From “Called to be Holy” by Rick Melick: Lifeway Books
AGREEMENT:
· Old Man is UN-regenerate, has Adamic nature, fleshly, blinded by sin, self-centered, UN-believing, but is capable of doing “good” things in the eyes of the world.
· Justification is by FAITH Alone
· At point of belief (Salvation), man is justified or declared holy and acceptable to God.
But WHAT Does “REGENERATION” Mean?
Two Opposing Doctrines of Regeneration and Sanctification
1 NATURE 2 NATURESREGENERATION: work of the Holy Spirit in repentance and faith that opens the eyes to spiritual sight CHANGES the unbeliever, Old Nature. The Old nature is TRANSFORMED because the Holy Spirit dwells within.
Old Man is CHANGED! New motivation, ambitions, attitudes, actions, patterns for relationships, values, pleasures. At conversion, the believer turns from his old way of life and no longer wants to walk in sin.
New Nature: At conversion, the old nature is changed so that it embraces God. God implants a deep desire through the Holy Spirit to follow a life of holiness.
The new believer has new responsibilities because of his new relationship with Christ. He cannot blame failure on anyone or anything else, including a “bad nature”. / REGENERATION: a New nature is implanted into our body of flesh and the Holy Spirit now dwells within:
Old man + New Man (+ Holy Spirit)
We are given an ADDITIONAL Nature.
The Old nature remains and co-exists with the New nature.
New Nature: Given at conversion
The Holy Spirit is the arbitrator who fights against the Old Man, so the New Nature can dominate.
The believer is not responsible for his sanctification; he is just the “playing field” between these 2 natures.
Which “dog” [old nature or new nature] will the believer now feed?
SEPARATION from the Old Man
(OT Promise of New Covenant that will come)
Ezekiel 36:25-27
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27 “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.Romans 6:6
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;Ephesians 4:22-24
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Colossians 3:9-10
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him / CONTINUE TO LIVE alongside the OLD MAN
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Colossians 3:5
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
STRUGGLE
Some immediate changes at conversion, progressive changes continue. Learning new life patterns takes time, so change comes progressively
Rom 7:14-25…struggle between what he knew to do and the flesh that would not do it (law of sin at work in the members of his body)
Gal 5:16-18 Spirit and flesh oppose each other.
(not a struggle of 2 natures, but the frustration from failure to accomplish the transformation the mind desires, inability to live up to the knowledge one possesses) / STRUGGLE
Personal experience of inward pull to ways of the “old man”, citing Romans 7
JUSTIFICATION: (salvation) at one point in time he is declared holy (positionally)
SANCTIFICATION: progressive work of Holy Spirit to conform us to God’s image: practical holiness
Sanctification is evidence of TRUE salvation. IF one is not being sanctified, his salvation is not real…he has a false assurance of his eternal state.
James 2:14,19-20
14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?…; the demons also believe, and shudder.20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is dead? / Sanctification (moving toward maturity / Christ-likeness) is optional for salvation.
A true child of God will always be growing, there may be some set backs, but he will not continue in a habit of sin….because God’s Spirit lives within. / Sanctification is like a “jacket”..you can choose to put it on or take it off…permanently.)
You can do the works of Satan (every day of your life) and still go to heaven. One can continue in adultery throughout his life without a desire to change and still be saved.
At point of belief, one repents from his old way of life, trusts in the work of Jesus on the cross to pay for his sins. He is no longer a slave of sin/Satan but freed to serve the Lord (master) Jesus Christ. / “Belief” is just knowing in your mind that Jesus Christ died for our sins…it’s that simple. “Belief” does not involve surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord.
Result: Only 1 possible state for a true believer
UNBELIEVER
(NOT SAVED)SO-CALLED BROTHER
(UNBELIEVER, NOT SAVED)1 Corinthians 5
One who claims to be a believer, but who continually acts in un-holy behavior…immoral ways: adultery, homosexuality, incest, greedy, swindler, idolater, etc. who has no desire to walk in God’s holy ways and is unrepentant over sin. He should be dis-fellowshipped from the local church until he repents from such behavior. This church discipline is for the good of the one who falsely thinks he is saved (that he might seriously reconsider his beliefs/ actions and repent) and for the good of the whole body so they will not be deceived by wrong behavior or doctrine.
The Bible would call “self” on the throne “idolatry”.
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CHRISTIAN
(SAVED, growing mature in Christ)(1 Corinthians 3: A “Carnal” Christian” is considered to be a true Christian, albeit young in his Christian walk, and may at times act like an unbeliever by his arrogance, quarrelling, divisively following personalities in the pulpit, solving problems with other believers in the civil courts, etc. He may have a temporary lapse in more serious fleshly behavior, but will repent from it. He desires to be God’s man and will outgrow this temporary state by seeking to understand God’s Word and live surrendered to God’s Holy Spirit.)
/ Result: 2 possible states for a believer
UNBELIEVER
(NOT SAVED)------