Ephesians 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him just as the truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
The old self is the product of deception, that is, the lie of the serpant, that which directly contradicts the word of God.
Deception, when we yield to it, in turn produces lust, that is, perverted, harmful desire. Lust, in turn, when we yield to it, produces sin, and sin, when it has taken its course, brings forth death.
So that’s the order of the degenerative process, deception, lust, sin, and death.
The nature that is described as the old self has two distinctive marks.
First, it’s corrupt, spiritually, morally, and physically corrupt.
Second, it’s a rebel.
Theres a rebel inside each one of us. What is God’s solution for the problem of the old self or the flesh?
The old man and the flesh are basically the same, except in the new birth the old man is crucified with Christ, our spirit has been regenerated, God gives us a new spirit and a new heart in the New covenant.
This is a problem that confronts every one of us, until we learn how to walk in the spirit then it becomes impossible to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, because we have attained a level in the spirit where even the thought of sin is foolishness. But not to many Christians know how to walk in the Spirit 24/7, they just wake up spiritually when they go to church or are fellowshipping with another Spirit filled Christian.
First, let’s mention some things that are not God’s solution. We can rule out all the solutions beginning with self and they are multiplied daily in terms of contemporary psychology and thought. Self-realization, self-fulfillment, self-expression, because all these give rein to a self which is a rebel.
So, every one of these solutions and others like it that begin with self are just giving free rein to a rebel. I think we’ve passed through a generation which decided that it was wrong to discipline children and to restrain them and that children should be granted freedom of self-expression.
I believe that generation has learned, too late, that what it was doing was giving freedom of expression to a rebel.
Another thing that is not God’s solution is a system of law. Many people look to law to deal with the problem of the old self. But Israel’s failure, to whom the law of Moses was given, is a demonstration that law does not achieve the desired end.
The reason is not that there’s anything wrong with law. Law is good in itself, as Paul says in Romans chapter 7, but it cannot change the rebel. And anything that does not change the rebel is not a permanent solution.
A third thing that is not God’s solution for the old self, and this one may surprise you, is religion. God does not send the old self to church or Sunday school or arrange for the old self to memorize scripture or do all the things that people do in church, sing worship songs or say prayers.
Religion is somewhat like a refrigerator, if I may express it that way, and I’ll show you why. Religion can temporarily conceal corruption or arrest it, but it cannot ultimately change it. It’s like a luscious peach that we see. It looks so good and so fresh, and it’s so appetizing, and yet left to itself, it will quickly wither and rot, because the process of corruption is already at work in it.
Now you can arrest that process of corruption for a while by putting that peach in the refrigerator. And in the refrigerator, it’ll stay fresh looking and attractive much longer, but ultimately, even in the refrigerator, it’ll wither.
Now, trying to deal with the old man by religion is like putting the peach in the refrigerator. Religion is a kind of refrigerator. It arrests the process of corruption. It may conceal restrain that corruption for a while, but it ultimately cannot change it.
So, there are three things which are not God’s solution. All the words that begin with self-realization, self-improvement, self-fulfillment, self-expression.
Secondly, a system of law.
And thirdly, religion.
None of these work because none of these can change the nature of the old self. They cannot change the rebel. You see, the old self is a rotten tree. And this is what Jesus says about a rotten tree in Matthew chapter 7:17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And the fire is for purification.
So, the old self is a rotten tree. It cannot produce good fruit. And therefore, there’s only one solution. It must be cut down. It must be done away with.
The old self in terms of a rotten tree is to cut it down. John the Baptist said the axe is laid to the root of the tree, it is our responsibility to use it.
Let’s use language that applies to a human being rather than the tree. God’s solution for the old self can be summed up in one plain, familiar word, execution.
God does not send the old self to church or to the psychiatrist or put the old self under the law. God executes the old self.
There’s no other solution for that rebel. But the good news of the gospel is that execution has already taken place in Christ. This is really the key to understanding the gospel message.
It’s God’s program for dealing with the old self. This is very vividly stated in the Living Bible in Romans chapter 7 verses 24 and 25. Paul says, Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature?
That’s the old self, this deadly lower nature. Who will free me? Then he cries out with gratitude, Thank God. It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord.
He has set me free, free from this deadly lower nature, this old self. How has Jesus set us free?
Let’s turn to Romans chapter 6 and verse 6. This is what Paul says, for we know.
Short comment. The problem with many Christians is that they don’t know. This is a fact stated clearly in Scripture, but many do not know it.
For we know, now listen, that our old self was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. That’s the only way of escape from the slavery of sin.
It’s by knowing and believing that our old self, that deadly lower nature, was crucified with Jesus. That when Jesus died on the cross, that rebel, the old self, was executed in him. Our old self was crucified with him. This is a fact of history.
I had in my mind a picture of the hill of Calvary or Golgotha, and three crosses upon it. And the central cross was outstanding. It was higher than the other two on either side. And as this scene was before my mind, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, and he asked me a question. For whom was the center cross made? And then it was as though he added, be careful, think before you answer.
So, I thought it over, and I gave this answer. The center cross was made for Barabbas. That’s the fact. Barabbas was due to be executed on that center cross. But at the last moment, by divine providence, an exchange was made, and Jesus took the place of Barabbas. So, the Holy Spirit said that to me.
If the center cross was made for Barabbas and Jesus was crucified on that center cross, then Jesus took the place of Barabbas. And I said, yes, that’s right.
Then the Holy Spirit said to me, but I thought Jesus took your place. And I said, yes, he did. Then the Holy Spirit said, then you must be Barabbas. And at that moment, I realized it with a flash of insight. I’d never argue with people about this. God’s word states it clearly.
But it’s only the Holy Spirit that can help you to see. Your old self is the criminal, the one for whom that cross was legitimately made. It was made according to your specifications. It fits you exactly. It’s where you ought to be, where I ought to be.
But the glorious and wonderful message of the gospel of God’s mercy is, at the last moment an exchange was made. Jesus took the place of Barabbas. Jesus took the place of the old self. Our old self was crucified with him. This is a historical fact.
Whether we know it or not, whether we believe it or not, will affect us, but it doesn’t affect the fact.
God’s remedy for the old self is execution. He doesn’t improve him, he doesn’t reform him, he doesn’t make him religious, he doesn’t send him to church or to the psychiatrist, but he has ordained his execution.
The mercy of God is that the execution took place in Jesus, and so we can say… As Paul says, What a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God it has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.