The two natures and the two laws
This blog was posted by Daniel Kropf on his blog, Wie ein Kropf.
The Two Natures and Two Laws Jan 24, '08 3:26 AM
for everyone
If I were to ask you if concrete floats, what would you say? How about if I asked you if aluminum (Aluminium for our non-American friends) can fly? The answer to both of these is that by nature of substance, no. However both of these can be designed in such a way that they can accomplish what is impossible to their nature. In some Universities, engineering students race concrete canoes, and, of course, airplanes fly. However to do this requires constant maintenance, because they fly only by design not by nature. After each flight they must be checked, and if they are allowed to deteriorate they will fail to fly with disastrous results. Eventually, they must be retired.
This is the way life is with human willpower. There is a law within us called the law of sin and death (Rom. 7:17-25). This law states that because humans are fallen creatures we will sin. In the same way that aluminum will not stay airborne, or concrete will sink, our fallen nature will sin. Human resolution and desire to change is like design, it will allow us to supercede our nature, but only with constant maintenance and it will eventually wear out and fail.
Helium, however, is entirely different. Helium rises, not in spite of it’s nature, but because of it. It is not difficult to cause helium to rise. It is, rather, difficult to keep it down. This is like our new nature. The Apostle Paul calls this “the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ” (Rom. 8:1-2). This law sets us free from the law of sin and death.
Christ can not sin. 1 John 3:9 states, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” The Nature of Christ in us is sinless. There is no more inclination towards sin in our new nature than helium has to sink.
When we realize this we can overcome sin. Yes, our old nature still has its sinful desires, but our new nature doesn’t. We can look at a temptation and say to it, “My old nature may say that I have to give in, but the nature of Christ within me does not have to yield.” Remember what was said of Christ, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:24). It was impossible for death to hang on to Christ, because He was sinless. It was impossible for sin to overcome Him, because He was the Son of God, and now He lives within us.
Christ in you the hope of glory!
The Two Natures and Two Laws Jan 24, '08 3:26 AM
for everyone
If I were to ask you if concrete floats, what would you say? How about if I asked you if aluminum (Aluminium for our non-American friends) can fly? The answer to both of these is that by nature of substance, no. However both of these can be designed in such a way that they can accomplish what is impossible to their nature. In some Universities, engineering students race concrete canoes, and, of course, airplanes fly. However to do this requires constant maintenance, because they fly only by design not by nature. After each flight they must be checked, and if they are allowed to deteriorate they will fail to fly with disastrous results. Eventually, they must be retired.
This is the way life is with human willpower. There is a law within us called the law of sin and death (Rom. 7:17-25). This law states that because humans are fallen creatures we will sin. In the same way that aluminum will not stay airborne, or concrete will sink, our fallen nature will sin. Human resolution and desire to change is like design, it will allow us to supercede our nature, but only with constant maintenance and it will eventually wear out and fail.
Helium, however, is entirely different. Helium rises, not in spite of it’s nature, but because of it. It is not difficult to cause helium to rise. It is, rather, difficult to keep it down. This is like our new nature. The Apostle Paul calls this “the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ” (Rom. 8:1-2). This law sets us free from the law of sin and death.
Christ can not sin. 1 John 3:9 states, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” The Nature of Christ in us is sinless. There is no more inclination towards sin in our new nature than helium has to sink.
When we realize this we can overcome sin. Yes, our old nature still has its sinful desires, but our new nature doesn’t. We can look at a temptation and say to it, “My old nature may say that I have to give in, but the nature of Christ within me does not have to yield.” Remember what was said of Christ, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:24). It was impossible for death to hang on to Christ, because He was sinless. It was impossible for sin to overcome Him, because He was the Son of God, and now He lives within us.
Christ in you the hope of glory!
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