What is the "old nature" and how do we live right?

In trying to be righteous before God by their own efforts at keeping the Law, many Christians, having only good intentions, have been cut off from Christ. Galatians 5:4 says "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

This makes many believers in the world today no different from the Pharisees of old, separated from Christ, believing that unless they give, they cannot get anything from our heavenly Father who gives us ALL things FREELY with Christ (Romans 8:32,) full of religious works and keeping the Law (whose deeds cannot make any righteous) in order to be holy, yet not saved. The Pharisees even had it better than these beloved of God because they had their blood sacrifices to make yearly atonement for their sins and many other sacrifices and cleansings.

The Lord will not share His glory with anyone. He saves to the uttermost. He came to make us righteous, the only brand of righteousness that cuts it with our heavenly Father. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.'

The good things we do in order to be right with God or receive from Him (our righteousnesses) are like filthy rags according to Isaiah. Christ has nothing to do in your life if you believe that you can keep even the tiniest part of the Law and be made right with God by your own strength.

Acts 13:38-39 says "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses."

It says "all things" and not "the ones that I can't handle." God is not interested in "your best," you who are still trying to be righteous by keeping the Ten Commandments and thus are cut off from Christ. James 2:10 says you are guilty of all the Law if you stumble in one point. And we have all stumbled! We often think of sins like stealing, murder and fornication in this regard but have you loved your neighbour as yourself? Would you really sponsor the child of your nasty colleague to Havard while your own child goes without an education because the funds you have will suffice for just one child? Love thy neighbour as theyself is the second greatest commandment.

The first, to love God with all your heart.... is beyond human effort. The story of the rich, young ruler in Luke 18 shows us this. With man, this is impossible but with God, all things are possible.

Under Law, sin will have dominion over you- you will sin more. Under Grace, sin will not have dominion over you - you will not continue to sin and not by your own effort. We see this in Romans 7:

4 "So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 "When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit."

The "old nature" in verse 5 is those who do not have Christ as their righteousness. Romans 5:19 says "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous." Those who stand in their own ability to do right by themselves are neither dead to the law nor alive in Christ: they still have the old nature.

Believer, don't be a cursed "Christian" who does not have Christ because of your efforts at keeping the Law to get right with God. Believers in this category get to produce a harvest of sinful deeds.

Forsake your own righteousnesses by His grace and have our Saviour Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, as your righteousness. You will not continue to sin. Rather, you will "produce a harvest of good deeds for God."

This reasoning does not seem logical by the world's standards, "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 1 Corinthians 1:21

Ask the Lord to make it all make sense to you. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.