TEACHING

Don Atkin

THE FUTILITY OF FIGHTING A DEAD MAN

There are so many dear believers who live under condemnation for lack of understanding. Liberty comes from a revelation of Chapters 6, 7, and 8 of Romans, which brings to light the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2

Great quote! Super “positive confession!” But, has this truth dropped from your head into your heart and released its liberating life in your spirit?

Furthermore, those who live under the yoke of law and condemnation are quick to judge others and attempt to bring them into slavery. There are men who believe that God has given them the job of finding and pointing out the flaws in other people. They are always “discerning” the tiniest black speck on a clean sheet of white paper, if you know what I mean. Behavior modification is the best we can expect from this type of “ministry.”

There is a place within established trust relationships for loving correction to be administered in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Such ministry is built upon a foundational revelation of the new creation, and is aimed at bringing converted people to maturity. Converted people are new people. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new. This is far more fruitful than merely modifying the conduct of the “old man.”

BURY THE OLD MAN!

Quit dragging around that old cadaver!

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. – Romans 8:3-5

CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST!

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. – Galatians 3:23-27

Paul compares the changing from life under the law to life in the Spirit to the changing of clothes – clothe yourselves with Christ.

Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked when you were living in them.

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self (put off the old man) with its evil practices, and have put on the new self (man) who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him. – Colossians 3:5-10

TRUE KNOWLEDGE

This knowledge is not intellectual in its origin. We are renewed to a true knowledge through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

– Proverbs 2:6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.

– Proverbs 3:5

The fruit of life under the law is condemnation. The fruit of life in the Spirit is glorious freedom.

The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God

. . . . . . will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. – Romans 8:19, 21

Romans Chapter 6 facilitates (when spiritually discerned) the true knowledge of victory over sin through identifying with Christ in death, burial and resurrection:

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

– Verse 11

Romans chapter 8 facilitates (when spiritually discerned) the true knowledge of victory in Christ through the Spirit of Christ:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Verse 2

THE CONFLICT OF TWO NATURES

Romans chapter 7 holds the key to our spiritual understanding of this vital true knowledge – the conflict of two natures – and how we are to be postured in the battle. As we study verse 14 on into the 8th chapter, there are two verses that need to affect our understanding:

So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. – Verse 17

But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. – Verse 20

By faith we believe that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. – II Corinthians 5:17

John states, No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. – I John 3:9

Victory begins to emerge in my life as

Charles Atlas was the fictitious character on the back of comic books years ago. He promoted the principle of isometrics for strengthening the body. The typical scene was a skinny guy and his beautiful girlfriend on the beach. The muscle-bound dude shows up, kicks sand in the guy’s face, and leaves with the girl. The skinny guy goes to Charles Atlas, embraces the isometric system, gets strong, returns the beach, kicks sand in the face of the muscle-bound dude, and takes back his beautiful girlfriend.

The principle is that when you press against something, that something you are pressing against is strengthened. That’s why Jesus said; Do not resist an evil person (and thereby give him strength). Paul shows us God’s higher ways, Overcome evil with good.

OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD

Jesus took the old man to the cross with Him. The old man was buried with Him in baptism. Old things have passed away. Why resist an evil old dead man? Why give him life through such unbelief?

That evil indwelling sin is residue of a past life. It’s sort of like pain remaining for a season even after the cause of pain has been surgically removed. It takes a season for the brain and nervous system to adjust to our true condition. Sin must gradually give way to the growing good within us. We are new creatures in Christ who are in a process of transformation from glory to glory. We overcome evil with good.

Paul describes the groaning within us as we wait, for what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now he who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. – II Corinthians 5:4-5

Peter testifies that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. – II Peter 1:3-4

The giving of the Holy Spirit to us is God’s pledge that He will finish what He has begun by granting to us promises that will cause us to become partakers of His nature, thus escaping the bondages and limitations of our lustful mortal nature.

KEEP YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

Don’t be distracted by the residue of your past life! Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Focus upon the Author and Perfector of our faith – Jesus Christ, who has begun a good work in us.

The Hebrew writer explains, For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all thing subjected to him. But we do see Jesus, the firstborn of many sons whom He is bringing to glory (Read chapter 2:5-13).

John exhorts us, Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. – I John 3:2

We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. – Romans 8:28-29