new creation, and the old passes away (2 Corinthians 5:17). So when we accept Jesus as our Savior, the old sinful man is completely eradicated, and inside we are a completely new creation. The list doesn't include "sinful nature", just "the flesh". That old childhood list finally makes perfect sense to me.
However, that new creation is still encased in our sinful flesh, our earthly bodies. And those earthly bodies still hinder us and cause us to sin, even though spiritually we are totally clean and new. Kind of like a butterfly when it's still trapped in that icky cocoon. The butterfly is totally transformed from that fuzzy caterpillar into the beautiful creature with wings - but it's still in the same cocoon that a caterpillar is in.
But someday, we'll shed our earthly bodies, and only the inward spiritual creature that is underneath will show. If you're a Christian, that totally new and clean spiritual nature that the Lord gave you long ago, from the moment you believed in Him, will finally be freed from the corruption of our outward flesh, and we will be able to see the Lord because He has transformed us.
If you're not a Christian, your earthly body will be shed as well; but all that will be left is that old man, the one that is not fitted to fly to Heaven, because you've never let the Lord save you from that sinful nature and make you new and clean.
So are you a butterfly or a caterpillar under that cocoon?
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