The old man. Does he exist for “us”? If so, what are we to do about him? I think the Bible offers a clear answer to these questions, and offers the only answer to the question of just what needs to be done about him.

That ye put off <659> concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Ephesians 4:22

Here we have the command to cast off, lay apart, aside, down, to put away such things concerning the former conversation of the old man. It is a call to action for the Christian in the war against the sins of the flesh.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off <554> the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Colossians 3:9-10

In Colossians there is a call to mortify our members seeing that we have already put off the old man at the moment of our conversion, which man we now know is crucified with Christ and dead because of sin, and now as many of us as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27), or the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. This is true of “us” no matter how we may feel at the present moment, and I say that this is true of “us” despite our present performance.

The old man, or the corruptible body of this death, is crucified with Christ and will one day fully put on incorruption and immortality and we will be without spot or blemish.

Call it the old man. or this corruptible, or the body of this death, but make no mistake about it, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and our carnal members are to be mortified, and yielded unto God as those that are alive unto God from the dead, as we truly are in Christ Jesus.

I can somewhat see my flesh and blood body as a George Romero zombie. Dead but with an appetite. I have put my body on a “starvation diet” if you will. I must starve the beast of that sin that seeks to reign in my mortal body. I have a new life that I wish to live now, a life that is in Christ, which is a life of sanctification, lead by the Spirit of God unto righteousness and progress in the faith, and unto things that are eternal and true for “us” the sons of God.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

I am not now what I shall be, and despite all of my godly effort and good intentions, appearances will give this fact away. As long as there is sin still dwelling in my flesh, I will have to see myself yet as that man who is carnal and sold under sin, and undeniably wretched, desperately in need of grace and mercy from God, who is the judge of me, and who sent his only begotten Son to make me free from sin, and deliver me from it’s consequence which is death everlasting.

By faith in God, my fate has become inextricably united to that of Jesus Christ who made the way for me to live unto God who saved me because of His great love for me, and according to the good pleasure of His will. All Christians should reckon this as unalterably so in Christ, and say the same both confidently and vigorously.

Henceforth we should not serve sin…
Isaiah 1:18

Chris

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Let Jesus answers to this:

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22

490 times? I say Jesus was speaking figuratively here to illustrate a point about forgiveness. Surely even if man is not willing to forgive each and every sin that his fellow man has committed against him, God is willing to do so for those sins (all of them) that we as his children commit against Him, for there is absolute pardon from sin to be found in his only begotten Son Jesus Christ and cleansing from it to be obtained in a moment of honest confession of it and repentance from it.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Psalm 32:5

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

There are 365 days in a year and I am 41 years old. That means that if I have sinned only 1 time per day for 41 years I have sinned against God 14,965 times. God who is infinitely more forgiving than we are should be expected to go by his own rules, and he does, and stands ready and willing to cleanse us of all unrighteousness for all sins that we confess unto him and repent of. I say that He does more than this by choosing not to impute sin unto “us” at all. I cannot possibly have confessed all of my 14,965+++ sins anyway, and still find the need to repent and depart from the iniquity that I still display in this, my body of death, this corruptible, wherein sin still dwells. It is a constant battle.

Is God keeping a record of every naughty sinful behavior like some cosmic Santa Clause who would cross me off of his list in his anger over how I am doing this year? I say he is not. Will God always forgive me and put up with me knowing and seeing that I sin repeatedly against him to this day? I say that he will. He certainly has, that is for sure, even when he lovingly spanks me or crushes my bones, doing so only in order that He may bring about the peaceable fruit of righteousness in me.

I am ever looking for the promise of and way of escape from temptation and sin, and experience has shown me that it is never to be found in my own flesh, and I know that the escape is always spiritual and not carnal, for in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. I must always look elsewhere, knowing that nothing I can do is capable of saving me to the uttermost from my sin(s). Jesus, now seated at the right hand of God has done just that, and he ever liveth to intercede for me now.

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Romans 4:7-8 (see also Colossians 2:10-15 and Psalm 32)

For me, this means that all 14,965 sins, plus, multiplied, and squared, and yes, all of those that I am not even yet aware of, and all of those that I have yet to commit have been crucified with Christ, and all of my sin past, present, and future is forgiven, covered, and not ever imputed unto me, just and only because I am in Christ Jesus who was made to be sin for me, that I could become the righteousness of God in him.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Isaiah 1:18

Chris