The Old Man

 

Therefore, even as through one man sin entered the world, and through sin death, and thus death passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned. 

Paul to the Romans 5: 12, Concordant New Testament 

I recall a Christian brother of mine who would often produce a photo of himself from his days of living on the streets in a negative lifestyle.  He would refer to this as his "Old man."  It was the man that he used to be, not the man he is now.  Likewise, I can relate to the fact that I also shared an old man image with my brother.  In fact, we all have.  Mainstream church pastors are big on quoting the passage the apostle Paul speaks to in Romans, that all have sinned {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Indeed, our old man has sinned and has been found guilty.  We're not speaking of Donald Trump and his kangaroo court scam of a trial here, we're talking about our old man who died together with Christ on that cross.  Our old man who died that we would be free in Christ Jesus.  Paul speaks that through one man sin entered the world.  That man was Adam.  Through the sin of Adam eating of the forbidden fruit, generational sin entered into the world.  All of his offspring, including our old man, were condemned sinners.  The difference between God and the institutional church is that God provided for our redemption through the death of another man, Christ Jesus.  Meanwhile, the institutional church continues to speak as if Jesus had never given Himself or that our old man ever passed away.  The church continues to proclaim that sin is the underlying issue in our lives.  In other words, the old man has been resurrected!  They keep him alive by claiming that it is sin which keeps us separated from God.  This is nothing but false teaching coming from the pulpits.  Jesus is the answer to the sin issue.  He is the remedy for it.  It is Jesus who became sin that it would be done away with {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Jesus is the second Adam through which life entered into the world {Paul to the Romans 5:19}.  

For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.

Paul to the Romans 5: 19, Concordant New Testament 

The man which died by Jesus' side that day was our previous sin nature which we had received as a result of the sin of the first Adam in the garden {Genesis 3:5-6}.  When they speak of the sins of the father being visited upon the sons, this is what they are referring to.  Growing up, this knowledge scared me because if there was one thing I never wanted to happen was that I would be made to pay for the sins of my own earthly father.  I made it a point to NEVER be like him.  Well, it turns out that I had never been in danger of the sins of my own father.  Through Christ Jesus, the old man I once was had been put to death on the cross with Christ.  Jesus suffered this death that I wouldn't have to.  The generational curse has been broken!  I no longer need to worry when some pulpit pounder warns me that my sin will keep me from the Lord.  Jesus has died to free me from that.  Paul proclaims that we are to consider ourselves dead, indeed, to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  Dead to sin, yet alive to God in Christ {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  The sin issue has been put to death, just as that old man has.  

~Scott~