Top of Form Search BereanBibleSocie ty.org Search S:ht tp: //ww w .be bereanb ib le soci e bereanbiblesoci e Bottom of Form Free Subscription Bible Study Bible Study Articles Daily Email Devotional Bible Time J.C. O'Hair Online Library Bible Conference Schedule Videos New! MP3 Audio New! Bible Study Charts Literature Berean Searchlight The Believer's Inner ConflictBy Paul M. SadlerThe Lord has given me a number of opportunities to preach the gospel at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. As you look out over that sea of faces, one cannot help but see the depths of sin. But, thankfully, "where sin abounded grace did much more abound." Consider for a moment a river that is overflowing its banks due to a torrential downpour. Its destructive force sweeps away everything in its path. This is a picture of sin in the world; it destroys lives. However, when a dam is scheduled to release enough water to flood a valley and form a man-made lake, these waters consume the river and the valley leaving a peaceful, serene setting. This is a picture of the grace of God super-abounding over sin! The foregoing passage prompted Paul to pose the following question to the saints at Rome, some of whom were apparently living in sin: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:1,2). The apostle adds in verse 6, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Although Reformed Theologyand Dispensationalism have been ardent defenders of the "dual natures" within the believer, there are a growing number in both ofthese camps that teach the old man is eradicatedupon our conversion to Christ. Therefore, they believe the child of God only possesses the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. This position has come to be known as one-naturism. The following statement of John MacArthur, the voice of the Grace to Youradio ministry, is representative of those who hold this viewpoint: "I believe it is a serious misunderstanding to think of the believer as having both an old and new nature. Believers do not have dual personalities...there is no such thing as an old nature in the believer." 1
