1 Tim 71,73, 5/27/75
Eph 168,462,911,919,921ff, 977; Rom 8; 1 Jn 17,55,99; 2 Jn 57
A. Definition.
1. Biblical documentation of the sin nature is found in Rom 5:12. “Therefore, just as through one man [Adam], sin [the sin nature] entered into the world, and [spiritual] death through [the] sin [nature], so [spiritual] death spread to the entire human race because all sinned [when Adam sinned].”
2. The characteristics of spiritual death include:
a. The status quo of dichotomy in the human race, having only a body and soul at birth, but no human spirit. Without a human spirit you can have no relationship with God, 1 Cor 2:13.
b. Total depravity can be moral or immoral degeneracy, depending upon one’s trend in his sin nature. If a believer’s fragmentation (becoming arrogant and staying that way) is perpetuated, the believer becomes morally or immorally degenerate.
c. Total separation from God.
d. Total helplessness to perform any work, sacrifice, or any change of life by which we can enter into a relationship with God. The only way we can enter into a relationship with God is to accept God’s work on our behalf; i.e., to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. The threefold essence of the old sin nature.
a. The area of weakness produces personal sins and eventuates in consequent evil in the form of moral or immoral degeneration, Heb 12:1.
b. The area of strength produces human good, resulting in moral degeneracy, Isa 64:6; Rom 8:8.
c. The lust pattern motivates sin and evil, lasciviousness and asceticism, moral and immoral degeneration, Rom 7:7; Eph 2:3.
4. The old sin nature is Adam’s trend after the Fall in action. Immediately after Adam sinned, two things occurred simultaneously.
a. He had a new trend historically.
b. He had spiritual death.
5. A trend occurred toward sin, producing personal sin in three categories: mental, verbal and overt.
6. A trend occurred toward good and evil, producing the Satanic policy for the pseudo-millennium. The trend toward good and evil also became a part of the function of Adam’s trend. The trend toward good and evil is still an issue. Because of the judicial imputation of all personal sins to Christ, sin is no longer an issue except in rebound. When Adam chose the tree, he chose Satan’s policy, immediately making Satan the ruler of the world. The Garden was not so much a coup d’etat as a surrender.
7. The Fall of man resulted in numerous changes from the Garden.
a. Satan became the ruler of this world.
b. The old sin nature became the ruler of man’s body.
c. Mankind became spiritually dead, and therefore under the condemnation of the justice of God, which became our new point of reference.
8. Adam took a perfect soul and, by his negative volition, he revolted against divine authority and created the old sin nature. Adam’s volition was a perfect instrument. But being free, he could reject divine authority.
9. We all have this original mold. While the soul is not occupied by the old sin nature, the soul becomes the battlefield which the old sin nature attacks and where it is often tactically successful.
10. The influence of the old sin nature on the soul is seen in mental attitude sins and motivations. The condition and status of the body often affect how you think. There is no question that the body effects the soul and the mentality, just as the soul effects the body (psychosomatics). This phenomenon of not only the immaterial influencing the material but also the material influencing the immaterial is noted in the “heart” passages of Jer 17:9; Mt 12:34-35; Mt 15:19; Mk 7:21-23.
B. Biblical Synonyms for the Old Sin Nature.
1. The singular of the Greek word HAMARTIA generally refers to the old sin nature, Rom 5:12, 7:14; 1 Cor 15:56; 1 Jn 1:8. The plural generally refers to personal sins.
a. Rom 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man [Adam], sin [the sin nature] entered into the world, and [spiritual] death through sin [the sin nature], so [spiritual] death spread to the entire human race because all sinned [when Adam sinned].”
b. Rom 7:14, “Certainly, we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of [belonging to the realm of] the flesh [sin nature], sold in bondage to sin [sin nature].”
(1) Of course the law is spiritual, for it came from God. It is God’s establishment mandate for the entire human race.
(2) “Flesh” (SARXZ) is another word for the old sin nature.
(3) We are sold into bondage at birth, when the imputation of Adam’s original sin to the old sin nature occurs.
c. Actually, HAMARTIA in the singular can refer to:
(1) Adam’s original sin.
(2) Old sin nature, usually found with the generic use of the definite article.
(3) Principle of personal sin.
2. The Greek word SARXZ means “flesh,” and it emphasizes the location of the old sin nature in the cell structure of the body. Because the sin nature is related to the biological life, it is called the flesh.
a. Gal 5:16, “But I say, walk by means of the Spirit and you will not execute the lusts of the flesh.”
b. Eph 2:3 mentions the lust of the flesh; 1 Jn 2:16; Rom 6:6, 7:14.
3. “The old man” (PALAIOS ANTHROPOS) emphasizes the origin of the old sin nature: Adam’s original sin perpetuated through the twenty-three male chromosomes which fertilize the female ovum in copulation.
a. Eph 4:22, “With reference to your former lifestyle [self- fragmentation through post-salvation sinning], you yourselves lay aside [through rebound] the old man [sin nature], you who are becoming degenerate on the basis of the lusts of deceit.”
b. The sin nature is classified as the old man because it originated in the Garden of Eden; it’s older than anything else, Col 3:9.
c. “You who are becoming degenerate” refers to being corrupted in polarized fragmentation from the trends of the sin nature.
d. The “lusts of deceit” include power lust, money lust, approbation lust, sexual lust, chemical lust, and emotional lust (fear, worry, anger).
