Dealing with the Sinful Nature

There is a topic covered in the bible that is almost never preached in

churches nowadays.

This is tragic as a believers salvation depends on it (as we shall see
below).

The topic is: how to deal with the sinful nature.

But firstly, have you ever wondered why young children are naturally
inclined to do bad things (like lying, fighting, or being selfish,
inconsiderate and stubborn) without anybody teaching them, even if
they may be raised in good and loving homes?

Whenever you witness a young child doing something bad by instinct,
you can point to the childs sinful nature acting up.

Yes while there is great reason for rejoicing over every child born on
this earth, every person is unfortunately born with a sinful nature.

With regards to the sinful nature, the Apostle Paul insists that nothing
good resides in it (Romans 7:18). Indeed, even when an individual has
pre-meditated to do something good, the sinful nature can hinder
him/her from actually doing good.

The sinful nature can be compared to a cancer within the body.

Everyone knows that if a cancer is left untreated in the body, it will
ultimately cause death to the individual.

Similarly, the sinful nature causes death but a worse kind of death
(eternal death!)

For according to the Apostle Paul: For when we were controlled by the
sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in
our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. (Romans 7:5, NIV;
emphasis mine)
1


You see, the sinful nature stirs up thoughts and actions (or fruit for
death, as Paul calls it) that justly lead to us being thrown into hell to
be punished for.

Fortunately, this is where Jesus Christ comes into the picture:

Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our
Lord! (Romans 7:24b; NIV)

Specifically, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin, when he became
our sin offering,
2
as the passage of scripture below shows:

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened
by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in
the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law
might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the
flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4; NIV;
emphasis mine)

However, we need to be aware that the sin offering applies only to
those who do not live according to the flesh but according to
the Spirit (as we see in Romans 8:4 cited above)

The letter to the Hebrews also indicates that the sin offering does not
apply to every person, but to a selected group of individuals, as we
see in the paragraph cited below:

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits
for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one
sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being
made holy. (Hebrews 10:12-14; NIV, emphasis mine)

Indeed, believers in Jesus Christ are warned not to live according to
the sinful nature, for:

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if
by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will
live (Romans 8:13; NIV, emphasis mine)

Why is it then that the destiny of the believer who lives according to
the sinful nature should be no different from the non-believer (that is,
condemnation in hell for both)?

Firstly, because those controlled by the sinful nature cannot
please God Romans 8:8; NIV; emphasis mine).

Secondly, those who claim to be believers but live according to the
sinful nature are actually deceived. They do NOT belong to Christ, as
the verse below points out:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the
Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
(Romans 8:9; NIV; emphasis mine)

In contrast, those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the
sinful nature with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24; NIV;
emphasis mine)

As further support that believers who live according to the sinful
nature will not inherit eternal life, please consider these verses:

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you,
as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit
the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21; NIV: emphasis mine)

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that
nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the
Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8; NIV:
emphasis mine)

Also, notice how the Apostle Paul invariably uses the past tense when
describing their
3
involvement with their sinful nature (implying that
they did not allow themselves to continue being controlled by the
sinful nature):

For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful
passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that
we bore fruit for death. (Romans 7:5, NIV; emphasis mine)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in
which you used to live when you followed the ways of this
world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is
now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived
among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful
nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we
were by nature objects of wrath. (Ephesians 2:1-4, NIV;
emphasis mine)

It is therefore imperative for all believers to do the following:

Firstly, you need to learn to recognise the acts of the sinful nature, for
without the ability to recognize them, you would not be able to resist
them when tempted to do so
4
:

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the
like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will
not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21; NIV:
emphasis mine)

Having understood the acts of the sinful nature, you need to put these
to death, as it says in the following passage of scripture:

For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the
power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful
nature, you will live. (Galatians 5:19-21; NLT: emphasis mine)

Now, how do we put to death the deeds of our sinful nature?

Firstly, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the
sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16; NIV; emphasis mine)

Then, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not
think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Romans
13:14; NIV; emphasis mine).

In addition, we can be distracted from indulging the sinful nature by
serving one another in love, as this passage of scripture alludes to:

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your
freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another
in love. (Galatians 5:13; NIV; emphasis mine)

Importantly, you need to learn how to crucify the sinful nature with its
passions and desires, for:

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature
with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24; NIV; emphasis
mine).

Crucifying the sinful nature would be consistent with what Christ Jesus
said about taking up our cross daily:

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
(Luke 9:23; NIV; emphasis mine)

Lastly, if you are not baptized, you need to do so immediately, for
scripture alludes to a spiritual circumcision (the cutting away of your
sinful nature) performed by Christ upon baptism:

When you came to Christ, you were circumcised, but not by a
physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision
the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with
Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to
new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who
raised Christ from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12; NLT)

For the young believer, you might say to me: Crucifying the sinful
nature, clothing oneself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and living by the
Spirit all these things sound very deep and spiritual. How can I know
what these things mean, not least, to do them?

And my reply to you would be: yes indeed these things are spiritual
and need to be spiritually discerned.

Therefore, we need to pray to God for greater enlightenment over
these things. And the Lord will show us, and help us apply them, for
He has promised:

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:14, NKJV)


All scripture is cited from the 1984 edition of the New International Version (NIV),
unless otherwise stated.
Written by: Roy Chan Yeow Chuan
Version dated: 16 October 2014
FREE for circulation and distribution; this essay was written as a public service.
For enquiries, write to: yeowchuanchan@gmail.com



1
Consistent with this idea, we see in the epistle of James: When tempted, no one
should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he
tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged
away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15; NIV; emphasis mine)
2
On the topic of see Jesus Christ as our sin offering; see also the letter to the
Hebrews, chapter 10
3
That is, the believers under Pauls leadership
4
A useful verses to meditate on when facing temptation is James 4:7: Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you