THEME: The Renewed Spirit - Eph.4:23.
Study Topic – The Old Man - Eph. 4:22.
A. Introduction
In our last study, we were introduced to the theme of January 2024, which is the renewed spirit and what it means. We also learnt about why we need to renew the spirit of our mind, by which we are transformed from the ‘old man’ (which we must put off) to a ‘new man’, which we must put on. In this study, we shall be examining in more detail the ‘old man’ or what is also known in the Bible as the ‘self,’ the ‘human nature,’ the ‘sinful nature,’ the ‘carnal man,’ the one ‘born of the flesh,’ the ‘natural man’. By this close examination, we would be able to understand why we should ‘put it off’ and how the renewing of the spirit of our mind helps us to achieve it.
B. The Sinful Origin of The ‘Old Man’.
- The Bible describes the ‘old man’ as ‘corrupt according to the deceitful lusts’ -Eph.4:22. Other renderings say that the old man ‘is rotted through and through with lust’s illusions’, ‘deluded by its lusts, is sinking towards death’ ‘the self that wasted its dreams on false hopes’. Our Adamic nature, inherited at birth, being corrupt, is incapable of being pure before God, as we are born in sin – Ps.51:5. Being unclean, nothing clean can come out of us – Job.14:4. This is because our sinful nature makes us forget God, desiring instead to put ourselves in the place of God and seek our own independence – Deut.8:13-17; Rom.10:3.
- There are two types of the ‘old man’- the one regarded as ‘wicked’ and the one regarded as ‘morally upright’. The wicked type denies God completely -Ps.10:4-7. They are the Pharaohs – Ex.5:2, the Nebuchadnezzars – Dan.4:28-30 and the Herods – Acts.12:21-23. There is another type of the ‘old man’, who claims to be a Christian, but serves God in words and ceremonies only, whilst continuing to live contrary to the commandments of Christ. This type is outwardly righteous, but only for pretence. They fast, but only for show. They pray, but only to swell their pride. They give to the work of God, but only for the praise of men. They preach the Gospel, but only for strife and competition -Matt.15:7-9; Matt.6:2, 5, 16; Phil.1:15-16. They are the pretenders or hypocrites, who say but do not do. Both the wicked and the hypocrite are of the carnal mind. They have the character that seeks self-praise, self-pleasure and self-promotion.
C. The Putting Off of The Old Man
- This character of the old man cannot be reformed. It must be put off by being uprooted. The Bible calls it being ‘put to death’ or ‘crucified’. This is done by hearing the Gospel and opening our hearts to the benefits we received by the death of Jesus on the Cross. We must then, after hearing the Gospel, confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead – Rom.10:9-11; Matt.10:32. We must surrender to His Lordship in all the affairs of our lives so that we no longer live to please ourselves but to obey His direction, authority and commands, in all that we do – Rom.14:7-9; Jam.4:7. We must depend on His grace – ICor.15:10; Rom.12:3; IICor.12:9, strength – Eph. 6:10; Ps.71:16, trusting Him for all that we need – Phil.4:12, 13, 19. We must then renounce all the allurements, luxuries and glamour of this world – IJn.2:15-17; Col.3:1-3; ITim.6:17-19, preferring to lay up our treasures in heaven – Matt.6:19-21.
- In our previous study, we saw how the six aspects of the human life become disintegrated in the old man. This is because the old man is life away from God
– Rom. 8:7-8. In the life away from God, self-pleasure is paramount, because the soul, which integrates all aspects of human life is ignored – Jam. 4:1; 1 Pet. 2:11. Our thoughts and feelings, conditioned by culture, traditions and civilisation of men dictate our desires and are therefore inclined to following them. - We desire to satisfy our natural desires, which prioritise food, sex, power, influence, fame, riches, luxury and ultimately the body – IPet.4:1-3; Gal.5:19-20. We care little about spiritual needs some of which are faith in God, belief in Jesus, which brings about contentment, humility, self-control, enduring afflictions, hope of eternal life, selfless love, prayer, meditation on the Word of God, obedience and patience in waiting on God’s promises.
D. The Renewing of The Spirit
The renewing of the spirit results in the crucifying of the flesh by rooting up the old man. The old man is not just an aspect of life. It is the whole life. A wise man once said that
whoever does not desire to eat lemon fruits again must root up the lemon tree. Merely plucking all the fruits on the tree will not suffice. The fountain of the old man is corrupt. That does not mean that it cannot do some good deeds in some moments, as the outwardly righteous sometimes do. However, God is not in either the so-called good or obviously, the evil deeds too, since the old man is alienated from God.
E. Conclusion
The old man must be crucified. The self must die in order to give birth to the spiritual. This is what the renewing of the spirit of the mind does. In our next study, we shall examine the death of the self in greater detail.
