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QUESTION 71:
What does it mean in Romans 6:6 by "our old man is crucified with Christ? It this the old nature?

ANSWER:
The "old man" is all that a believer was in Adam. It means that God not only laid our sins on the Lord Jesus, but every believer is said to have been crucified with Him. The tense of the words "is crucified" is a once for all happening. Every real born-again believer's old life ended at the cross. Paul could say, "I am crucified with Christ..." Galatians 2:20. THE SECRET OF VICTORY OVER THE FLESH, WORLD AND THE DEVIL IS IN Romans 6. It is probably the most misunderstood portion of the whole epistle. Paul is teaching believers how to have victory over sin. He wants them to KNOW that the old sinful man that they were was crucified with Christ and they should now "....reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God." Romans 6:11

Regarding the "old nature" I haven't read about that in the Scriptures yet. The old man and the flesh are both mentioned, but not the "old nature." If you mean by the old nature, the old man, then it is gone. If you mean the flesh, then we still have it. Unscriptural terms are hard to explain. Every believer has the flesh which is capable of sinning, but they are not the same person in nature as they were before they were saved.

What about you, dear reader. Are you saved? Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour? Have you trusted Him? He loved you and gave Himself for you on the cross. Romans 5:8, "God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Accept Him and be saved today.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen