PT-2 "The Position of the New Man" (Col. 3:9b-10a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/29/2017 9:09 PM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus: PT-2 “The Position of the New Man”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Colossians 3:9b-10a

            Message of the verses:  “since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self.”

            We spoke of true believers as being in Christ and once this happened at their time of conversation they have laid aside the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new self, and even though at times believers do not live like they have laid aside the old self, in position they have done so.

            The Bible views all men as either in Christ or in Adam as there is no middle ground at all.  John MacArthur quotes Puritan Thomas Goodwin “There are but two men that are seen standing before God, Adam and Jesus Christ; and these two men have all other men hanging at their girdles.”  Not sure girdle is the correct term as we are living in the 21 century, but I think the point needed is made.

            Let us look at what Paul wrote to the Romans explaining the contrast between Adam and Christ:  “12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16  The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21  so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:12-21).”

            John MacArthur asks “The question then arises as to why believers sin if the old self is gone.  They do so because the new self lives in the old body and must content with the flesh.  Paul shows this in the conflict described in Romans 7:14-25.  He makes it clear there that sin is not in the inner man, the “I” that loves what is holy, but is in the flesh.  ‘The flesh’ does not mean the body in and of itself; but it does mean the body as it is being used and tyrannized over by sin.  It means the body as it is possessed by sin and evil; it is the body as sin dwells in it during this earthly life.’ (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones) The flesh includes all the sinful desires, drives, and passions associated with our humanness.  The presence of the unredeemed flesh causes us to ‘groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body’ (Romans 8;23).”

  4/29/2017 9:26 PM