There is an Old You and a New You

That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Like it or not, as Christians, there are two yous, the old and the new. The new man, the new you, is the real and eternal you.  The old man, the old you, is the temporary you. You will lose him when you die or are taken in the resurrection. The new man is more powerful than the old because the new man has the eternal life of God and is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Your new man can change your old man. But the old man cannot change the new man.

The Existence of the Carnal Believer

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

Most Christians, and many pastors, do not know what to do with a carnal believer. One person says they were never saved, and the other say they lost their salvation. Both are wrong. A Christian who sins is carnal, under the control of his old man, the flesh. At any one time, a believer is either spiritual or carnal.

A spiritual believer is under the control of the Holy Spirit, who lives in his human spirit, the new, recreated man. A carnal believer is under the control of his body, his flesh, or the old man. He needs to confess his sins and become a spiritual believer again.

The Spiritual Believer Imitates God

“Be imitators of God as dear children.”  (Ephesians 5:1)

A spiritual believer is seen as one who not only loves God but lives each day to imitate or be like his Heavenly Father. Like Jesus Who came to represent His Father, we too are to live life to show the world our Heavenly Father. If we are members of God’s family, we need to act like it.

The Carnal Believer Imitates the Unbeliever

“Therefore, He says, ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from (among) the dead, and Crist will give you light.’  See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools (sinners) but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 4:14, 15)

This verse tells us that carnal believers are asleep among the dead. As 1 Corinthians 3 said, they act like sinners or “mere men.”  If you had one hundred dead people and one of them was asleep, it would be difficult to find the living one. You would have to search for the one still breathing. Carnal believers associate with and imitate the unbeliever. The prodigal was living with sinners in a pigpen. He came to himself finally, returned home and said to his father, “I have sinned against heaven and against you.”  David committed adultery with Bathsheba and told Nathan the prophet “I have sinned against the Lord.”

A carnal believer returns to be a spiritual believer by confessing his sins to the person he sinned against and to his Heavenly Father. You sin against both.

A Spiritual Believer is in Fellowship with God

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:7-10)

A spiritual believer becomes a carnal believer through personal sin. He becomes a spiritual believer again by confessing his sin. God not only cleanses the sin which separated him from fellowship, but also any other sins associated with it, all unrighteousness. The believer, who was under the control of the old man is now under the control of the new man.

The new birth puts us into relationship with God. He becomes our Father and we His children. This relationship cannot change. But like children in an earthly family, conduct can determine fellowship, or the atmosphere or sense of well-being. Sin separates us from fellowship with God, not relationship.  

As our opening verse from Ephesians 4 said, we must choose to take off the old man and put on the new. It is not difficult to take off one shirt and put on another. Neither is it difficult to repent of sin and choose to walk in holiness. Walking in the new man is one decision away.

Grace and More Grace

Let’s look at two verse of scripture dealing with two areas of God’s grace given to us. Our first encounter with God’s grace is at the point of salvation.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

This is the grace of God which gives us the new man, our recreated human spirit. Spiritual death is removed, and eternal life is placed into us by the quickening of the Holy Spirit. We pass from death into life, darkness into light, Satan’s family into God’s and are guaranteed a home in heaven instead of eternity in hell and the Lake of Fire. This grace is one time and eternal. It never decreases or increases. But this is not all the grace of God we can receive. Let’s look at an available and additional grace.

“But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

Our first encounter with grace was for the new man, the real you. More grace afterwards is strength for freedom over control of the old man, your flesh, the physical, temporary you. Paul found this grace during a time of great struggle from his enemies.                                                           

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)

More grace is for our flesh, our infirmities. God’s grace at salvation was for permanent and immediate change. The more grace God gives is for and continued and progressive change. Grace at salvation is given for relationship with God. Grace after salvation is given for spiritual strength and continued fellowship with God.

In other words, Ephesians 2:8,9 is addressed to the new you. James 4:6 and 1 John 1:9 is addressed to the old you.