B
brakelite
Guest
This is further to my thread, crucified with Christ. The title may offend some here, but let me explain. There is a difference between sin, the carnal fleshly nature all men are born with, and sins, the individual acts of disobedience or unbelief in transgressing God's laws (1John3:4) which acts God is always ready to forgive, through the merits of Christ, in response to the prayer of repentance and faith. But sin, God cannot forgive.
Sin is the nature which leads us to disobedience. The nature with which we come into this world does not change, cannot be improved on, cannot be reformed, altered, decorated, or transformed into something else.
John3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The only way to get rid of a bad nature is for it to die. The only way to get a good nature is to be born again.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 Cor.15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Romans 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Christ died for our sins that He might be able to pardon them. He died to sin in our carnal nature so that we, by sharing in that death, might be delivered from our sinful nature.
If all that happens at conversion was forgiveness, and pardon, we would return to our sinful habits and acts of disobedience because our sinful natures would still be alive and well. It is a fallen, unholy, degenerate nature, and the only cure...the only release for what amounts to a fatal diseased ridden soul, is its death. Only through dying can we hope to be delivered from the dominion of sin and from the will and desire to commit sin.
I love Romans 6 and 7, for it describes this concept beautifully. The old man dies. That fleshly carnal nature which we all possess by inheritance, and which we as sinners cultivate until it bears fruits of wickedness and evil, is helplessly, hopelessly, incorrigible and is innately evil and must die.
Eph. 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Sin is the nature which leads us to disobedience. The nature with which we come into this world does not change, cannot be improved on, cannot be reformed, altered, decorated, or transformed into something else.
John3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The only way to get rid of a bad nature is for it to die. The only way to get a good nature is to be born again.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 Cor.15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Romans 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Christ died for our sins that He might be able to pardon them. He died to sin in our carnal nature so that we, by sharing in that death, might be delivered from our sinful nature.
If all that happens at conversion was forgiveness, and pardon, we would return to our sinful habits and acts of disobedience because our sinful natures would still be alive and well. It is a fallen, unholy, degenerate nature, and the only cure...the only release for what amounts to a fatal diseased ridden soul, is its death. Only through dying can we hope to be delivered from the dominion of sin and from the will and desire to commit sin.
I love Romans 6 and 7, for it describes this concept beautifully. The old man dies. That fleshly carnal nature which we all possess by inheritance, and which we as sinners cultivate until it bears fruits of wickedness and evil, is helplessly, hopelessly, incorrigible and is innately evil and must die.
Eph. 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.