David Diga Hernandez - Living in the Spirit

You have likely heard it said that you consist of two natures: the sin nature and the spirit nature, and that these two natures are working it out within you. However, I contend, based on what the Bible says, that you actually consist truly of only one nature. Now, I want to talk to you about overcoming the power of the flesh, and I want to discuss living in the Spirit or living out the fruit of the Holy Spirit. But we need to understand something about the sin nature before we can talk about overcoming it, and the truth is that you are of the Spirit. I want to show you from Scripture the reality that you only have one true nature, and that is the spirit nature. This is not dualism; there are not two of you; there is only one you, and that you is of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:21–24 says this: «Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.» Romans 6:1-7 say, «What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.» The Scripture tells us that we have been crucified with Christ, that the sin nature is dead; it’s crucified, it’s gone. In 1 Peter 2:24, the Bible says, «He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by his wounds you were healed.» 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, «Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.» I want you to say «all things.» The Bible also says in Galatians 2:20, «My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.» So we see very clearly from the Scripture that you have one nature; the sin nature is dead, the sin nature is crucified, your old self is gone. Your old self remains no longer; you have been set free from the bondage of sin. You are now free to live in righteousness, free to live in holiness, free to live in that peace that comes with atonement with God. We stop here, though, because even though we know what the Scripture says about the old nature being crucified with Christ, even though we know that we are new and completely recreated, there seems to be this struggle that remains. The Scripture does say in Romans 7:15–20, «I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me—that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life: that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all of my heart, but there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!» So you see how it is: in my mind, I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin. Romans 8:7-9 says, «For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature; you are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.» Now, do you notice that the Scripture says «your sin nature»? That puzzled me because…