“Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.” (Luke 5:36 NKJV)
Salvation is not a behavioral modification but a spiritual regeneration. It is not becoming a better person but an entirely new person in Christ.
Salvation is not patching up, improving upon, repairing, or mending your sinful, selfish, and corrupt nature; instead, it is God removing and replacing it with a new, loving, and holy nature.
The new birth is essentially putting off the old nature and putting on the new nature by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 3:9-10 – NKJV
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him
The first man’s sin corrupted the nature of the entire human race. Sin corrupted and destroyed our nature beyond any repair. Nothing can be done to patch up, repair, or fix the corruption and damage caused by sin on human nature.
Sin is firmly embedded or engrafted in our nature from the womb. It is essentially our inheritance by birth!
The Psalmist testifies to this truth.
Psalms 51:5 – NKJV
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin, my mother conceived me.
Psalms 58:3 – NKJV
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
Apostle Paul also testifies to this truth.
Romans 7:18-20 – NKJV
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Just as dogs are natural to bark and for pigs to wallow in the mire, it is natural for the man born with a sinful, corrupt, or depraved nature to delight and live in sin.
It is natural for an unregenerate person to think, imagine, or do evil, to flare up at any provocation, to be proud and boastful, to disdain his subordinates, to be lustful, immoral, and unfaithful, to be jealous, greedy, and covetous, and to be bitter and hateful.
After the fall, God attests to man’s utter sinfulness, corruption, or bankruptcy.
Genesis 6:5-6 – NKJV
5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
No religion, institution, organization, rehabilitation, or civilization can patch up, improve upon, repair, or fix man’s sinful and selfish nature. It is completely corrupt and evil. It can never be improved upon, modified, or made better. Therefore, it has to be put off or changed through the new birth experience.
The Scripture queries, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!” (Job 14:4 NKJV).
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.” (Jer. 13:23 NKJV).
God’s plan of salvation does not entail patching up, improving upon, mending, or repairing our sin-ridden nature; instead, it involves replacing our sinful nature with His holy nature.
Therefore, born-again believers don’t retain their old sinful, corrupt, or depraved nature after the new birth experience. The believers now have only God’s loving and holy nature in their hearts.
Apostle Peter attests to this truth.
2 Peter 1:3-4 – KJV
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: {to: or, by}
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Apostle Paul also aptly states this truth.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 – RSV
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
Apostle John also affirms this truth.
1 John 3:8-9 – RSV
8 He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.
The new birth is essentially putting off the old sinful nature and putting on the new, holy, and divine nature by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
The believer’s heart or nature is transformed at spiritual birth or regeneration. It is not a gradual, progressive, or ongoing spiritual process. Instead, it is an instantaneous, inward, spiritual experience.
The product of the new birth is an entirely new creation, not a reformed, refined, or remolded old creation.
Paul writes, “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Cor. 6:17 NKJV).
The new and holy nature the believers received through spiritual birth utterly differs from the old and sinful nature they received through natural birth. These two natures are incompatible. No one can have both at the same time!
The Lord Jesus aptly explains the incompatibility of the new nature with the old nature in one of His parables, saying, “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.” (Luke 5:36 NKJV).
According to this parable of Jesus, it is impossible to patch the old nature (old garment) with new nature (new garment). You cannot have both, for they are incompatible. Either you are an old or new creation; you cannot be a hybrid or a mixed creation.
At the new birth, the believers are clothed with the garments of salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness purchased for them by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah testifies, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10 NKJV).
Beloved, God would not put His garment of salvation and robe of righteousness on you if you still want to hold tightly to your self-righteousness, which is like a filthy rag in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6).
It is simply an exercise in failure, futility, and frustration to seek and strive to patch up, improve upon, mend, or repair your filthy rag or garment (old sinful life or nature).
Friend, stop striving in vain to patch up your sinful nature. Get a new, holy, and divine nature today by putting your faith in Christ Jesus and confessing and surrendering to Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.
Why not receive God’s garment of salvation and robe of righteousness in the place of your old filthy garment and robe?
It is God’s gift to you in and through Christ Jesus, who paid for it with His precious blood!
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, I believe and confess Christ Jesus today as my personal Lord and Saviour. Thank You, Lord, for making me part of Your loving and holy nature. Thank You, Lord, for clothing me with the garment of salvation and robe of righteousness, in Jesus’ name. Amen.