Two Contrasting Spheres # 4

The Conflict of these two Natures in every Believer

These two natures co-inhabit every believer through life. John wrote to believers as though he did not expect them to sin because they had this God-begotten nature.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not" (1 John 2:1)

Yet he made full provision for their sinning because they had this devil-begotten nature.

"And, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

God makes no attempt to improve this old nature, because it is unimprovable; nor to subject it, for it is irreconcilable; nor yet to eradicate it, because He has a far more wonderful way of conquest over it.

The co-existence of these two diametrically opposed natures in one person inevitably necessitates conflict. It is the age-long conflict between satan and Christ with the Christian's life as the battleground. The conflict is personalized in Romans 7. Christ had come into Paul's life to possess and control it. But another contests His right. Romans 7 is the picture of a Christian torn to pieces by this conflict and baffled and discouraged beyond words.

It is this conflict which staggers many a young Christian and often causes a total eclipse of faith or a gradual backsliding into the world. The first step into the Christian life was taken because his conscience was awakened to the evil of his doings. His chief concern was for his sins. He sought Christ as his Saviour that he might have forgiveness of sins. In the realization of forgiveness he experienced great joy and began witnessing for Christ. But soon he finds himself doing the same things again; the evil habits persist; worse than all, joy in Christ lessens, the heart grows cold and he becomes utterly discouraged.

But his love for God is not altogether quenched. Something in him cries out for God, while another something contests every inch of God's claim and control. He strives against sin, prays for release and makes every effort in his own strength to get victory. He comes to the place where he says, "Is it worth while?" One day on the verge of despair he cries out for deliverance, "Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?"

What seems like his utter downfall is really his hour of deliverance. He had to come to the end of Romans 7 before he could enter into Romans 8. Are you living in Romans 7 today? Do you wish to know the way out?

The Conquest of the Old Nature

God has given us clear and definite instruction regarding our part in the dethronement of "self".

We must condemn the flesh. God condemns the flesh as altogether sinful. He sees "no good thing" in it. We must accept God's estimate of the flesh and act accordingly. This seems easy, but it is very difficult. God's standard is very exacting. He says there is "no good thing" from the center to the circumference of the flesh. He condemns its innermost desires (Eph. 2:3) and its outermost deeds (Col. 3:9). The first step that Paul took to life on the highest plane was to condemn the flesh and "to have no confidence" in it (Phil. 3:3-4).

But we do have confidence in the flesh. We divide it into the good and the bad. Certain things in the flesh we condemn as sinful, others we admit to be weaknesses; but there is another good-sized portion of the flesh that we rate very high and trust without reserve. We make a cross-section of the flesh, good and bad together, and think it measures up fairly well.

But let us put the flesh to the test. Take the most God-like thing in human life, which is love, and place the purest specimen of it in your life alongside of 1 Corinthians 13, which is God's love. Is it always long-suffering with no trace of impatience or irritability? Is it always kind with no rudeness or harshness? Does it never seek its own through selfishness or jealousy? Does it think no evil but is always without uncharitableness and suspicion? Has your flesh never broken down under this divine test?  God asks us to condemn even the cross-section as unclean and untrustworthy.

We must consent to the crucifixion of the "old man". God has already crucified the old man, but we must give our hearty consent to the transaction and consider it an accomplished fact. This was the second step Paul took to life on the highest plane. He said, "I have been crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20)

Have you consented to your crucifixion with Christ? There can be no reservations, no holding back part of the price. The whole "I" must be reckoned crucified. God asks you to put your signature to this statement, "I have been crucified with Christ." If you have never done so, will you do i now?

We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit in keeping the old man crucified. What Christ has made possible for us the Holy Spirit makes real within us, but only with our intelligent cooperation.  God states very clearly what our part is.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 5)