4. “Carnal” (SARKINOS) means “fleshly,” “of the flesh,” or “belonging to the flesh.” This refers to the believer under the control of his old sin nature and therefore out of fellowship with God through personal sin and resultant cosmic involvement.
a. Rom 7:14, “Certainly, we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of [belonging to the realm of] the flesh [sin nature], sold in bondage to sin [sin nature].” (See point 4 for Rom 7:14-25.)
b. 1 Cor 3:1-3, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual persons [believers in divine dynasphere], but as to belonging to the sin nature [carnal believers controlled by the sin nature], as to babes in Christ [childish believers]. I gave you milk, and not solid food [advanced doctrine], for you were not able to receive it; in fact, you are not yet able. For you are still belonging to the sin nature. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not belonging to the sin nature, and keep walking in conformity with men?”
(1) The Corinthians believers were still not able to learn advanced doctrine because they were under the control of the old sin nature, which limits what you can learn.
(2) The fact that they are still carnal means they don’t use rebound to recover fellowship.
(3) Note what Paul mentions as an example of carnality. He mentions one of the mental attitude sins of arrogance: jealousy.
(4) The Corinthian believers are therefore “of the sin nature", i.e., carnal, and walking as unbelievers.
5. “Our body of sin” in Rom 6:6 emphasizes the old sin nature’s headquarters where it resides in the cell structure of the body. Its genetic home is in the cell chromosomes.
6. “Corruptible man” refers to the sin nature in Rom 1:23. Corruptions means the old sin nature and the result of the old sin nature. Man is corrupted physically, spiritually, and therefore morally.
7. “Corruptible seed” in 1 Pet 1:23 refers to the transmission of the old sin nature. 8. There are passages which describe sin, good or evil as coming from the “heart.” The heart, or right lobe of the soul, has nothing to do with the old sin nature. But the old sin nature always gets to the soul of man by attacking the heart. This is the old sin nature influencing thought so that sin, good and evil are motivated in the thinking, being programmed in the brain. Jer 17:9; Mt 12:34-35, 15:19; Mk 7:21-23.
C. Further Biblical Documentation of the Old Sin Nature.
1. There are three references to the old sin nature in Rom 6:6. “Knowing this, that our old man [old sin nature] was crucified with Him [retroactive positional truth], that our body of sin [old sin nature] might be rendered powerless, in order that we should no longer be slaves to sin [old sin nature].” The implication of this verse is that we are in slavery to the old sin nature apart from retroactive positional truth.
2. When the old sin nature gains control of the soul, it is often called a “desperately wicked heart.” Jer 17:9, “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.”
a. The Hebrew word LEB is used for the right lobe of the soul, but here it refers to the right lobe connected with the old sin nature’s temptations. They are filtered through the soul and its functions.
b. The right lobe is the place where sin is defined before volition grabs it and runs with it. All sin originates from your own volition, but temptation goes through your soul.
c. This explains Jer 17:9 which relates the right lobe to the old sin nature. Mt 12:34-35 and 15:19 says the heart is the source of certain sins. This doesn’t refer to the right lobe by itself, but as it is related to the old sin nature.
(1) In other words, the sin nature comes from the cell structure of the body and presents a temptation which goes into the right lobe. There it is defined in terms of language. Or it can be defined in terms of emotion. So once the source, the old sin nature, gains entry to the soul, then the temptation is defined. At this point, you know you are being tempted according the language of your own soul.
(2) Then you face a decision toward that temptation. Negative volition means you will commit the sin you are tempted with, whether you know it’s a sin or not. Positive volition means you say no to committing that sin, so that the temptation merely remains a temptation. A temptation can never become a sin until your volition is involved. This is true of all people, normal or abnormal. All people are held responsible for their sins before God. 3. Rom 7:14 has two references to the old sin nature. “For we know that the law is spiritual [comes from God, a Spirit], but I am of the flesh [old sin nature in body], having been sold into bondage to sin [slavery to old sin nature].”
4. 1 Jn 1:8, “If we say [contend, maintain, assert] that we have no sin [nature], we deceive ourselves, and doctrine is not in us.”
5. 1 Jn 1:10, “If we say [contend, maintain, assert] that we have not sinned [after salvation], we make Him a liar and His doctrine is not in us.”
D. The Source of the Old Sin Nature.
1. The old sin nature is the genetic home for the imputation of Adam’s original sin at physical birth causing real spiritual death. Real spiritual death is separation from God in a state of total depravity.
2. The old sin nature resides in the cell structure of the body and is the source of all inner temptation. Anything that is a temptation to you must be filtered through your soul. The sin nature is passed down genetically through the twenty-three male chromosomes in copulation. 3. While the soul of man comes from God, the old sin nature originates from the original sin of Adam in the Garden. The old sin nature works through the soul. All inner temptations come from the old sin nature. Most temptation comes this way, though occasionally we face an overt temptation.
4. Two imputations occur simultaneously at birth. When the fetus emerges from the womb, God imputes human life to its home, the human soul. That human life is, in every case, created by God. Secondly and simultaneously, the justice of God imputes Adam’s original sin to the genetically-prepared home of the sin nature residing in the cell structure of the body. The result is real physical life and real spiritual death.
