The Old Man

I have continued to read and study about the two natures-or one, depending on how you define 'nature'-and I have come across another interesting piece. Puritan Thomas Boston preached a sermon entitled The Old and the New Man in Believers. It is a quick read and well worth the short time investment. Here is an interesting quote on the old man being crucified:

The old man may live long on the cross before he be destroyed: but then his hands and feet cannot serve him as they did before, there are nails driven through them; he may move them indeed, but then it is with pain and difficulty.

Boston later explains,

The old man in believers is in a state of death, though not dead outright. It is crucified with Christ. It may move and stir in them, and vehement struggles it may make, as a dying man struggling with the mortal disease: but whatever efforts it make, it is on the cross, whence it shall not come down till it breathe out its last.

You can read the entire sermon here.

Does the believer have one nature or two?

Have you ever found the ideas and concepts of the old and new nature of Christians confusing.

• Do we have one nature or two?
• What is the old nature and what is the new nature?
• Who is this 'old man' that Paul talks about?
• What is the 'new man' referring to?
• What is the 'flesh' and how does it work in me?
• Aren't we a new creation?

I found the article found at this link very helpful: Does the Believer Have One Nature or Two?

There are still some questions I have, but this article cleared a lot of them up for me. Take a look at it!