INTRODUCTION
The creation of man was done in a unique way. God actually carried some exercises in the process of creating man. This was done because of the purpose for which the man is to be created. There was this special Glory of God that covered man and he began to enjoy his presence on earth as a representative of God most high. This Glory was taken away by sin after the fall of man when he was deceived by Satan and the sinful nature became the nature of man.
Our God is Holy and is holiness can not behold sin, therefore this sin brought a gap between God and man.
Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
TEXTUAL SOURCE
2 Cor 5:17 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
WHAT IS THE OLD ONE?
The old one is the old nature of man brought upon man by sin. It simply means the sinful nature. At verse 17 of the text above, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!. It is important to note that if the old one is the one that broke the relationship between man and God. Hence, for this relationship to be bridged a new nature is needed which is the nature of God Himself.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OLD ONE
The characteristics of the old one include lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These are going to be discussed below.
The Lust of the Flesh
The lust of the flesh is that temptation to feel physical pleasure from some sinful activity. To do something to make the flesh feel satisfied. It can involve any type of sinful activity that will bring pleasure to the body. Examples of the “lust of the flesh” include the following: Sexual sins
GossipPhysical violenceDrug use (marijuana, pills, cocaine, alcohol, etc.) and more
Apostle Paul gives us a nice example of the “works of the flesh,” many of which are works we do when we succumb to the lust of the flesh.
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).
The Lust of the Eyes
The lust of the eyes is that temptation to look upon things we shouldn’t look upon, or to have things that we shouldn’t have. In other words, it is to cast our eyes upon something with desire or pleasure, even though God has told us not to look upon those things.
The sin of coveting is a prime example of the result of succumbing to the lust of the eyes. To covet means to have a yearning or a strong desire to have something that rightfully belongs to someone else.
Considering this passage in Second Samuel with regards to King David and Bathsheba, the woman with whom David would soon commit adultery:
“And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon” (2 Samuel 11:2)
The passage simply explain what it meant by the word covert.
The Pride of Life
The pride of life is that sinful temptation for excess greatness or power that we all feel the temptation to attain. Pride itself is one of the sins that God hates most. It is the sin that made Lucifer (the beautiful angel) turn into Satan (the adversary). Some examples of this sin include the following:
-Desiring to get credit or glory for things that others (or God) did
-Desiring for others to worship us or hold us in excess esteem, “to make a name for ourselves”
-Desiring to feel valued or more important than others around us.
These and many more are examples of the pride of life.
It is now a good thing for us as Christians to put off this old one and put on the new one which is the nature of God.
Remember, Christ died for all so that we might be saved. It's now our duty to put off the old nature and put on the new one so as to be fit for the Kingdom's feast
REMAIN BLESSED
