The Origin of the Sin Nature Part 1

The Origin of the Sin Nature Part 1
Study Center | Home Page | PDF Version

We are at a very critical point in the book of Romans. Romans chapter 5 presents the problem with mankind, and that is the sin nature. In Romans chapter 3 we are told that all men are under the dominion of the sin nature. In chapter 4 we find out that the way to get released from the sin nature, or released from its dominion, is through the new birth—accepting the Lord by faith. In chapter 5 of Romans, we find out where the sin nature came from. The book of Romans is so intertwined. We begin themes in chapter 5 that will not end until chapter 8. Chapters 7 and 8 will bring out themes that will run through chapters 9 and 10 and even into chapter 11. Chapters 10 and 11 begin themes that run right on through chapters 12 and 13. Paul is a man of intricate weaving—one theme interweaving into another—one starting and one ending. Again in chapter 5, we are going to find out where the sin nature came from.

As an individual, you have and possess the sin nature. We find out, in the Word of God, that the sin nature is the same thing as the flesh, and that when you were born-again, everything became new. Everything became new only in the inward man, though. You do not possess the sin nature in your inward man. You possess the righteousness of God in your inward man. When you became born again, your hair stayed the same color and your eyes stayed the same color; nothing physically changed in you. The life of God on the inside will eventually produce a change on the outside. My friend, be lenient with people. If two days after the new birth a person is still smoking cigarettes, do not jump all over him. If they are still having some trouble with the outward man, just remember that the outward man did not change. When everything became new, and old things passed away, that was on the inside. That which is on the inside needs to work itself out to the outside. Let me qualify that statement a little further. You cannot have the nature of God on the inside without something eventually changing on the outside, but one thing we understand is that there is a nature within the outward man called "the sin nature."

When you were unsaved, when you were a sinner, you were under the dominion of the sin nature. All unregenerated men are under the dominion of the sin nature. When you become born again, you still possess the sin nature,but you are no longer under it's dominion. You are now under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, you now have the strength to no longer listen to the dictates of the flesh. You will possess this thing called the flesh until you die or you are raptured. That is when redemption comes for the body.

Redemption is three-fold. It is for the spirit, the soul, and the body; past, present, and future. Past tense—you were born-again in your spirit. If it was a day ago, a week ago, a year ago or ten years ago—it is past tense. The moment you were born-again, your spirit became new; but salvation is also present tense, and that is in the area of the soul. The soul is being changed or renewed day by day. The Word of God is changing your soul, but it is a process. The salvation for the body is yet future. That will occur at the rapture, when the resurrection occurs. This mortal will put on immortality. This corruptible w ill put on incorruptible, and we Will have a body just like that of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!

Some people say, "When I was born-again, I no longer had a sin nature." My friend, there is no "one-shot" sanctification. Yes, you are sanctified inwardly. Sanctification within you was instantaneous, but sanctification in the outw ard man is a day by day process. Day by day we learn to lay aside the weights and the sin that does so easily beset us. People are always running around looking for one-shot deals, but they do not exist,except for the new birth. Follow me: the mind is the hinging point,and whichever way it swings, that is what you are. If the mind goes the way of the spirit, the body just follows along. That is what God wants. God is not saying that your body is evil; He actually wants you to dedicate your body to Him.

How do you dedicate your body to the Lord? Chapter 12 of Romans tells us that it is by the renewing of your mind. As your mind becomes renewed to the spirit on the inside of you, the body just follows. If the mind goes the way of the body, the spirit just follows along. Whichever way your mind swings decides who has dominion over you at that moment. If you are spiritual it is because your mind is following in line with your spirit. But if you are carnal,it is because your mind is in line with your body,or the dictates of the flesh,and your spirit is pow erless to control you. Yes,you have the new birth; yes, the Holy Spirit lives within you, but He is not controlling you at the moment. The mind is the hinging point; it swings one direction or another.

Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12 says this: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow..." Notice that the joints are compared to the soul and the marrow is compared to the spirit. The joints are to the human body as the soul is to the three-part man. The soul is a joint or link. Just as my elbow is a joint joining two things, so my mind, or my soul, is a link. It connects my spirit with my body, and whichever way it swings, the other one just follows. That is why the Bible says that to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. So, again, the mind is the hinging point.

