New Nature

The term new nature refers to the spiritual transfornation that occurs within the inner man when a person believes in Christ as Savior. The Christian is now a new man as opposed to the old man that he was before he became a Christian (Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. The corruption that dwelletht in us is the body of sin, consisting of many parts and members, as a body. This is the root to which the axe must be laid. We must not only cease the acts of sin, but we must get the vicious habits and inclinations weakened and destroyed; not only cast away the idols of iniquity out of the heart.; Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace By his sufferings in the flesh, he took away the binding power of the ceremonial law, which is here called the law of commandments contained in ordinances, because it enjoined a multitude of external rites and ceremonies, and consisted of many institutions and appointments about the outward parts of divine worship. The legan ceremonies were abrogated by Christ, having their accomplishment in him. By taking these out of the way, he formed one church of believers, whether they had been Jews or Gentiles. Thus he made in himself of twain one new man.; 4:22-24 That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteougness and true holiness. Here the apostle expresses himself in metaphors taken from garments. The principles, habits, and dispositions of the soul must be changed, before there can be a saving change of the life.; Col. 3:9,10 Lie not to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the n ew man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: ). This concept of newness may be traced to an important choice between two Greek words, both meaning "new." in the sense of renovation (to repair), the other in the sense of fresh existence. It is the latter that tis used to describe the Christian. He is not the old man renovated or refreshed; he is a brand-new man with a family, a new set of values, new motivations, and new possessions.

The Old man is still present in the n ew life and expresses himself in corrupting deeds such as lying Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; The old man must be put off. The corrupt nature is called a man, because, like the human body, it consists of divers parts, mutually supporting and strengthening one another. It is the old man, as old Adam, from whom we derive it. It is bred in the bone, and we brought it into the world with us. It is subtle as the old man; but in all God's saints decaying and withering as an old man, and ready to pass away. It is said to be corrupt; for sin in the soul is the corruption of its faculties: and, where it is not mortified, it grows daily worse and worse, and so tends to destruction. According to the deceitful lusts. Sinful inclinations and desires are deceitful lusts: they promise men happiness, but render them more miserable, and if not subdued and mortified betray them into destruction. These therefore must be put off as an old garment that we should be ashamed to be seen in: they must be subdued and mortified. These lusts prevailed against them in their former conversation, that is, during their state of unregeneracy and heathenism.; Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Lie not one to another, for it is contrary both to the law of truth and the law of love, it is both unjust and unkind, and naturally tends to destroy all faith and friendship among mankind. Lying makes us like the devil (who is the father of lies), and is a prime part of the devil's image upon our souls; and therefore we are cautioned against this sin by this general reason: Seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man,). The new man, to be visible, must be put on as one would put on a new suit of clothes (Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man. The consideration that we have by profession put away sin and espoused the cause and interest of Christ, that we have renounced all sin and stand engaged to Christ, should fortify us against this sin of lying. Those who have put off the old man have put it off with its deeds; and those who have put on the new man must put on all its deeds--not only espouse good principles but act them in a good conversation. The new man is said to be renewed in knowledge, because an ignorant soul cannot be a good soul. Without knowledge the heart cannot be good. The grace of God works upon the will and affections by renewing the understanding. ). In other words, the new nature must be cultivated or nurtured by spiritual decisiveness to grow in Christ. We must not revert to putting on the old suit of the former life; rather we must continue to grow in this new life (Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: In the latter part he instructs them in the principal duties of religion, both personal and relative, and exhorts and quickens them to the faithful discharge of them. Zanchy observes that we have here an epitome of the whole Christian doctrine, and of almost all the chief heads of divinity.).