What is it that was crucified with Christ?...

Our old nature, our old self, our adamic nature, our first personality.

It was not just the sinful part of our personality that was crucified with Christ, it was our entire first personality—that which was born of our human parents.

There is an important concept here. Many believers who are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to destroy the bondages of sin in them are not as willing to allow the Lord to put to death their self-exaltation and self-will.

We would like to put away the bad and cling to what we think is good. Our self-exaltation, self-love, self-seeking, stubbornness, unsearchableness, and self-will are not always seen by us to be evil. They are not demonic but are of our own personality, and so we may perceive them to be proper behaviour on our part. The truth is, such self-centeredness is a greater problem in the Kingdom than the lusts of demons.

We often see such adamic traits well advanced in older Christians. This is because they have not lived a crucified life in the Lord Jesus.

The Lord does not allow us to keep any part of our original personality. All of it—even our sense of honour, friendliness, willingness to help others—must go to the cross. That which is accepted of God is then filled with the resurrection life of Christ and restored to us.

If any person is in Christ a new creation is coming forth, and all elements of the new creation are of God. Every part of the old must pass away, as in the whole burnt offering (Leviticus 1:9).

Why must the whole be consumed? It is because no part of our own righteousness is acceptable to God. Every aspect of our personality must become an eternal source of the flowing out of the resurrection life of Christ. Any part we attempt to retain will come into conflict with the glory of the Lord Jesus.

We must keep in mind that the adamic personality is temporary. If we do not sow to the Holy Spirit we will not reap the new personality, which is eternal. Therefore in the day of resurrection we will lose our personality, we will reap corruption and spiritual nakedness.

The good aspects of the adamic personality, such as truthfulness, integrity, honesty, humility, are "wood." They will hold up during ordinary pressures. But when exposed to fiery testing they will not survive. However, the gold of the Divine Nature will survive all fires.

Adam must have integrity if he is to make a success of the Kingdom of God. He must receive the Word into an honest and good heart if he is to bring forth lasting fruit. The adamic integrity is needed in order to keep our body on the altar of God as a living sacrifice.

adamic integrity is necessary to insure that Christ keeps on increasing and Adam himself keeps on decreasing. If we do not have a measure of integrity in our first personality we may find it difficult, or even impossible, to crucify our old nature and patiently bring forth the new personality.

Our adamic nature may be a friendly person but under enough pressure he will become hostile. Adam may pride himself on his love for people, but when he is subjected to the perversity and evil of demons he will become bitter and hateful. But the Divine love of God is powerful enough to overcome all evil.

The adamic shall pass away. That which is of Christ shall never pass away.

All of us have ideas concerning our own worth: our loyalty to our friends, our intelligence, our talents—even our ability to work in the Kingdom of God.

But all that is gain to us is loss for Christ. Only He is the Kingdom of God. We must decrease and He must increase. We are to live by the power of His resurrection. We are to share in His sufferings. In all things and in all ways we are being made Him—an eternally inseparable part of Him.

Back to Study for the book Romans

Back to Chapter Six...