The Bible has much to say about the soul. It tells us that we are to renew our minds. It also tells us that God wants us to prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. The Bible says whatsoever things are lovely or of a good report, we are to think on these things. To think you must use your mind. The Bible also says the Lord will keep you in perfect peace if your mind is stayed on Him. The Word says, "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul: and all that is within me..." (Psalm 103:1.) You see, the part of man that gives him trouble, if he is born-again, is not his spirit; it is his unrenewed mind. The soul (mind, will and emotions) is being renewed day by day. This is where we prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Romans chapter 5, beginning in verse 10, says: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." If you asked most Christians today, what the barrier between God and man is, almost 99 percent of them would say "sin." Most would answer this way because they are so sin conscious. But, if sin is the barrier between God and man, it is up to man to get rid of it. Sin is bigger than man. The barrier between God and man used to be sin. Now the barrier between God and man is Christ. He conquered the barrier and removed it, and now what stands between a man and eternal life is what he decides to do with Jesus Christ. Sin is no longer the issue. The Lordship of Jesus is the issue.

My friend, you were not reconciled when you became born again. You were reconciled when you were still a sinner. You just appropriated it one day. As far as God is concerned, the whole world is reconciled to Him. Jesus went to the cross and purchased the whole world; He redeemed the whole world. If man goes to Hell, it is not God's fault, it is man's fault for rejecting God's reconciliation. When Jesus went to the cross,the Bible says, "To wit, that God was In Christ, reconciling the world unto himself..." (2 Corinthians 5:19.) Notice that He did not say that He was reconciling Christians unto Himself, or reconciling believers unto Himself. He said that He was "reconciling the world unto himself..." That is the good news of the Gospel. You have been reconciled. Jesus died for your sins. All that is required of you is that you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, confess with your mouth that He is your Lord and Savior, and you can receive the reconciliation that He is holding out to you right now. When a person dies, they die with God chasing them all of their life with reconciliation in His hand. God has done everything He can do. He sent Jesus to the cross. He purchased your redemption, and He is holding it right under your nose. All that you have to do is reach out and receive it.

Verse 10 of Romans chapter 5 continues: "...much more, being reconciled (now that we are born-again), we shall be saved by his life." Salvation is past and present. We are born-again by His death and burial, but we are also saved by His life; we continue being saved by His life. This verse shows us salvation is not only in past tense, it is also working in us right now .

Verse 11: "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." The word for "atonement" is actually "reconciliation." The word "atonement" does not even appear in the New Testament; it is an Old Testament term. Praise God Jesus went to the cross and He atoned; but after the cross, there is no more atonement! We have been reconciled! What do we do with reconciliation? We receive it. Receiving means faith.

Again, sin was the barrier between God and man, but where did sin come from? We find the answer in verse 12 of Romans chapter 5. It reads: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." "Sin" in the singular refers to the sin nature. The word "sins" (plural) has reference to personal sins, such as adultery or murder. It is the nature of sin that produces individual sins. This verse says, again, "Wherefore, as by one man sin (the sin nature) entered into the world..." The "one man" through whom the sin nature entered into the world was Adam. The sin nature is that tendency dictating toward the soul to act independently of God. The sin nature cannot control you unless you allow it to. It dictates. It pushes. It pressures. However, you have the choice to say "no." You have the ability to resist the pressures of the sin nature.

The first two individuals to receive a sin nature were Adam and Eve. By acting independent of God's will, they received the sin nature. You and I can never be tempted as Adam and Eve were. Our temptations come from the sin nature, but they had no sin nature to receive temptation from. Their temptations came from without—from Satan himself—because they had no sin nature. God did not create their bodies with a sin nature, but God had to put something in the garden to test their volition—to test their will. God tested Adam and Eve's wills through the presence of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan manifested himself to them and pointed them to the tree. Adam and Eve willfully sinned by taking fruit from the one tree that God had commanded them not to eat of. They received the sin nature because they sinned personally; we sin personally because we have the sin nature. That is why we can never be tempted as Adam and Eve were.

Jesus Christ was the only other man born on the face of the earth without a sin nature. The only way He could be tempted was by Satan Himself. Jesus is called "the last Adam." Satan had to come to Him, as he did in the case of Adam,and tempt Him from without. But, where the first Adam failed, the Second Adam was successful! Jesus Christ redeemed mankind from the inside and the more that we purpose to renew our minds to His Word, the more our redemption will be evident in our outward lives! Glory to God!

Bob Yandian

If you like this article, check out Romans Chapters 5-7 at the BYM Store.