Old Life - New Life

Let us distinguish between the old life and the new.

One important distinction is that sooner or later the healthy believer realizes that he is not alone in his body. The condemned Adam-nature from which he was delivered from at the Cross is nonetheless in residence, and as sinful as ever. Unless we see the extent to which the Cross separated us from the old, we will not be able to keep clear of the enslaving flesh and walk freely in the Spirit. Our Father appositionally (judicially) separated us from the Adam-life by our crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

One might ask why our Father, after condemning the old man in the death of His Son, should allow that crucified life and nature to reside in His re-created and risen ones. God has perfect reasons for everything He does. We can list a few here for consideration:

• To reveal the depths of sinfulness from which we were saved.
• To teach us to count ourselves dead to the old ("reckoning" ourselves dead to sin - found in Romans 6), and alive in the new.
• To teach us to abide in the Lord Jesus - above.
• To teach us to walk in the Spirit - below.
• To glorify the Father and manifest the life of the Lord Jesus, despite a fallen nature, body, and world.
• To give us good cause to watch for His appearing.
• To give us a greater appreciation of eternal glory.

In that there are two distinct natures seeking expression by means of our as-yet-unredeemed body, we must keep them separated in our thinking. In itself the old nature is ever strong to do evil; only by the Spirit is the new nature strong to bring forth righteousness. As new creations in Christ, we no longer have to yield to indwelling sin; the Cross has freed us from its power. But we are responsible to abide in Him by FAITH, in order that His love and righteousness may be manifested to this needy world. Much of the HOW to escape the old and become established in the new is embodied in Romans 6:11-13:

"Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus"

"Therefore, let not sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts"

"And do not go on presenting the members of you body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."

We make choices daily as to what ground we are on: either to be dominated and defeated by indwelling sin, or to be freed and growing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Way You Should Live

In the Lord's name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. They do not understand, and they know nothing, because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil. But what you learned in Christ was not like this. I know that you heard about him, and you are in him, so you were taught the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught to leave your old self-to stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do. But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God-made to be truly good and holy.

So you must stop telling lies. Tell each other the truth, because we all belong to each other in the same body. When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the devil a way to defeat you. Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should earn an honest living for themselves. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor.

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need-words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you. And do not make the Holy Spirit sad. The Spirit is God's proof that you belong to him. God gave you the Spirit to show that God will make you free when the final day comes. Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.

The Holy Bible, New Century Version. Ephesians 4:17-32