Paul calls man's spirit the inward man. Peter calls man's spirit the hidden man of the heart. ( 1 Peter 3:4).
In many places when the Bible speaks of the heart, it is speaking of the spirit. This is the real man. It will help you in believing and in your faith to think like that. In the New Testament, whereever the word heart is used, substitute the word spirit and you will get a clearer picture of what the Bible is talking about. It is the spirit of man that is born again.
As far as the sin nature goes, I don't see any other way to interpret it. You see, Jesus took upon Himself the nature of spiritual death, that we might have Eternal Life. Jesus said in John 5:24 I say to you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Jesus came to redeem us from spiritual death. Adam was banished from the Tree of Life through rejecting God's Word. According to Rev. 2:7, all who now accept and obey the Word of God are brought back to the Tree of Life.
Peace, Golfjack
What do you think of these scriptures?
Romans 8:1-4
1*So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2*For the power* of the life-giving Spirit has freed you* through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 3*The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4*He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us* who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:1-4
1*Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2*Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.
3*Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4*Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.
Hebrews 2:17&18
17*Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.
Hebrews 9:11-15
11*So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. 12*Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever.
13*Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. 14*Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15*That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
Hebrews 10:5-18
5*That is why Christ, when he came into the world, said,
“You did not want animal sacrifices and grain offerings.
But you have given me a body so that I may obey you.
6* No, you were not pleased with animals burned on the altar
or with other offerings for sin.
7* Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
just as it is written about me in the Scriptures.’”*
8*Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or grain offerings or animals burned on the altar or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9*Then he added, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to establish the second. 10*And what God wants is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
11*Under the old covenant, the priest stands before the altar day after day, offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12*But our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand. 13*There he waits until his enemies are humbled as a footstool under his feet. 14*For by that one offering he perfected forever all those whom he is making holy.
15*And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. First he says,
16* “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts
so they will understand them,
and I will write them on their minds
so they will obey them.”
17*Then he adds,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”*
18*Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
1John 2:1&2
1*My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely.* 2*He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
1John 4:9&10
9*God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10*This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Your posts seem to resemble the WOF doctrines and teachings.