5. Adam’s original sin was acquired by imputation. Adam’s sin nature is attained genetically.
6. There is a vast difference between biological life and soul life.
a. Biological life originates from copulation. Soul life originates from God at birth.
b. The sin nature does not become active until birth, when biological life is combined with soul life to form the human being.
c. God cannot and did not create the sin nature. The sin nature originated from Adam’s disobedience. God is not the author of sin or temptation; that is blasphemous and unthinkable.
d. Biological life is genetic, originating from one cell, the zygote. Soul life originates from God at birth.
e. Biological life begins at conception; soul life begins at birth.
f. The sin nature is transmitted through biological life. Therefore, the sin nature is transmitted through the body, not the soul. For this reason, the word SARXZ or the flesh is used as a synonym for the sin nature.
g. Biological life begins with mother dependence in the womb. Soul life begins with God dependence at birth.
7. While both the man and the woman are carriers of the old sin nature, transmission of the old sin nature occurs
only through twenty-three male chromosomes passed down from the man. The man is the transmitter of the old sin nature in copulation because Adam committed the original sin of cognizance, and Eve committed the original sin of ignorance.
a. 1 Tim 2:14, “And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression.
b. Rom 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man [Adam], sin [the sin nature] entered into the world, and [spiritual] death through the sin nature, so [spiritual] death spread to the entire human race because all sinned.”
c. Ps 51:5, “Behold, I was born in iniquity, and in sin [the sin nature] I was conceived.” David means that Adam’s original sin was imputed to the old sin nature at the point of birth. He is not saying that he was born a bastard.
8. The sin nature is genetically formed in the womb, along with biological life. Because there is no soul life in the womb, God is not the author of sin.
E. The Virgin Pregnancy and Virgin Birth of our Lord.
1. The one exception to the genetic perpetuation of the old sin nature is the virgin pregnancy of Mary.
2. Because of meiosis and polar body, the female ovum, ready for fertilization, throws off twenty-three contaminated chromosomes, leaving twenty-three uncontaminated chromosomes. 3. The virgin Mary was a carrier of the old sin nature. She was spiritually dead at birth. She was a virgin but not sinless. But at the moment of fertilization of that one pure, uncorrupted ovum by the Holy Spirit, she possessed that one pure cell free from the old sin nature. The Holy Spirit fertilized her twenty-three pure chromosomes with twenty-three perfect chromosomes. 4. The Holy Spirit, in fertilizing the ovum of Mary with twenty-three perfect chromosomes, therefore eliminated the genetic formation of the old sin nature. All the other normal genetic functions did occur, however.
5. Mt 1:20, “Behold, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, `Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” The Holy Spirit provided twenty-three perfect chromosomes which fertilized the ovum of Mary.
6. The virgin pregnancy of Mary excluded the genetic transmission of the sin nature, so that the biological life of Jesus in the womb was without a sin nature.
7. At the virgin birth of Jesus, there was no sin nature. Therefore, Jesus was born as Adam was created, i.e., trichotomous, having a body, soul, and spirit.
8. With no genetically-formed old sin nature, it was impossible for the justice of God to impute Adam’s original sin to Jesus Christ at birth because there was no genetically-formed home for its transmission, no old sin nature because of no copulation.
9. Therefore, Christ was born perfect, just as Adam was created perfect. Both were perfect in the structure of the body and in the soul, having no old sin nature. Jesus Christ is the facsimile of Adam before the Fall; i.e., perfect; we are the facsimile of Adam after the Fall; i.e., spiritually dead with an old sin nature.
10. Therefore, Jesus Christ was born into the prototype divine dynasphere because He was “filled with the Holy Spirit” from birth. Throughout his life on earth, our Lord had to remain perfect inside the prototype divine dynasphere so that He would be qualified to go to the cross, and receive the imputation and judgment for the sins of the world. “He was tempted in all points as we are, yet apart from sin [sin nature].”
11. Because of the virgin pregnancy followed by the virgin birth, our Lord was born in a state of perfection which He maintained through residence, function, and momentum inside the prototype divine dynasphere.
12. The doctrine of impeccability teaches that the humanity of Jesus Christ was tempted far beyond anything anyone has ever known, but He resisted all temptation. His deity was not able to sin; His humanity was able not to sin. See the doctrine of Impeccability.
F. The Biography of the Fragmented Life, Rom 7:14-25.
1. Rom 7:14, “Certainly, we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of [belonging to the realm of] the flesh [sin nature], sold in bondage to sin [sin nature].”
2. Rom 7:15, “For that which I am doing [fragmentation], I do not understand. For I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing that I hate [self-fragmentation].”
3. Rom 7:16, “But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do [fragmenting my own life], I agree with the law that it is good.” In 1 Timothy, Paul says that the law teaches what sin is. 4. Rom 7:17, “But as the case really stands, I am no longer the one doing it, but the sin nature which is indwelling me.”
5. Rom 7:18, “For I know that nothing good of intrinsic value dwells in me, that is in my flesh [sin nature], for the desire is present in me to attain the good [virtue], but I cannot do it.” 6. Rom 7:19, “For the good of intrinsic value that I desire to do, I do not do [fragmented believer], but the evil which I do not desire to do I keep practicing.”
7. Rom 7:20, “But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish to do [and I am], I no longer accomplish it, but the sin nature residing in me.”
