No Doubt

[netchaplain]

Not a cloud of guilt, nor any evil power of control remains for the believer in the Lord Jesus! The "old man," at rebirth, has lost both its "condemnation" (Ro 8:1) and "dominion" (Ro 6:14) on the believer. The guilt is gone because Christ has taken its curse; and its power to cause the believer to desire sin is annulled because "God works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phl 2:13), instead of our evil pleasure.

Though the Christian possess the old man, which continues to tempt, the power of the Lord Jesus takes the place of the power to desire sin and do evil. This is where God is most glorified--in that from now on the believer is ever controlled by the indwelling Spirit of God, "against which there is no law (opposition - Gal 5:23); and knowing this is a permanent state gives the greatest encouragement and "exhortation" (Heb 10:25).

God causes believers to "reckon" on His Word so that there will be surety of guidance concerning living according to His "pleasure;" and He will not fail here in those who are His!

 

[Tenchi]

Not a cloud of guilt, nor any evil power of control remains for the believer in the Lord Jesus! The "old man," at rebirth, has lost both its "condemnation" (Ro 8:1) and "dominion" (Ro 6:14) on the believer. The guilt is gone because Christ has taken its curse; and its power to cause the believer to desire sin is annulled because "God works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phl 2:13), instead of our evil pleasure.

It sounds like you've said here that guilt is what causes the believer to desire sin. Maybe you misspoke? It is the "old Self" (Romans 6:6) that is the ultimate source of all of our sin, right? The person we are apart from God - fleshly-minded, temporal in focus, deeply self-centered and rebellious (Romans 8:5-8; Philippians 3:18-19) - is what produces all the sin in our lives, not guilt, or the devil, or pride, or whatever.

You're right on, though, that the power of the old Self has been broken in the life of the believer by Christ's death on the cross. All of God's born-again children were united with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:24; Galatians 6:14; Colossians 3:1-3, etc.) and thereby separated from their "old Self," who was "dead in trespasses and sins." The source of all their sin has been dealt with by God, through Jesus, and they no longer have to live in bondage to sin but are, instead to "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God" (Romans 6:11).

Though the Christian possess the old man, which continues to tempt, the power of the Lord Jesus takes the place of the power to desire sin and do evil.

Well, sort of... We have new life (not just power) in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 14:6; Colossians 3:4) and it is this life that enables us to stand by faith in our spiritual identity in him. The indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 6:9), gives us both the desire and the ability to do God's will (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 3:16; Romans 8:13, etc.). As you know, the Spirit is not merely "a power," a force, but a Person who may be grieved, who teaches and reminds, who speaks and makes decisions, etc. (Ephesians 4:30; John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Acts 15:28). He it is who is strong for us, altering our desires, thinking and conduct as we walk each day with him in loving submission to his will and way (Romans 12:1; Romans 6:13-22; 1 Peter 5:6; James 4:7).

This is where God is most glorified--in that from now on the believer is ever controlled by the indwelling Spirit of God...

Amen!

God causes believers to "reckon" on His Word so that there will be surety of guidance concerning living according to His "pleasure;" and He will not fail here in those who are His!

Sadly, many truly born-again people know nothing of Romans 6. And it shows in their living perennially in a tight cycle of sin>confession>sin>confession. Only when a child of God takes the lower place before Him, in humility and love consciously submitting to Him throughout each day, does the Truth of God revealed in His word come alive to them as the reality in which they want to stand by faith all the time.

 

[netchaplain]

It sounds like you've said here that guilt is what causes the believer to desire sin.

Hi, and thanks for the involved reply! Guilt is the primary result of not being reborn, but willful sin is the cause of guilt; and this shows we have yet to experience rebirth.

It is the "old Self" (Romans 6:6) that is the ultimate source of all of our sin, right?

Right! One cannot sin if void of the old man, which of course is an impossibility; as we are still learning God's holiness from the sin nature.

You're right on, though, that the power of the old Self has been broken in the life of the believer by Christ's death on the cross.

Yes, the believer died on the Cross and ascended with Christ in our position in Him; and God has separated us from the indwelling "old man" ("flesh"; sin nature) - Rom 8:9. Our separation means that the power of the old man can no longer cause us to want to sin; our sins are never "willful" (Heb 10:26).

God bless!