Christians and the Sinful nature

[AThornquist]

So, I am confused about what kind of nature Christians have. Surely we are new creatures in Christ, but yet we still sin. And we die to ourselves daily and try to live fully for the Lord, as imitators of Him, meaning live in a way that does not naturally occur in and of ourselves. So, if Christians don't have a "sinful nature," why would these things be so?

There must be a word distinction that I am not aware of, but as far as I understand, it would be accurate to say that unbelievers have a FULLY sinful nature. However, since Christ has set us (believers) free from our slavery to sin, we have an actual choice to sin or live righteously. Thus, Christians would seem to have a partially sinful nature, or something like that. A sometimes willingly sinful natural? uhh... help, please?

 

[moral necessity]

Well, Romans 7:14-25 is the short answer to your question. But, to be more particular, in my understanding, we have one nature that, as believers, is governed by two different principles or laws. Paul says, (vs. 21), that a "principle of evil" is present within him, a "law in the members" of his body (vs. 22), that wages war with the "law of his mind" (vs. 23). He now has a "willing spirit" (vs. 18), but still an unyielding flesh (vs. 14). The unregenerate do not have this problem......they have no contrary principle or law that drives them contrary to the law of sin in their members. But, we do. And, the presence of this new principle or law within us is why we are said to be "no longer under the dominion of sin." Sin is no longer the only thing driving us; and it no longer can be said that sin dominates and rules in the believer. But, neither is it able to be said that sin no longer is present and active, and very well powerful, in the believer also. Paul here is expressing how much sin still does exert it's power over him in his life, so much so that he cries out for his rescue from it (vs. 24). And, David showed very much how sin got the better of him for nearly an entire year. And, Samson and Solomon and many others display similar seasons of being won over by it's sway. And yet, they never left the faith totally. I see the analogy of the water faucet as fitting. As unbelievers, we have only cold water running, but, as believers, we have both hot and cold water running. The amount that each is turned up varies throughout life, and is different through different seasons, according to the will and discretion of the Lord, according to which will develop us in maturity the best. And so, we are truly "new creatures", not "new" in the sense of "perfect", but "new" in the sense of "different from before".

 

[AThornquist]

Thanks a lot, Charles.
So, would Christians be said to be sinful, but not have a sinful nature? Unbelievers would have a sinful nature (no fight in the will), but believers a renewed nature (with a fight of the mind vs the flesh), or what? Are there more commonly used theological terms for this concept?

 

[moral necessity]

Well, ask others what they think. But, the way I tend to view it is, that people have a human nature, in general. And, that human nature is goverened by a sin principle, ever since the fall of Adam. When we are born again, a new principle of holiness is now introduced into us, and so the contrary struggle ensues. The implanting of the new principle causes the sin principle therefore to become weakened or impaired, but it does not cause it to be taken away.

I tend to think of it somewhat like I do a person in the hospital. They were once a healthy person, until they got some big disease. Then, when they were taken to the hospital, they were injected with the cure, which will eventually work it's way through their entire body over many, many years. So, believers still are in bondage to sin (Rom. 7:15,25), yet not under it's dominion as before. All of our faculties (mind, will, affections) are still influenced by sin, but they are also influenced now by the Spirit of holiness. So, we are no longer dead in sin, but neither are we entirely whole either. We are still sick and crippled and lame in many a degree, and are still under the influence of the illness, yet not to the point anymore of domination.

 

[ChristianHedonist]

Would it be unorthodox to consider us as having two natures? I've heard it said that sanctification is not the old man being turned into the new man, but rather the old man being constantly put to death by the new.

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

Christians have the ability to wrestle with their sin and repent of it, the unbeliever is oblivious and anti-Christ in his depravity.

Grace is the difference, the sin nature remains for our lifetime but we get to discipline ourselves and put some of it to death through sanctification, but that too is dependent upon grace.

 

[mvdm]

The Heidelberg is helpful:

Q&A 62:

Q: Why can't the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with Him?

A: Because the righteousness which can pass God's scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin.

Q&A 89:

Q: What is the dying-away of the old self?

A: It is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more and to run away from it.

Q&A 90:

Q: What is the coming to life of the new self?

A: It is wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to.

Q&A 70:

Q: What does it mean to be washed with Christ's blood and Spirit?

A: {deleted portion}..........to be washed with Christ's Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life.

===============

In general then, what we see of this "new nature" is having a new relationship with sin. The sin we once loved we now learn to hate. The God and neighbor we once hated we now learn to love.

 

[Theognome]

Man's nature isn't sinless- Christ's indwelling nature through the Holy Spirit is sinless. No man- not even a Christian, can make any kind of claim to be sinless, for such is a lie (1John 1:8). It is the condemnation that sin brings before the Law that Christians have been freed from, being under grace instead in Christ. Thus we are free to seek God despite our nature.

Theognome