8. Rom 7:21, “Consequently, I discover this principle, that when I desire to do the good [virtuous, noble], evil [fragmented life] is present with me.”
9. Rom 7:22, “For along with other believers, I delight in the law of God [protocol plan] with reference to my inner man [doctrine in mentality].”
10. Rom 7:23, “But I see a different law [principle] in the members of my body, making war against the law of my mind [status of fragmentation], and making me a prisoner to the law of the sin nature which is in the members [cell structure] of my body.”
11. Rom 7:24, “I am a miserable [wretched] person! Who will rescue me from the body of this death [the old sin nature]?”
12. Rom 7:25, “Grace belongs to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, on the one hand, with my mind I am myself serving the law of God; but on the other hand, with my flesh [old sin nature in control of the soul], I am serving the law of the sin nature.”
G. Six categories of fragmentation are produced by the old sin nature.
1. Personal or self-fragmentation is related to the sin nature’s area of weakness and area of strength. Heb 6:1, “Therefore, leaving behind [graduating from] the elementary teachings about Christ [basic doctrines of Hypostatic Union, Christology, soteriology], let us advance to maturity [execution of protocol plan, manufacture of invisible hero, glorification of God], not laying again the foundation [doctrines of salvation and spirituality] of repentance away from dead works, and of faith toward God, . . .” Dead works come from the area of strength of the old sin nature. When under the control of the sin nature, all the works you produce are dead and unrewardable.
2. Polarized fragmentation is related to the trends of the sin nature. The sin nature has a trend either toward self-righteous arrogance and legalism or toward lascivious lawlessness and antinomianism.
a. Perpetuated legalistic fragmentation results in moral degeneracy.
b. Perpetuated antinomian fragmentation results in immoral degeneracy.
c. Pre-salvation sinning is solved by faith in Christ. Jesus Christ on the cross was judged for both the sins of legalism and the sins of antinomianism. At the moment anyone believes in Christ, the problem of pre- salvation sinning is solved, for those sins are all blotted out, Isa 43:25, 44:22; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14.
d. Post-salvation sinning requires the use of problem solving device #1, the rebound technique.
e. Polarized fragmentation results in a tremendous conflict among believers who have opposite trends in their old sin nature. There is no toleration of others. This conflict drives positive volition away from doctrine.
3. Fragmentation related to subjective arrogance includes unrealistic expectation and role model arrogance. Unrealistic expectation is subjective preoccupation with self; role model arrogance is subjective preoccupation with others.
4. Human relationship fragmentation includes:
a. Fragmentation and the problem of Christian fellowship.
b. Fragmentation and the problem of marriage. 5. Fragmentation related to emotion involves emotional sins, such as fear, worry, anxiety, hatred, anger, violence, and murder; these perpetuate fragmentation. 6. God relationship fragmentation includes:
a. Failure to understand and utilize the problem solving devices.
b. Failure to execute the protocol plan of God.
H. Post-Salvation Sinning and the Old Sin Nature.
1. The believer continues to use his volition and continues to possess a sin nature after salvation.
2. 1 Jn 1:8 tells us we continue to possess the old sin nature. “If we say [contend, maintain, assert] that we have no sin [nature], we deceive ourselves, and doctrine is not in us.” 3. 1 Jn 1:10, “If we say [contend, maintain, assert] that we have not sinned [after salvation], we make Him a liar and His doctrine is not in us.”
4. Since the believer continues to possess the old sin nature after salvation, he is a walking grenade.
5. However, only the volition of the believer can pull the pin of the grenade. Being tempted by the sin nature is not sin; only when volition pulls the pin of the grenade does the believer sin. That’s why the rebound technique is the first problem solving device, designed to recover from fragmentation.
6. The pin of the grenade is related to some form of arrogance. The multifarious manifestations of arrogance include jealousy, bitterness, hatred, vindictiveness, implacability, self-pity, self-righteous arrogance, motivational and functional revenge, slander, maligning, gossip, and judging.
7. The fragmentation of the life moves in the direction of the trends of the sin nature. a. If the trend is toward self-righteous arrogance and legalism, the fragments of the life include slander, gossip, maligning, judging, and Christian activism.
b. If the trend is toward lasciviousness and lawlessness, the trend is toward sexual and even criminal sins.
8. The trend toward self-righteousness and legalism produces such heresies as saying that you cannot commit certain sins and still be a Christian. That is wrong. The believer can commit any sin an unbeliever commits. This trend results in several categories of heretical conclusions. a. Salvation by works.
b. Spirituality by works.
c. A misunderstanding of our Lord’s teaching that “by their fruits you shall know them.” From a misinterpretation of this verse, self- righteous Christians conclude that you are not really a Christian unless you show the proper manifestation of it.
9. The trend toward lasciviousness and lawlessness results in anti- nomianism and reaction against Bible doctrine because it is associated with self-righteous arrogance.
I. The Arrogance of False Perspective.
1. The arrogant believer who rejects the doctrine of eternal security thinks that he can do something to lose his salvation. He assumes that his sins and failures are greater than the saving work of Christ on the cross and the forty things he received at salvation from God. Or the arrogant believer erroneously concludes he must add something to faith in Christ for salvation. 2. The arrogant believer erroneously assumes that dead works of legalism and morality are greater than the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit inside the divine dynasphere. He calls his dead works spirituality.
