Nothing can be found more clearly taught in Scripture than that the believer is "in Christ," who is his life, and one with Christ by the Holy Spirit. At the same time "the flesh" is in every believer. He is, therefore, a compound of two natures; with one he serves God's law; with the other, the flesh, he serves sin's law. The indwelling Spirit strengthens the new nature and keeps us occupied with Christ, our righteousness and strength, so that we may reckon ourselves to have died unto sin. Thus, practically, we hold as dead the budding forth of "the flesh." May the Lord graciously help us more and more in this!
It is important, however, to remember that the knowledge of having "the flesh" in us is of itself no hindrance to our fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ, but allowing it to come out practically does hinder it. We do not have a bad conscience from its existence in us, because we know that the flesh, or the old man, has been judicially dealt with in the death of Christ. Neither need the believer sin. He is charged not to sin and he has no excuse for sinning. "These things write I unto you that ye sin not.”
It is not correct for a believer to say that sin is not in him, for "if we say we have no sin [not sins. but sin, the corrupt nature or old man], we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." If, however, the believer does sin, (does commit sins, the fruit of the Adam nature) his conscience should be troubled and his communion with the Father and the Son will be interrupted. It is a question of communion, not of salvation.
Provision has graciously been made for this; Christ is our advocate with the Father concerning it. Self-examination, self-judgment, repentance, and confession are wrought in our souls by the Spirit and by the application of the Word, "the washing of water by the Word," and we become restored. The advocacy of Christ is based upon propitiation for our sins having been made, and He who takes up our cause is the perfectly righteous One. Hence it is written, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1, 21My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1‑2).
On confessing, we are cleansed perfectly, forgiven in righteousness, on the ground of the sacrifice once offered. We are told, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). It is not the believer taking the place of a miserable sinner, but a believer taking the place before God of an offending, naughty child, counting on divine faithfulness and justice to forgive his sins. All this is because of the sacrifice of Christ, to cleanse him, and thus to restore him to happy communion.
This is the true way of restoring an erring child of God. He may be the weakest and faultiest of God's children; still he is a child to whom the Lord does not impute sin. He never again can be, strictly speaking, a miserable sinner, even when feeling the dreadful character of his sin, before God in confession. Happy indeed are those who are occupied with the personal glory and excellencies, finished work, and offices of our Lord Jesus Christ. They can always have, by the Spirit, the comfort of the Father's love and the joy of security and completeness in Christ while waiting for His coming! They also can truly say, Our fellowship [or communion] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."
H. Snell