Book 1 of Musings Killing the Sinful Nature
The Holy Spirit actually possesses the authority and the power to kill the acts of the sinful nature.
Adam and Eve had neither a sinful nature nor a written law as far as we know. By this we understand the sinful nature is not a necessary part of man. It has been added to us because of Adam's disobedience and it can be removed from us through Jesus Christ.
If there is a truth more needed in the churches of today I don't know what it is: there is provision under the new covenant to kill the sinful nature.
I know there have been doctrines in the past that have spoken of a specific experience in which our sinful nature is killed "root and branch." However, it appears this particular experience does not work for most of us. We might believe in it, but there still are those symptoms!
The general thought today is that the sinful nature cannot be killed. We have compromised. We have said God is not concerned about the sinful nature. He has given us grace so it really doesn't matter whether or not we sin. According to contemporary doctrine, the purpose of the commandments issued by Christ and His Apostles is to show us our need of a Savior. We are not expected to actually keep them.
Well, as far as I know, there is no scriptural basis for a sudden experience in which the sinful nature is removed root and branch. If there were, Paul would not have spent his time teaching us so often about yielding to the sinful nature.
It is true also that there is not a shred of evidence in the New Testament that God has given us grace as an alternative to living righteously. Nor is there a basis for believing the purpose of the New Testament commandments is merely to show us our need of a Savior and it is not intended we keep them. We are totally in error in this sort of thinking.
If one were not contaminated with the current doctrines, and read the entire New Testament, he would conclude that Christ died so God could forgive our sins, and then after that we are supposed to live a righteous life. He would notice also that if we yield to our sinful nature we are in clear danger of losing our inheritance in the Kingdom of God; and also of having our name blotted from the Book of Life.
No matter how we may protest, this is what the New Testament states. To reason around these simple truths, embracing what Paul wrote in Romans, Chapters Three through Five and ignoring everything else Paul said, is to wrest the Scripture to our destruction and the destruction of those who listen to us. It is to be a false teacher.
The moral strength of the Christian churches in the world has been destroyed because the Catholic and Protestant leaders have been ignorant of the new covenant's provision for the killing of the sinful nature.
While there are several verses dealing with the necessity for gaining victory over the sinful nature, perhaps the clearest is the following - written by the Apostle Paul, incidentally:
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:13)
Now, let's think for a moment about the above verse.
Is it as inspired as John 3:16? Yes.
Is it addressed to Christians? Obviously. An unsaved person cannot put to death by the Spirit the actions of his or her sinful nature.
Does the verse suggest as long as we believe in Christ the actions of our sinful nature do not matter? No, it does not.
Does the verse suggest the only purpose of the commandments of the New Testament is to show us our need of a Savior? No. The implication is that we are to obey the commandments of the New Testament rather than indulge our sinful nature.
Well, then, what are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue with our traditions when they obviously are incorrect? This is an important question. Paul teaches us that if we do not love the truth, God will send delusion upon us.
If we live according to our sinful nature, our adamic nature, our first personality, we will die. Will we be saved anyway by grace? We will die. Will God save us because of His mercy and unconditional love? We will die.
If we choose to live as an ordinary person, not following the Spirit in the crucifixion of our adamic nature, we will die. If a Christian continues to lie, gossip, steal, use profanity, refuse to forgive someone, commit fornication or adultery, engage in a sexual perversion such as homosexuality, give way to rage, indulge in drunkenness and partying, he or she will die.
Will he be saved anyway because he once accepted Christ?
He will die.
Though most Christians believe the contrary, he will die.
The Word of God, the same Word that tells us of the plan of salvation, states he will die.
The Christian who continues in the sinful nature will die.
This is what the Apostle stated. This is what is true.
If a believer continues to give place to his sinful nature, and doesn't die, then we all are lost. The Scripture has been found to be in error. Our sure foundation has been removed. We are as every other sinner in the world. We have no hope. The Word of God has failed us.
Perhaps there is a preacher who has found that by twisting the Greek he can make Romans 8:13 mean what it does not say. I haven't read of such a mistranslation, but some modern Christian scholars are quite clever at distorting the Word of God. There were such teachers in Paul's time. Paul warned us about these who worship their own belly. Such will say anything if it will please their listeners and gain a following.
The next question is this: what is meant by "we will die if we live according to the sinful nature"?
Does it mean to die physically? No. There are any number of people who behave according to their sinful nature and live to be over ninety.
Does it mean to die spiritually? Yes, it does.
How can we lose eternal life once we have it? Easily. All we have to do is forget to keep enough oil for our lamp.
