The Two Natures of a Believer

Every person born into this world has an inherited sinful nature which was passed on from Adam when he sinned in the garden of Eden. 

We don’t become sinners when we commit our first sin. We are sinners by nature, from birth. Notice the following Scriptures:

King David said, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." - Psalm 51:5

King Solomon said, "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." - Ecclesiastes 7:20

The Old Testament confirms the natural born sinner, and the New Testament does as well:

The Apostle Paul says, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." - Romans 3:10, 12

Every person who has ever been born into this world is a sinner by nature. We all fall short of the Perfect, Holy, and Righteous God (Creator of Heaven, Earth, and all life in between). Notice the following:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23

"For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Jesus) came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," - 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

Our sinful nature from birth is why we are born into a condemned state. (John 3:18). We as natural-born humans are spiritually separated from God upon birth.  God is our Creator, but not our Father.

If a person physically dies without ever trusting Christ as Savior (accepting the payment He made for our sins - shedding His sinless blood, dying and rising from the grave as our substitute), then that individual will remain condemned in their sins for all eternity (separated from God in Hell forever). Notice the following verse:

"For the wages (payment) of sin is death (separation from God); but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:23.

Now the good news is the latter part of the above verse which is underlined! When you believe (trust) on Christ as Savior (believing He shed His sinless blood to pay your sin debt and believing He rose again), you become saved (delivered from your sin penalty forever), you possess eternal life at the moment of your faith in Christ as Savior, you have been passed from spiritual death unto spiritual life, you become permanently indwelt and sealed with the Holy Spirit forever, and you have been "born again", receiving a brand New Nature (sinless nature) which is God’s eternal seed (Christ's Perfect and Holy Righteousness) (see John 1:12, 5:24, 6:47, 2 Cor. 5:17-21, Gal. 3:26, 6:15, Eph. 1:12-14, 4:30, Phil. 3:9, 1 John 3:9, 5:9-13).

The following verse (1 John 3:9) speaks of the New Nature in Christ which is sinless.  It is perfect and Holy because it is the inherited seed of God in Christ.  Now please note, the following verse (1 John 3:9) reads differently in other Bible translations so I recommend the KJV translation (this particular verse needs to be read in the KJV for clarity and accuracy)

"Whosoever is born of God (believers in Christ - see John 1:12, Gal. 3:26) doth not commit sin (the believer in Christ cannot sin in his New Nature which is inherited by faith in Christ as Savior); for his seed (God's Seed) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin (New Nature cannot sin), because he is born of God." - 1 John 3:9

The Apostle Peter also confirms this perfect and Holy seed of God (New Nature) - "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." - 1 Peter 1:23

So now you can see that the believer in Christ has 2 natures. (the Old sinful Nature inherited from Adam & the brand New Nature inherited by faith in Christ as Savior)

Let’s now break down these 2 natures to understand them fully. The Old sinful Nature never gets better. It can never improve for the believer in Christ. It is just as corrupt and sinful since it’s beginning inception which was from your physical birth. In contrast, the New Nature is completely sinless. The New Nature can do no wrong. The New Nature is perfect inherited by Christ (God's Holy Seed). Understanding the reality and detail of these 2 natures is extremely important for the Christian. It is significant to grasp the truth of these 2 natures as a believer in Christ because it should bring peace knowing that your assurance of salvation is a completed act based on your one-time faith in the finished work of Jesus (His sinless shed blood, death, and resurrection for payment of all your sins).  You don't have to question your salvation based on your good deeds or how your living your life.  Salvation is completed in Christ and not dependent on your life and deeds. Now, living the Christian life is a daily yieldingness to our New Nature, but our Old Nature is still present until we physically die so the struggle to perform and yield to Christ is real.

The believer must make conscious decisions each day to feed (strive to live in) the New Nature in Christ (yielding to the New Nature / keeping the Old Nature subdued). This is a constant battle in the believer’s life. The believer must train their mind to think heavenly (spiritually), striving to serve in his New Nature for God’s glory. We do this by living the active Christian life (praying, reading your Bible, fellowshipping with like-minded believers, evangelizing the lost, loving God and your neighbor, practicing self-denial and God approval, etc.) - see my article "Are You Completely Yielded to God?"

