In my last post I began raising the question that if a believer is no longer under the rules, regulations, and punishments of the Old Covenant(Law) how is he to live a victorious life in the atmosphere of freedom in the New Covenant. In other words, if God is no longer relating to me based on my performance, my sins have been paid for, and they're not being held against me what is keeping me from using this freedom to run into sin and selfishness?
Knowing that we are but flesh, it would be irresponsible for God to leave us in a state of absolute freedom and rest without making provision for us to live as children of the Most High. In Heb 8 v10 it states that in the New Covenant God writes his laws on our hearts and minds. Ezekiel prophesied "...I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (36:26) We must remember that when we got saved we were reborn into a new creation(2Cor 5:17). Our old sinful nature was crucified with Christ(Gal 2:20)(Rom 6:5-6) and we were resurrected with a new nature(Rom 6:4-5) that has the ways of God written on it. This new nature desires the things of God and is wired to act, speak, and think in line with the ways of God. I've heard it said that if you have a house with plumbing and electrical problems and you bulldoze the house then an expert builder builds you a new one you won't have plumbing and electrical problems anymore. This is why Jesus said unless one is born again he can't see the kingdom of God. We were dead in trespasses and sins(Eph 2:1)and when we're born again God the master builder crucifies the sin nature and rebuilds us a brand new perfect creation in our spirit with the DNA of heaven written in it. This is why the father can look at us and call us righteous, holy, and blameless, despite our obvious flaws and shortcomings. After I got saved when I acted like I did before salvation it was unsatisfying and just felt wrong. My new nature was and is bothered whenever I sin. Nobody has to tell me anything I just know that this behavior doesn't jive with me anymore. Now many times I overrode, and still do sometimes override my new nature and sin and act in ways that I shouldn't. However, the longer I walk with the Lord and rest in his grace I notice greater and greater victories and changes. Paul said in Philippians not that he was perfect, but he pressed on(Phl 3:12-14).
If this is true and believers have new natures that instinctively want to please God and walk in his ways, then why do we struggle with sin and so often fall short. First, I'd like to point out that any true believer struggles with his sin. No matter how addicted to or how much he enjoys his sin, deep inside he doesn't want it or at the very least doesn't want to want it. His new nature knows that he is living in a way beneath who he truly is.
Also, we still have an unrenewed soul and body. When we got saved and our spirits were regenerated to perfection, our bodies looked the same and we still carried some of the old mindsets and emotions. This is why Romans 12 says to renew our minds. We are not to let sin reign in our mortal body, but present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead(Rom 6:12-13) I believe the challenge of believers is to catch our beliefs, mind, will, and emotions up to our holy, righteous, perfected spirits.
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