The Scriptures teach that every regenerate person is the possessor of two natures: one, received by natural birth, which is hopelessly bad; and a new nature, received through the new birth, which is the nature of God Himself, and therefore wholly good. The following Scriptures will sufficiently manifest what God thinks of the old, or Adamic nature:
"There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10-1210As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:10‑12)).
God does not say that the unregenerate are not refined or cultured, or able, or sweet tempered, or generous, or charitable, or even religious. But He does say that none are righteous, none understand God, none seek after God. It is one of the sorest of faith's trials to accept the divine estimate of human nature; to realize that our genial and moral friends are utter despisers of God's rights, and untouched by the sacrifice of His Son, whose divinity they deny, and whose Word they reject (1 John 1:10;5:1010If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)
10He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10)). This difficulty is vastly increased by the current praise of humanity from the pulpit.
How startling the contrast between appearance and reality in the time before the flood: "There were giants in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown" (Gen. 6:44There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4)).
It appeared that the world was growing better in men's eyes; a continual improvement could be traced, and the apparent result of the unholy intermarriage of the godly with the worldly was the lifting up of human nature to still grander heights. But "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:55And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)).
"Out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:21-2321For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:21‑23)).
The unconverted man may be gifted, friendly, generous and religious. He may be truthful, industrious, a good husband and father—but he has a threefold incapacity: he can neither obey God, please God, nor understand God.
The believer, on the contrary, while still having his old nature unchanged and unchangeable, has received a new nature which "after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." The following Scriptures will show the origin and character of the new man: that regeneration is the bringing in of a new thing, not the change of an old. Just as we received human nature by natural generation, so do we receive divine nature by regeneration.
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-1312But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13)).
It will be observed what bearing these Scriptures have upon that utterly unscriptural phrase, "the universal fatherhood of God, and the universal brotherhood of man"—an expression all the more dangerous for the half-truth of the last clause. Not all who are born, but all who are born again are the children of God.
And this "new man" is linked with Christ. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)).
But this new divine nature, which is Christ's own, subsists in the believer together with the old nature. It is the same Paul who could say, "Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me," who also says, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)), and, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me" (Rom. 7:2121I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (Romans 7:21)).
Between these two natures there is conflict. Study carefully the battle between the two "I's" the old Saul and the new Paul in Rom. 7:14-2514For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But 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. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:14‑25). It is an experience like this which so discourages and perplexes young converts. The first joy of conversion subsides, the walk becomes unwatchful, and the convert is dismayed to find the flesh, with its old habits and desires, reassert itself. This leads him to doubt his acceptance with God. This is a time of great discouragement and danger. In this crisis, Paul cries out for deliverance, calling his old nature a "body of death." The law only intensifies his agony, and he finds deliverance from "flesh," not through effort, nor through striving to keep the law, but "through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Rom. 7:24-2524O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:24‑25)).
The presence of the flesh is not, however, an excuse for walking in it. We are taught that "our old man is crucified with Christ." In that sense, we "are dead" and we are called upon to make this constant experience by mortifying ("making dead") our members.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom. 8:1313For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)). Therefore, instead of meeting the solicitations of the old nature by force of will, or by good resolutions, turn the conflict over to the indwelling Spirit of God.
Rom. 7 is a record of the conflict of the regenerate man with his old self, and is, therefore, intensely personal. In Rom. 8 the conflict still goes on, but how blessedly impersonal! There is no agony, for Paul is no longer a part of it; the conflict is now between the "flesh" (Saul of Tarsus) and the Holy Spirit. Paul is at peace and victorious. Consider the following passages: