My Sinful Nature Died

There is always the hope in the back of my mind when I am digging in my garden that I might just uncover a valuable ancient coin. One of those few Roman coins that experts had been searching for for years and I would be the gardener to discover it. To be honest, you never know what you are going to find as everything buried is covered in soil.

I was brought up in the great Christian tradition that I was just like this buried treasure. I was told that I was a sinner saved by grace. That I was forgiven of my sins but I was still a corrupt sinner who had to spend his life struggling to overcome my sinful nature. This thinking made me sin conscious and I felt constantly condemned and guilty.

One day I realized that the root cause of my life of condemnation was the way I saw myself. Because I saw myself as a sinner saved by grace but still a sinner I acted that way. I needed to see myself as Christ saw me, righteous, holy and united with Him.

My old sinful man died at the cross with Christ and when he was raised I was raised with him into new life. My spirit is interwoven with Christ, and I am no longer just human I am in my spirit a new creation, identical to Christ.

My old sinful nature that drove and compelled me toward sin is dead. It does not exist.

God by his grace has freely given me all things in Christ and as I mediate rest, soak, wallow and enjoy his unmerited favor and live in the spirit, I renew my mind and see myself the way God sees me, as his beloved son.

- Alan Paul Stevens