3. The arrogant believer who succumbs to the pressures of discipline, suffering, adversity, and injustice erroneously assumes that his sufferings are greater than the provision of the portfolio of invisible assets and the problem solving devices of the protocol plan; i.e., that his sufferings are greater than any solution God can provide.
4. The arrogant believer who depends on emotional activity, such as dedication ceremonies, tongues, inspirational speakers, and personal attention from the pastor or evangelist, erroneously assumes that his personal feelings and experiences are greater than perception of doctrine.
5. The arrogant believer who is involved in the demand syndrome, having unrealistic expectation and role model arrogance, assumes that emphasis on people must precede God emphasis.
6. The believer is arrogant when he listens to the teaching of Bible doctrine with preconceived notions, distorting the acquisition or perception of doctrine.
7. The believer is arrogant when he uses epignosis doctrine which he has retained to serve him rather than to lead him.
8. The believer is arrogant when he applies doctrine to justify himself or to establish himself in a system of self-righteousness.
9. This is all summarized in 1 Tim 6:3-4. “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not concur with sound doctrine, those doctrines from our Lord Jesus Christ, even the doctrines pertaining to godliness [life in divine dynasphere], he has received arrogance [fragmentation of life], understanding nothing. Furthermore, he has a morbid obsession about controversies and verbal conflicts, from which originate jealousy, discord, and evil speculations.”
J. The Role of Volition in Sin and Fragmentation.
1. No one sins apart from his own consent. Even if you don’t know it’s a sin, you wanted to do it and you do it, and so are responsible for that sin.
2. The sin nature is the source of temptation. Human volition is the source of sin. 3. Once you commit a sin, the sin nature controls your soul and is a stronger power than it was when merely residing in your body.
4. The believer sins after salvation in two categories.
a. In sins of cognizance, temptation from the sin nature is recognized, and the volition chooses to sin.
b. In sins of ignorance, temptation from the sin nature is not recognized as potential sin, yet volition chooses to succumb and thereby commits a sin of ignorance.
5. When the believer uses his volition to sin, he fragments his own life. This self-fragmentation is called carnality or being under the control of the sin nature. It is tantamount to life in the cosmic system and the stages of reversionism.
6. The trend toward lascivious lawlessness and the trend toward self- righteous arrogance cause tremendous conflict among believers. People who participate in this conflict between the two opposite trends fragment themselves. Moral and immoral degeneracy are constantly at war. 7. So fragmentation is not only the source of sinning, but is a state of confusion. Once you perpetuate yourself in fragmentation, you will be confused and cannot grow spiritually.
K. Personal Sins.
1. Personal sins in the human race originate from two sources.
a. The function of the sin nature in temptation.
b. The function of human volition in the act of sinning.
2. All personal sins in human history are divided into two categories.
a. Pre-salvation sinning.
b. Post-salvation sinning.
c. Both categories of sin were judged on the cross.
3. Prior to the cross, all personal sins in the human race, past, present, and future, were programmed into one prom (volitional) chip in the computer of divine decrees. At the time of the crucifixion, God the Father called for the printout of all personal sins, imputed them all to Christ, and judged every one of them.
a. 1 Pet 2:24, “He carried our sins in His own body on the cross.”
b. 2 Cor 5:21, “He who did not know sin was made sin as a substitute for us.”
c. Rom 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died as a substitute for us.”
d. 1 Pet 3:18, “Because Christ died once for our sins, the righteous One as a substitute for the unrighteous ones, that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh [humanity of Christ], but made alive by means of the Spirit.”
e. Gal 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by means of becoming a curse as a substitute for us, for it stands written, `Cursed is everyone who hangs on a cross.’”
L. The Solution to Pre-Salvation Sins.
1. Salvation comes from faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ.
a. Gal 3:26, “For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
b. Gal 2:16, “Knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no person will be justified.”
c. Rom 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
d. Eph 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved in the past with the result that you stand saved forever through faith, and this [salvation] is not from yourselves; it is a gift from God, not of works lest anyone should boast.”
e. Rom 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all those who believe.”
f. Rom 3:28, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
g. Jn 20:31, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have eternal life through His person.”
h. Jn 3:15, “That everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”
i. Jn 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His Son, the unique One, in order that anyone who believes in Him shall never perish but have eternal life.”
j. Jn 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the person of the unique Son of God.”
k. Jn 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
l. Jn 11:25, “Jesus said to her [Martha], `I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.’”
m. 1 Jn 5:11-13, “This is the deposition: God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has this [eternal] life; He who does not have the Son does not have this [eternal] life. These things I have written to you who believe in the person of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have [eternal] life.”
2. The problem of pre-salvation sinning is solved by personal faith in Jesus Christ. In the very moment that anyone believes in Christ, all his pre-salvation sins are blotted out.
a. Isa 43:25, “I, even I, am the One who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
b. Col 1:14, “In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
3. Faith plus anything does not secure salvation. If you add anything to faith, the Holy Spirit cannot make it effective for salvation under His ministry of efficacious grace.
a. Faith plus “commitment” does not secure salvation.
b. Faith plus “lordship” does not secure salvation. Jesus Christ is your Lord at the moment of salvation no matter what you do after salvation. You cannot make Christ “Lord” by anything you do.
c. Faith plus morality does not secure salvation.
d. Faith plus baptism or any other church ritual does not secure salvation.
e. Faith plus “repentance” does not secure salvation. “Repent” actually means to change your mind about Christ, not to feel sorry for sins.
f. Faith plus emotion does not secure salvation.
g. Faith plus psychological works does not secure salvation.
h. Reverse invitations exclude faith. In salvation, God invites us to Him. Therefore, we cannot reverse that and invite Christ into our hearts or lives. Inviting God excludes faith altogether.
