Tag: spirit and flesh

Do We Have Two Natures? Identity Confusion

June 30, 2023 / Tore / 0 Comments

Many Christians are often a bit confused about whether we as Christians have two natures.
Some people teach that we have one nature before we became a Christian, and when we are born again we got another, new nature.
This new nature is in conflict with the old one, and often we can still feel that the old nature is most dominant. The solution some preachers give is that you have to feed the good side of yourself, the new nature, so that the old one does not take over again. But that’s a lot of work.

I think this theology is not a good one, because it makes us fall under fear again!
What if I don’t feed the new nature enough? And are there any of us who can feed it enough?
I would argue that this way of thinking makes many Christians live in constant condemnation, and I was one of them.

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A New Nature!

August 29, 2020 / Tore / 0 Comments

I have good news for you! Even if you follow your feelings and has even become part of your character to do so, this is not who you really are from the creation and in your new creation; for what you do, does not tell who you really are.

As a Christian, you have been crucified with Christ already (Gal 2:20) and the old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This is the truth about you from the moment you accepted Jesus. The Fruit of the Spirit is already in you.

This is now your true identity! The flesh is just a programmed character, but it is not the true you. For those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh (and the old nature) with its passion and desires (Gal 5:24).

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The Spirit and the Flesh?

August 18, 2019 / Tore / 0 Comments

(This is an additional version of a teaching I had for some months ago )

Many Christians don’t understand Galatians 5:17 very well, about the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh.
Many people when they look at this verse they think that this it is about our new spirit and nature, fighting against the evil part of me, called the flesh.

It means I still have a struggle on the inside and I have to constantly try to be in my spirit and try to kill the flesh, the evil side of myself.

First, notice that the Spirit is capitalized, that means it’s not about your spirit but God’s Spirit. Secondly, remember that the flesh is not you, because you are already in the spirit and not in the flesh. The flesh is crucified already and you live in the spirit now, it is very clear in some verses later (5:24-25), but the flesh will try to influence you so you do not do what you really want to do.
You have God and His Spirit on one side that will affect you and lead you, while you have the flesh on the other side who also wants to lead you, but none of them are you and the flesh is not in you either, or your true nature. Although you have already become a new creation and have a divine nature.

You are in the middle and you can choose to follow the flesh or the Spirit.