Consummation of an Epiphany

For a while now I've been contemplating this idea of the "sin nature." What sparked my interest in this topic was a book I read a while back entitled "Tired of Trying to Measure." Life changing, let me tell you. Everyone needs to read that book. In it, the author puts forward the idea that we, as believers, do not have a sin nature. Now being a good fundamentalist this came at first as near heresy to me! So I decided to search it out. The first verse I went to was Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." After reading that one and all of Romans, I pretty much had no choice but to agree that our sin nature has been nailed to the cross. But then I had to answer the obvious question that all my friends kept asking me that I didn't really have a good answer for. That question, of course, was, "Why do we still sin?" In a book entitled "Changed into His Image" the author tells us we sin because "we possess within us a clone of Satan's own nature" (pg 36). Now this doesn't seem to make sense biblically*or even logically for that matter. How can there be Satan and Christ living in us at the same time? Almost sounds a little bit like a good angel/bad angel situation huh? So what is the answer? Well fortunately Peter makes it very clear to us in his second letter. He tells us, "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." When I read that today I was so pumped. It's really neat how the term "sin nature" is never once spoken of about believers. However in this passage we are told that we partake in the divine nature! So why do we sin? According to the passage, I think it's because we don't believe God's promises. He has promised us that we are dead to sin. He has promised us that we will have victory in our lives. When we have faith in these promises we start seeing the things listed in verses 5-7 come to fruition. We cannot try harder at doing these things. It must all start with faith in God and His promises (Hebrews 11:6). Sin, however, comes when we doubt Him. That's why Peter says in verse 9 of chapter 1, "For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins." Think about that. That list just before verse 9 isn't a burden. It's freeing because all we have to do is have faith in God and those things will manifest themselves. As the chapter continues Peter keeps urging his audience to remember that one thing. And if you forget, then chapter 2 is the result*and it's not a pretty sight.

Mmmm but what a freeing thought*I can now confidently say that I am a new creation because of what Christ has done for me. This is a bold statement so I believe I must clarify something. I also realize that I am infinitely weak. It is so easy for me to follow after my own human desires. But Christ understands that weakness because He was human Himself and had the same desires that we have. However, He was infinitely stronger than us, and thus completely without sin. Have I said anything wrong here? This is what the Bible says, and I have no choice but to hang on for dear life to these promises. Peter states the consequences for not doing this. I'd rather not go down that path.