Brother James wrote,
Paul certainly had a problem with his old nature.
All of the verses that you posted in support of this grossly absurd notion are found in Romans 7:14-25. In this passage Paul is writing using the rhetorical “I” to describe the experience of a devout Jew who was striving to keep the Law of Moses, but finding that he was not able to do so. Paul was a Christian and Christians do not strive to keep the Law of Moses! The man in Rom. 7:14 was “sold into bondage to sin.” Paul was redeemed by the blood of the lamb. The man in Rom. 7: “joyfully concur[red] with the law of God.” Paul wrote “the power of sin is the law.” 1 Cor. 15:56.
Rom 7:14. For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I
would like to
do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16. But if I do the very thing I do not want
to do, I agree with the Law,
confessing that the Law is good.
17. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good
is not.
19. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23. but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Are you saying that once you're saved the oil nature is gone?
Absolutely! It is impossible to be born again until the old nature dies. Once we are born again, however, we can choose to live whatever life style we choose, and if we choose to revert back to our old life style and live according to our old nature, we are committing adultery with Christ. True Christians do not have an old nature—they have a “divine nature.” 2 Pet. 1:4.
Rom. 7:1. Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?
2. For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
3. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.
4. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
It'll be gone when your dead.
True Christians have already been crucified with Christ and have died and been buried in water baptism. Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:3.
Is there any sin in your life? Of course there is. There is sin in every life because we all have to deal with our depravity on a daily basis.
John 8:31. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word,
then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32. and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
33. They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?"
34. Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
35. "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
36. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
1 John 3:2. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3. And everyone who has this hope
fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
5. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
6. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
7. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
8. the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
9. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