Eternal life is not a legal state which guarantees we will live forever. Eternal life is a kind of life. Just as we can lose our physical life, so it is true we can lose our eternal Divine Life by obeying the compulsions of our sinful nature.
The context of the verse has to do with the making alive of our physical body in the Day of Resurrection. Paul is warning us that if we insist on following our sinful nature our body will not be filled with God's Life when the Lord returns.
Then Paul says: "If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."
What does he means by this? Paul means if we put the deeds of our sinful nature to death we will receive eternal resurrection Life in our physical body when Christ returns.
But won't every believer receive eternal life in his body when Christ returns?
I don't think so.
Remember in the Book of Philippians where Paul said he was striving to attain to the resurrection from the dead?
If we as a Christian continue to live according to our sinful nature we will be raised from the dead at the voice of Christ, but our body will not be clothed upon with Divine Life.
But if we put to death the deeds of our sinful nature we will be raised in eternal life when the Lord appears.
Now, exactly how do we put to death the deeds of our sinful nature?
First of all, we can't put to death our entire sinful nature all at once. We have to deal with our sinful deeds one at a time, as the Holy Spirit directs us.
Notice it does not say 'if we' put to death the misdeeds of our body, but 'if by the Spirit' we put them to death. There is a vast difference between our dealing with our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit dealing with our sinful nature.
When we as Christians deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ each day, the Holy Spirit begins to point out the sinful acts we are committing.
Let's say we swear and say morally impure things. The Bible tells us to not let filthy words come out of our mouth but only those words that will build up the hearer in the Lord. Paul tells us we must rid ourselves of all such things.
Now, how do we put filthy language to death?
First, we have to make up our mind that such language is not accepted in the Kingdom of God. God will not accept it. Filthy talk brings spiritual death to our personality.
If we don't make up our mind that such talk belongs in the Lake of Fire and nowhere else, we will never get rid of it.
Determining that we actually want to rid ourselves of a sinful behavior is probably the most important part of the process of deliverance.
People will come to the elders and ask for deliverance from fornication, from drunkenness, from slander, from lying. They want to be delivered but they don't want to be delivered. These sins are part of their life. They know such deeds are displeasing to God but they can't imagine themselves not doing them.
They are double-minded.
They will not be delivered.
The candidate for deliverance must be living as a fervent Christian. If he is not following Christ each day, then when the unclean spirit leaves him, that spirit will return with several others and the state of that person will be worse than before.
We must want to get rid of the behavior, and must be a cross-carrying disciple of Jesus.
We must denounce filthy language as evil. We can't just kind of waltz around, talking about how "others do the same thing," or "it runs in my family," or "I'm really not that bad," or "it is a psychological problem." It is sin. It is wickedness. If you don't denounce it as sin it won't leave.
Psychologists often are a great help to us. But when it comes to putting to death the acts of our sinful nature, these acts must be confessed as sin.
What actually is taking place is a judgment of Satan. If you don't announce to the spiritual realm that this behavior is wicked, then Satan has not been judged and he will remain with you.
You may not believe your little pornography, or lying, or gossiping, or stealing, really is of the devil. The Book of First John tells us "he who commits sin is of the devil." All sin can be traced back to Satan.
You must declare vigorously that you want nothing more to do with it - ever again! You are through with it. You disown it. The spiritual realm is waiting to hear you say this.
Now you are to draw near to Christ and thank Him for forgiving your filthy language and cleansing you from all unrighteousness.
The next time you are tempted to use such language you will find you have the power to not do it.
If what I have written does not complete the work, then bring the problem to the elders of the church. Go after it and keep after it. Don't give up. You will succeed in putting the behavior to death if you don't give up.
You have to follow this procedure each time the Holy Spirit brings a sinful act to your attention.
It becomes easier with practice.
You are passing before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Peter tells us that God is judging the living and the dead. This is in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ. Unless we have been judged and delivered we are not candidates for the resurrection that will take place when the Lord returns.
Sins were forgiven under the old covenant when the correct animal sacrifice was made. Sins are forgiven under the new covenant when we apply to our personality by faith the blood atonement made on the cross of Calvary.
However, the new covenant goes a step further. It provides the authority of the blood and the power of the Spirit such that the actions of our sinful nature can actually be put to death. The fiery life can be taken from them if we will take the appropriate action against them.
Perhaps this is a further step in the Kingdom for our generation. I am not certain. I have not read about it in Christian books or commentaries.
But it clearly is scriptural that we are to cease living in our sinful nature, for if we continue to act according our sinful nature we stand in clear danger of reaping corruption in the Day of Resurrection.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)