(1) Inviting Christ into your heart is tantamount to inviting Christ into a garbage dump, Jer 17:9, “The heart is desperately wicked.”
(2) Inviting Christ into your life is tantamount to inviting Christ into a tomb, because the unbeliever’s life is spiritually dead.
4. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in our salvation.
a. In the doctrine of common grace, the spiritually dead unbeliever has spiritual brain death. Therefore, when the Gospel is presented, the Holy Spirit acts as a human spirit so that the Gospel, which is spiritual phenomena, can be understood. The accurate information which the Holy Spirit uses is then understood in the left lobe of the soul.
b. Even when the person understands that salvation is through faith alone in Christ and he believes in Christ, he is still spiritually dead. So under His ministry of efficacious grace, the Holy Spirit takes faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ and makes it effective for eternal life. Therefore, if you add anything to faith, the Holy Spirit cannot make that effectual for salvation.
5. Jn 16:8-9, “And He [Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” Sin is really not an issue in your life as an unbeliever; the issue is Christ. Because Jesus Christ was judged for all your sins.
6. Rom 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.”
7. So the solution to pre-salvation sinning is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
M. The Solution to Post-Salvation Sinning.
1. The rebound technique is the solution to post-salvation sinning.
2. 1 Jn 1:9, “If we acknowledge [admit, cite, name] our sins, He [God the Father] is faithful and just [righteous] with the result that He forgives us our sins [post-salvation sins of cognizance], and cleanses [purifies] us from all wrongdoing [post-salvation sins of ignorance].” 3. The substitution of self-judgment for divine discipline is the subject of 1 Cor 11:31. “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” Self-judgment is tantamount to the confession of our sins.
4. So forgiveness and restoration to fellowship as well as the subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit and reentrance into the divine dynasphere is based on the fact that the sins cited have already been judged at the cross. This takes care of sin, one of the three trends of the old sin nature. This is judgment of self.
5. Rebound means to stand up, look God in the eye, cite your sins, and know that He has judged it and therefore forgives you.
6. This solution is the only way we can get out of the cosmic system and get back into our own palace, the divine dynasphere, through gate #1, the filling of the Holy Spirit, who now again controls our soul.
7. There are two different mandates for spirituality.
a. Gal 5:16, “Walk by means of the Spirit.”
b. Eph 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.” This refers to the Holy Spirit controlling your soul at gate #1. Gal 5:16 refers to your life and function inside the divine dynasphere.
N. Fragmentation and the Old Sin Nature. See the Doctrine of Fragmentation.
O. Divine judgment solves the problem of the old sin nature.
1. God solves two categories of problems created by the old sin nature through the use of condemnation or judgment.
a. Sins, which were judged at the cross.
b. Good works or human good and evil are judged at the Last Judgment.
2. Phase 1: Divine judgment at the cross.
a. The sins of the world were called for as a printout from a prom chip. They were imputed to Christ and judged by the justice of God the Father.
b. This was the first and most important judgment of the old sin nature and is the basis of our salvation which we obtained through personal faith in Jesus Christ. This was the abrogation of the power and rulership of the old sin nature, 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Cor 5:19.
c. However, under the law of volitional responsibility, our sins, though judged at the cross, still have consequences from the function of our negative volition. This is how we cause most of our own suffering.
2. Phase 2: We must judge ourselves through the use of the rebound technique, 1 Jn 1:9; 1 Cor 11:31.
3. Phase 3: The human good and evil of the believer is judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ immediately after the Rapture, 1 Cor 3:12-16. “Wood, hay and stubble” refers to all the human good you have done which will be burned.
4. At the Great White Throne Judgment, Rev 20:12-15, the unbeliever is resurrected and brought before the Lord Jesus Christ whom he rejected. His sins, having already been judged at the cross, are not mentioned. Instead, his human good is added up from the book of works. It can only total negative righteousness, which cannot have fellowship with perfect righteousness, and so he is cast alive into the Lake of Fire.
5. God judges evil periodically; otherwise history could not continue. Evil continues up through the Millennium, as in the Gog and Magog Revolution. Evil must be met in the spiritual realm.
P. There will be no old sin nature in the resurrection of the Church. Phil 3:21, “Who [Lord] will change the body of our humiliation [old sin nature] into conformity with the body of His glory [resurrection body of Jesus Christ] on the basis of the operational power from which He Himself is able to subordinate all things to Himself.”
Q. What happens to the old sin nature at salvation?
1. At the moment of salvation adjustment to the justice of God through faith in Christ, divine justice imputes divine righteousness to the believer, setting up the grace pipeline for blessing from God’s justice.
a. Justice is at the origin end; perfect righteousness is at the receiving end. This pipeline is encapsulated by divine integrity.
b. Righteousness demands righteousness; justice demands justice; what the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes.
c. Therefore at salvation, perfect righteousness demands thirty- nine other factors to come through the grace pipeline. From salvation to maturity, perfect righteousness demands logistical blessing to sustain us.
d. At the point of spiritual maturity, perfect righteousness demands special supergrace blessings. For just as justice can directly condemn, justice must also have a policy for blessing us: grace.