Let's now look at Scriptures distinguishing between the 2 Natures of the believer:

The Old Nature - (sinful, corrupt, cannot please God - see Rom. 8:8) - 

The New Nature - (sinless, perfect, holy, righteous, can only please God - see 1 Pet. 1:23 & 1 John 3:9) -

"Knowing this, that our old man (Old Nature) is crucified with him (speaking of Christ because He defeated sin and death at the Cross), that the body of sin might be destroyed (Old Nature will ultimately die at our physical death, but spiritually it is already dead because it has no power to condemn the believer any longer because our sin debt was paid in full by Christ's shed blood and finished work at Calvary), that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin (spiritually speaking the believer in Christ has died with Christ and rose again so he is free from the sin penalty of condemnation)." - Romans 6:6-7

Paul is saying in the above Scriptures that our Old sinful Nature is dead. It no longer has power or authority over the believer, Therefore, mentally and spiritually the believer in Christ must train his mind to consider the Old Nature dead so that we focus only on serving and yielding to our New Nature in Christ. We have freedom to serve Christ in love with our New Nature. Notice the following passages:

"But ye have not so learned Christ (Paul is talking to believers who are yielding to their Old Nature); If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (behavior) the old man (Old sinful Nature), which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man (New sinless Nature), which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying (Old Nature), speak every man truth with his neighbour (New Nature): for we are members one of another. Be ye angry (Old Nature), and sin not (notice we have power in our New Nature not to sin): let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil (the Devil can tempt and entice our Old Nature). Let him that stole steal no more (Old Nature): but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth (New Nature). Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth (Old Nature), but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers (New Nature). And grieve not the holy Spirit of God (yielding and serving in your Old Nature will grieve or make the Holy Spirit sad), whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Old Nature): And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another (New Nature), even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:20-32

"If ye then be risen with Christ (New Nature because of your faith in the risen Christ), seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above (New Nature), not on things on the earth (Old Nature). For ye are dead (your Old Nature is dead from it's power to condemn), and your life is hid with Christ in God (New Nature). When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Our Old Nature will be gone at physical death and only our New Nature will go to Heaven). Mortify (Put to death or consider your Old Nature dead and powerless) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry (Old Nature): For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience (this is speaking of unbelievers who only possess the Old Nature): In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them (Believers in Christ no longer only live in their Old Nature because they now have the New Nature inherited by Christ). But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man (Old Nature) with his deeds; And have put on the new man (New Nature), which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him (Christ) that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Christ is in all who have placed their faith in Him as Savior). Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (New Nature). And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness (completeness). And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (New Nature)." - Colossians 3:1-17

Even the Apostle Paul had struggle with yielding to either the Old or New Nature within him.  Notice this passage of Scripture below:

"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not (Paul is saying that which I want to do which is to serve in my New Nature, I don't always do because I yield back to my Old Nature): for what I would (New Nature), that do I not; but what I hate (Old Nature), that do I. If then I do (Old Nature) that which I would not (New Nature), I consent unto the law that it is good (Paul is saying that when he does wrong serving in his Old Nature, he is basically condoning it which is obviously wrong). Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me (the Old Nature is sinful and can do no right in God's eyes). For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh (Old Nature),) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would (New Nature) I do not: but the evil which I would not (Old Nature), that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God (law of love/law of liberty) after the inward man (New Nature): But I see another law in my members (Old Nature), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Old Nature). O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death (Old Nature)? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God (law of love/law of liberty which is accessed through our New Nature); but with the flesh the law of sin (Old Nature)." - Romans 7:14-25

Every believer in Christ has the Old sinful Nature and the New Nature in Christ. We will struggle with sin all our lives until physical death; because at physical death, the Old Nature with die with our body. When we arrive in Heaven, we will receive a brand new glorified body which is sinless because it will only posses our New Nature which was inherited by our faith in Christ as Savior. We will be dressed in Christ’s righteousness, not our Old sinful Nature. (see also Rom. chapter 6, 8:1-25, 1 Cor. 3:1-3, 2 Cor. 4:6-18, Eph. chapter 2, 1 John 1:5-10) 

Now yield your members to your New Nature.  Serve God with all your being in the Law of Liberty / Law of Love. Yearn for and know that one day this old sinful body with its Old sinful Nature will no longer have any capacity to harm us or displease God.  The Old Nature is crucified and dead already spiritually, but will also die physically when we leave this Earth and forever reside with the Lord.  In Heaven, we will no longer have capacity or capability to sin because we will no longer have that Old sinful Nature; what a beautiful truth! Now train your mind daily to serve in your New Nature!

"I beseech (beg and plead) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (serve in your New Nature), that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1-2