THE OLD MAN | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 20, 1869

THE OLD MAN.

This is but another term for the carnal mind, and signifies our fallen nature. It is that self which gives us so much trouble, and which must die or it will be our ruin.

In Rom. vi, 6, Paul calls the old man “the body of sin,” a most expressive designation of our evil nature. What a term, “the body of sin”! In exact conformity with this idea he represents the sins and evil propensities of the natural man as members of this body of sin. Thus he says, Col. iii, 5, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

What a picture this presents! Here is the body of sin, or old man, and here are the members of that body. This is the carnal mind that is enmity against God, and that is not subject to his law, and cannot be. God’s law forbids the existence of such a nature, and refuses to tolerate it for a moment. And this evil heart of sin has not one particle of submission to the law. There is no chance for peace between them.

This evil nature must die. Everything pertaining to it is wrong. It has no right to exist. This is why we must have it crucified. The process of crucifixion is painful; but if we do faithfully attend to this daily dying to self, we shall not die the second death. We must die to sin or we shall inevitably die on account of it. Which of these deaths shall we have for our portion?