2. At the moment of salvation, the baptism of the Spirit also occurs, which cancels the ruling power of the old sin nature over human life.
a. This is a positional abrogation or cancellation which provides the basis for experiential cancellation for which we must opt in phase two.
b. Potential 2 plus capacity equals the reality of encapsulated environment. Potential 2 is the baptism of the Holy Spirit producing retroactive positional truth and current positional truth.
c. Retroactive positional truth identifies us with Jesus Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and burial. In spiritual death, Christ also rejected human good and evil while accepting the imputation of all personal sins and their judgment.
d. Therefore in identification, we have positionally rejected human good and evil.
e. In His physical death, Christ was totally separated from good and evil; therefore we are positionally separated from good and evil.
f. In His burial, He was divorced from good and evil; so we are divorced from good and evil positionally.
g. Capacity always equals doctrine. The reality of encapsulated environment is greater than the perfect environment of the garden, yet it is in this very devil’s world. For God encapsulates our blessings in time in an environment He provides (the divine dynasphere), regardless of historical circumstances.
h. Because the policy of Satan is good and evil and the function of the old sin nature is good and evil, the old sin nature and Satan cooperate as long as good and evil are being produced. But whenever the old sin nature produces sin, this is an embarrassment to Satan. Satan is trying to beat our Lord to the Millennium.
3. This retroactive positional truth establishes the basis for our experiential renunciation and victory over the trends of the old sin nature. Its 3 trends are toward sin, human good, and evil. 4. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we have retroactive positional truth which is positional separation as well as rejection and divorcement from Adam’s trend, the old sin nature. 5. This abrogates the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life. It also provides “life with God” on this earth, Rom 6:11. 6. The old sin nature, however, is still located in the cells of the flesh, the body of corruption, and is still transmitted through the twenty- three male chromosomes.
a. That old sin nature still has to be there, because these same cells are part of your physical body and therefore your physical life.
b. As long as you are alive in this body of corruption, you have an old sin nature, and you will never completely stop sinning, 1 Jn 1:8.
c. But the trends toward sin, good and evil, while still in your body, are at least positionally broken.
7. So at salvation, we enter the divine dynasphere, but the old sin nature is not changed or eradicated. As we get close to gate #8, we do have more and more control over the old sin nature.
R. What happens to the old sin nature after salvation?
1. While the power and rulership of the old sin nature over human life is destroyed positionally (Rom 6) and experientially (Rom 7), the trends of Adam still function in the life of the believer.
2. The contradiction between the positional destruction of the old sin nature’s power at salvation (baptism of the Holy Spirit, Rom 6) and the frustration of still following the trends of the old sin nature is the subject of Rom 7, especially verse 15. Rom 7 is the story of the battle of the two husbands.
3. The continued function of the old sin nature after salvation in spite of retroactive positional truth indicates the necessity for Bible doctrine resident in the soul plus the filling of the Holy Spirit to overcome this factor. These two, Bible doctrine plus filling of the Holy Spirit equals experiential sanctification.
4. The pattern for the believer’s carnality or sinfulness depends upon how must time he logs in Satan’s cosmic system rather than in the operational-type divine dynasphere.
a. Hence, the believer has been given the opportunity of rapid recovery from carnality through rebound adjustment to the justice of God.
b. Rebound is exercising the option for being alive to God, 1 Cor 3:1. We never confess good and evil because they have not been judged yet.
c. Gate #1 of the divine dynasphere completely neutralizes the functions of the sin nature in sin, human good and evil. Only in the divine dynasphere can we execute the protocol plan of God for the Church Age.
5. Rebound is necessary because of sins committed after salvation. Therefore, sin is not the major problem after salvation. The major problem is the function of good and evil. These go unchecked apart from Bible doctrine in the soul, Rom 7:14; 1 Jn 1:8
6. There are three patterns of sinfulness in the life of any believer during this dispensation.
a. Frequent sinning, which is life in the cosmic system.
b. Occasional sinning, which is spending more time in the divine dynasphere than in the cosmic system, accomplished through rebound and epistemological rehabilitation.
c. Sporadic sinner, which is momentum in the divine dynasphere resulting in the attainment of the three stages of spiritual adulthood and therefore infrequent sinning.
d. 1 Jn 1:8, “If we allege that we have no sin nature, we are deceiving ourselves and the doctrine is not in us.” 1 Jn 1:10, “If we allege that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and doctrine is not in us.”
7. Inside the divine dynasphere is virtue where there can be no sin. All decisions for sin, human good and evil are made outside the divine dynasphere.
S. Summary #1.
1. God created man as a perfect creature. Consequently, He did not create the old sin nature.
2. By His very essence, God cannot sin, cannot tempt to sin and/or solicit to sin. 3. Sin originated in the human race through the negative volition of Adam. Satan, the original sinner and the author of sin, tempted the woman. So solicitation to evil came from Satan the original sinner. The origin of sin came from the cognizant transgression of Adam, negative volition from his own free will.
