Publisher's Synopsis
For generations, Christians have battled relentlessly with two natures: flesh and spirit. Many scholars cite the born-again believer has two natures and we must battle without end. Others claim there is only one nature and, when we sin, we may not have received Christ at all. I suggest that, according to Scripture, there are in fact two natures, but only one belongs to the believer. This has been vastly misunderstood and this misconception causes people to fall away from Christ left and right because the battle is too intense and they feel helpless and hopelessly inept. What we need to grasp is that, one, outside the presence and leading of Holy Spirit, no one can accomplish a successful walk with Christ. Two, there needs to be a coherent comprehension of the two natures: one belongs to the believer, the other to the nature of the earthen temple in which we currently dwell. We, the redeemed in Christ, do not have two natures but one; please allow me to explain. When a person surrenders their life to Christ, they are in essence giving away that which is natural, the condition in which they were born. To put it another way, the old, dead, sinful nature whose origin is from cursed Adam is replaced with the life of Jesus. Jesus swaps our temporal "life" with His eternal life: this is regeneration. Once this occurs, the new eternal life continues to reside in the old shell which maintains the nature of Adam. The flesh is a physical body and the nature of sinful Adam; hence the dilemma of two natures: that which is of God and that of defiled Adam. The flesh was not, nor will it ever be, redeemed or regenerated as it will pass away. By "flesh" I simply mean the innate character of Adam, he who sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. Since we are one with Christ through Holy Spirit, we have only God's nature: one singular nature. We then must contend with the singular nature of the unregenerate flesh. To infer we have two natures as in both belonging to the new man is errant and therefore causes confusion. One belongs to us and other belongs to the body in which we currently dwell.This leaves the redeemed man warring with the temptations of our current residence, our "hotel" or leased abode. Where you live, e.g. hotel, house, apartment, mobile home, is not you. If the faucet in your home leaks, that doesn't mean you are leaking, that's just silly as where you live is not you. Likewise, where you, the regenerated person of God, dwells is not who you are. You are a separate entity from your abode. Within the pages of this book, I will expound upon this concept. For those who have read my larger books where I take more time to expound upon this subject, this will merely be a refresher course but, for those who have not, I pray your eyes will be opened and understanding will take root.
