The Apostle Paul is who God chose to give the Gospel Of Grace to the gentiles (us today) and he also taught the doctrine of the Two Natures At War In The Mind Of A Believer in Romans 7 where we read,
” 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For 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.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
(Romans 7: 14-20 KJV)
Reading Verse 17 and then again in verse 20 is the truth that so many Christians have not grasped. Paul is saying very clearly that inside of us is the Adam, our OLD NATURE before our moment of Salvation which Paul calls The Flesh. Our old nature always wanted to sin. Whatever feels right was right with no thought given to sin against God. The Flesh is like a disease since our physical birth.
And then there is the New Created Spirit we received at our conversion and belief in the Gospel Of Grace that our Apostle Paul taught.
The Spirit is now the real us and has become our ONE very nature; though we may not act perfectly living in The Flesh body.
The problem is The Newly Created Spirit is residing in The Flesh still and will until our bodily resurrection. Our minds have not yet been renewed completely and so our thinking is not perfect yet.
Paul tells us to renew our mind by the Word of God because it is no longer The Flesh that is our nature as believers. We are now actually the New Created Spirit. That is our identity now, in Christ. And that when we fail and sin, and believe me we ALL DO! (1 John 1:10), it is not the REAL US that does it. Instead, as believers, it is this disease we have called the The Flesh. (our older nature before our belief on Christ)
The Newly Created Spirit we received and have become, is PERFECT (1 John 3:9) and without sin. It is of the seed of the Spirit Of God and is perfectly Holy.
This is why the Apostle Paul tells us that our present body, with this Flesh Sin bent, will never inherit the Kingdom of God.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”
(1 Corinthians 15:50 KJV)
It is also the reason why we need a bodily resurrection in our future as Apostle Paul continues,
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
( 1 Corinthians 15: 51-57 KJV)
Heaven is a perfect place and there is no sin there. No one can enter Heaven with a sin nature and sin debt against God. The problem is we cannot stop sinning perfectly while living in this Flesh. That is why we need Christ! Paul admonishes that regarding the doctrine of the Two Natures At War In The Mind Of A Believer in the last verse of Romans 7:
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I 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 KJV)
Christ paid for all of our lifetime of sins on the cross 100%. Even the future sins we may commit were PAID IN FULL by Christ on that cross because all of our sins were future to the cross right? Jesus paid for ALL THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD (1 John 2:2). He did not give us a partial payment on our sin debt! Jesus cried out on the cross, IT IS FINISHED! In the Greek this was penned is an accounting term meaning a ‘debt paid in full’. Salvation is eternal and the word eternal means… well… ETERNAL and FOREVER!
We do not keep our Salvation intact by our own efforts! It is Christ alone that keeps us saved. Jesus tells us this very clearly:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:27-20 KJV)
In God’s sovereignty, He foreknew everything you and I would do in our life and the sins we would commit and yet He still decided to give every person the opportunity to accept Salvation as a FREE GIFT without self righteous works or deeds required. God still came in the flesh and died on that cross for us so that we would be forgiven and saved eternally. What a great gift! (Ephesians 2:8-9) And whosoever believes on Christ alone in faith, He gives them eternal life and keeps them saved forever.
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 KJV)
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” (Psalms 37:23-28 KJV)
The Grace of God is not a license to sin. There are still consequences for sinning in this life after the moment of our Salvation (steal/jail) and loss of rewards at the judgement seat of Christ for believers after the Rapture. The Loss of Salvation is not a consequence though.
We as believers have the Holy Spirit within to guide us into all truth. We should be reading the Word Of God to renew our minds (John 17). We should be striving to walk in the Spirit and not by the lusts of The Flesh (The old Sin Nature we were before our moment of Salvation).
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 KJV)
Focus on that. Shake! Shake off the ‘old man’…The Flesh because as a believer on Christ for Salvation you are now a NEW CREATION called The Spirit and it is HOLY, REDEEMED and the very righteousness of God, in Christ! (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFNHENrNke0]