4. The woman tempted the man after her Fall. Adam, from his own volition, knowing what he was doing, manufactured the old sin nature by rejecting divine authority, by violating divine prohibition. By so doing, the moment Adam sinned, he manufactured the old sin nature which contaminated his body making it a body of corruption, of contamination. Because the man’s sin was in cognizance, he is the transmitter of the old sin nature. Also, he was the ruler and the responsible one.
5. Through negative volition toward divine prohibition, Adam is the author of sin in the human race. Through copulation, Adam perpetuates the old sin nature, 1 Tim 2:14
6. This explains how both original parents were under condemnation of spiritual death. Both were guilty. But the old sin nature is transmitted through the man because his was a transgression of cognizance. The woman’s sin was done in ignorance.
7. The twenty-three male chromosomes which fertilize the female ovum carry the old sin nature. Ps 51:5-6, “born in iniquity” refers to the imputation of Adam’s original sin to the old sin nature at birth, resulting in spiritual death.
8. At conception, the twenty-three male chromosomes fertilize the female ovum and transmit the old sin nature, 1 Pet 1:23.
9. The trends of each old sin nature are different, just as genes combine to form different physical features, different personalities and attitudes. Ps 58:3 says certain people are born liars (others cultivate it for self-preservation).
10. Ps 58:3 says we are all “gone astray out from the womb.” We are born with personal weaknesses. It is the genetic home of the old sin nature that produces our weaknesses. This is what total depravity really means. “All we like sheep have gone astray.” Sheep have trends but no brains. Each of us are different in old sin nature variations and trends. Once you master your primary weaknesses, you will then discover your secondary weaknesses, then your tertiary weaknesses, etc.
11. The old sin nature does not and cannot please God, Rom 8:8.
a. Neither sins, acts of human good, nor the function of evil are in any way related to God or the Christian life.
b. Therefore, ignorance of doctrine has led most believers to adopt the function of human good and evil and to misconstrue it as the Christian life. This is one of the great distortions of history.
c. Few people know that good and evil come from the sin nature. Good and evil are running rampant since they were not judged at the cross.
d. Very few believers try to commit sin as a part of their Christian life (exception: antinomianists). But many believers are constantly converting their good and evil into the Christian life. They actually think God rewards and blesses them because He is pleased with their good and evil.
12. Isa 64:6, “All our righteousnesses are as menstrual rags”; this refers to human good. “Wither like a leaf” refers to overcoming your primary weaknesses but producing secondary weaknesses.
a. If you gave up something when you were saved, it wasn’t God that did it; it was sheer grit on your part which can only result in self- righteousness.
b. When we think we are strong, we are weaker than before.
c. It is fine and legitimate when primary weaknesses are overcome by the filling of the Holy Spirit + Bible doctrine; this takes time and means you are growing. But to do so by your own energy means you are withering like a leaf.
d. In self-righteousness, secondary weaknesses will destroy you whereas primary weaknesses did not. Secondary weaknesses are just as potent and often more destructive.
e. Primary weaknesses being removed without Bible doctrine sets up a vacuum which draws in arrogance. So you can see how both sin and good combine to form evil.
f. The proper means for removing primary weaknesses is through spiritual growth. At each stage of spiritual growth, new weaknesses will develop. But they are all handled in the same way. But when the believer gives these things up in the energy of the flesh, all he does is guarantee that his secondary weaknesses will be more obnoxious than his primary ones. He will never grow because he is too proud of what he has done, and so jealous of others better than he that all growth is immediately stopped, and the perspective of the Christian life (filling of the Holy Spirit plus Bible doctrine) is lost.
13. Eph 2:3, “lusts” refer to primary, secondary or tertiary weaknesses; “flesh” refers to the old sin nature.
14. Reversionists do not resist the old sin nature at all, Heb 12:4.
15. The old sin nature is not a part of the resurrection body (nor the interim body) of the believer, Phil 3:18-21 1 Jn 3:1-4 1 Cor 15:51-57. This is the doctrine of ultimate sanctification, wherein the old sin nature and its products of good and evil are excluded from eternity.
T. Summary #2.
1. The sin nature is the source of temptation, but human volition is the source of sin.
2. The old sin nature can tempt in three areas: sin, human good and evil. The old sin nature cannot succeed apart from one’s consent.
3. The volition guards the gate of the soul from the old sin nature’s temptations.
4. Therefore, no one ever sins apart from his own consent or the function of this own volition.
5. Whether sins of cognizance of sins of ignorance, the volition of the soul is involved in every sins. Therefore, ignorance is no excuse.
6. While the old sin nature is located in the body, it must penetrate the soul for sin to be produced.
7. This cannot be done without human volition’s consent.
8. When the old sin nature’s temptations become sin through human consent, the old sin nature not only controls the soul, but the believer resides in the cosmic system.
9. Therefore, the old sin nature is Satan’s inside agent recruiting for the cosmic system.
10. Therefore, the believer is only pure and free from sin when he is inside the divine dynasphere. His status can only be changed by his free will function.
11. Morality without virtue, i.e., in the cosmic system, is hypocrisy. Morality without integrity is like life without feeling. The only place of virtue and integrity is inside the divine dynasphere. Morality in the cosmic system produces sin, human good and evil.
12. Gate #1 of cosmic two is the old sin nature. See the Doctrine of Cosmic Two.
13. The first momentum test at gate #7 in the divine dynasphere is old sin nature temptation/testing. See the Doctrine of Momentum Testing.
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© 1989, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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