Page 41 - lifeandgrace
P. 41
New Man, New Heart
We Have Only One Nature
by Rene Brown
The bible teaches very plainly that when we repent of our sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we
are saved and given eternal life. But something else very important happens as well. Our “old nature” or
“old man” or “old self” was placed in Christ and died when he died. That is, we were crucified with
Christ.
Rom 6:6-8 (RSV) “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful
body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For he who has died
is freed from sin. 8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him."
Gal 2:20 (RSV) "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ
who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave himself for me."
Col 3:3 (RSV) “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
Now these scriptures plainly teach that our old self was crucified with Christ. The purpose of
crucifixion is twofold: 1) to make a person suffer and 2) to kill him. It is plainly a manner of killing
someone. Anyone who has been crucified is dead.
So something of us was crucified when Jesus was crucified. Something of us is now dead! How is this
possible? He was crucified 2,000 years ago, and we live now. Here is the straightforward, simple answer:
It happened in the eternal, heavenly realm - that same realm where you are seated with Christ in heavenly
places. Eph 2:6 (RSV) "and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus," That is correct: The same God who is able to make you sit with Christ in heavenly places is
able to crucify you with Christ.
Difficult to understand: Certainly!!! Impossible with God: Not at all!!! He is God; He can do as He
pleases. Nothing is impossible with God. We need to come to believe that above all else! So often we
read scripture through our earth-bound, practical, glasses. If we cannot see how it is true in the natural we
just relegate it to some heavenly thing of no immediate benefit to us. But this death that Paul proclaims
over and over in scripture makes possible a second truth to come to pass: We are raised a NEW MAN!
In Romans 6:8 above it says, “we believe that we shall also live with him”. If this scripture stood
alone, we might assume that it is speaking of someday in heaven. Yet, other scriptures make it plain that
we will live with Him in this life. For example, Galatians 2:20 “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who
lives in me” So His life has brought life to us in this earthly life, not just in heaven someday. Jesus is
Life!
The following scriptures abundantly testify to the fact that we are a new creation, a new creature, a
NEW MAN in Christ.
2Cor 5:17 (NNAS) "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things
passed away; behold, new things have come."
Col 3:9-10 (RSV) "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature
with its practices 10and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of its creator."
Gal 6:15 (NNAS) "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creation."
We Have Only One Nature
by Rene Brown
The bible teaches very plainly that when we repent of our sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we
are saved and given eternal life. But something else very important happens as well. Our “old nature” or
“old man” or “old self” was placed in Christ and died when he died. That is, we were crucified with
Christ.
Rom 6:6-8 (RSV) “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful
body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For he who has died
is freed from sin. 8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him."
Gal 2:20 (RSV) "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ
who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave himself for me."
Col 3:3 (RSV) “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
Now these scriptures plainly teach that our old self was crucified with Christ. The purpose of
crucifixion is twofold: 1) to make a person suffer and 2) to kill him. It is plainly a manner of killing
someone. Anyone who has been crucified is dead.
So something of us was crucified when Jesus was crucified. Something of us is now dead! How is this
possible? He was crucified 2,000 years ago, and we live now. Here is the straightforward, simple answer:
It happened in the eternal, heavenly realm - that same realm where you are seated with Christ in heavenly
places. Eph 2:6 (RSV) "and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus," That is correct: The same God who is able to make you sit with Christ in heavenly places is
able to crucify you with Christ.
Difficult to understand: Certainly!!! Impossible with God: Not at all!!! He is God; He can do as He
pleases. Nothing is impossible with God. We need to come to believe that above all else! So often we
read scripture through our earth-bound, practical, glasses. If we cannot see how it is true in the natural we
just relegate it to some heavenly thing of no immediate benefit to us. But this death that Paul proclaims
over and over in scripture makes possible a second truth to come to pass: We are raised a NEW MAN!
In Romans 6:8 above it says, “we believe that we shall also live with him”. If this scripture stood
alone, we might assume that it is speaking of someday in heaven. Yet, other scriptures make it plain that
we will live with Him in this life. For example, Galatians 2:20 “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who
lives in me” So His life has brought life to us in this earthly life, not just in heaven someday. Jesus is
Life!
The following scriptures abundantly testify to the fact that we are a new creation, a new creature, a
NEW MAN in Christ.
2Cor 5:17 (NNAS) "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things
passed away; behold, new things have come."
Col 3:9-10 (RSV) "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature
with its practices 10and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of its creator."
Gal 6:15 (NNAS) "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creation."
