“And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Corinthians 15:49 NKJV)
There is an innate desire or longing in everyone’s heart for freedom. Nobody in their right senses enjoys slavery or bondage. God created you to dominate and not be dominated by sin (Gen. 1:28, Psa. 8:3-6). The Scripture reveals that it is not God’s intention or plan for sin to rule or have dominion over us.
Romans 6:12-14 – NKJV
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Before Cain killed his brother, Abel, in anger because God had no regard for his offering but for that of his brother, God warned him that “sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Gen. 4:7 NKJV).
God wanted Cain to rule over sin. But sadly, he didn’t. He eventually killed his brother and became the first murderer and fugitive in the world.
Similarly, God wants everyone to rule over sin, but sadly, only very few people are experiencing and enjoying daily victory over sin.
True and lasting victory over sin starts with acknowledging that you can never overcome it through your natural wisdom or strength. You cannot win over sin by obeying religious laws or rules.
Your effort, decision, determination, or discipline is not enough to give you total and lasting victory over sin. Why?
That is because sin had defeated and enslaved you from the womb before you were born into this world!
How did that happen?
By the disobedience of the first man, Adam!
Romans 5:19 – NKJV
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
We were born sinners, dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). We were all born with a sinful nature, thereby making us slaves to sin even before committing our first act of sin.
The sinful nature (natural inclination, propensity, or tendency to do evil) we inherited through natural birth is responsible for all our sinful acts and habits. Therefore, until our sinful nature is dealt with by being destroyed or removed, it is useless and profitless, struggling to overcome sin.
The individual sins or sinful acts you struggle to overcome are the fruits, manifestations, or expressions of the root, the principle, or the power of sin dwelling in you (your sinful nature).
If you want to eliminate a tree producing evil fruits, the wise thing to do is to uproot it. Similarly, if you’re going to overcome sins in your life, the intelligent thing to do is to uproot or remove the root of sin in your heart, which is constantly producing the fruits of sin in your mind, will, emotions, and actions.
But how can a person uproot or remove the root of sin in his heart?
Nobody can do that for themselves or by themselves!
Collins English Dictionary defines “nature” as “the fundamental qualities of a person or thing; identity or essential character; disposition or temperament; tendencies, desires, or instincts governing behavior; sort; kind; character; the real appearance of a person or thing.”
In a word, your nature is “you.” Therefore, the only possible way to change your sinful nature is for you to die. Unless you die, your sinful nature abides in you, bearing the fruits of sin in your mind, will, emotions, and actions (Jer. 13:23).
The only means of deliverance from the slavery of sin is death!
You cannot enjoy true and lasting victory over any sin unless you die!
Paul clearly states this truth.
Romans 6:7 – RSV
7 For he who has died is freed from sin.
But how can you die to overcome sin and continue to live to enjoy and demonstrate your victory over sin?
Through spiritual union with Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected!
You were born into Adam through natural birth, taking his image in your spirit, soul, and body. The Scripture calls this image “the image of a man of dust.”
1 Corinthians 15:49 – NKJV
49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
Being born into Adam implies spiritual death and slavery to sin. Bearing Adam’s image means having a depraved, corrupt, sinful, and selfish nature—a spiritually dead spirit, a carnal mind, and a vile or lowly body (1 Cor. 15:21-22).
No man born into Adam can overcome sin by himself, for he is a slave to sin by birth. Therefore, until you experience the New or Spiritual Birth, you remain a slave to sin, and all your efforts to be free will always result in defeat and frustration.
The Scripture queries, “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).
The New Birth is an instantaneous spiritual operation of the Holy Spirit whereby you are plucked out of Adam and planted into Christ. Your sinful nature is instantly replaced with God’s holy nature.
The New Birth is a spiritual grafting or transplanting from the first man (Adam) into the second Man (the Lord Jesus Christ). Sin and Satan defeated the first man (Adam), but the second Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) triumphed openly over Sin and Satan (1 Cor. 15:47-49).
The product or result of the New Birth is an entirely New Creation, bearing the image or nature of Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
Paul aptly states that the born-again believers “have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” (Col. 3:10 NKJV).
Only the New Creation in Christ can experience and enjoy daily victory over sin because God’s new, divine, and holy nature has wholly removed and replaced his sinful nature.
The New Creation in Christ does not have a mixture of the old and new nature; he has only the nature of God. The Scripture clearly states this truth.
1 John 3:9 – RSV
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.
You are now a New Creation in Christ if you have genuinely believed in, confessed, and surrendered to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Your old self (the spirit alienated from the life of God) that was born spiritually dead, bound, and enslaved by sin is gone forever, having been crucified and buried with Christ.
Paul testifies to this truth.
Romans 6:6 – RSV
6 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.
Knowing this truth is crucial to experiencing and enjoying daily victory over sin!
As a born-again believer, you are a new self, person, or creation in Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:17 – RSV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
As a New Creation in Christ, your old sinful nature (the root or the principle of sin in your heart) is gone forever. What you have now is a new, divine, and holy nature!
Your new spirit is like Christ, for “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Cor. 6:17 NKJV).
Therefore, sin has no more dominion over you. You are now free to walk in the newness of life and serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life (Luke 1:74-75, Rom. 6:3-4).
But why are some believers still struggling with sinful thoughts, desires, or habits?
How can you deal with sinful thoughts, desires, or habits?
Find out in the second part of this piece!
Prayer:
My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a brand-new creation in Christ. Thank You, Father, for sharing Your holy and loving nature with me. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me live according to my new, divine, and holy nature daily, in Jesus’ name. Amen.