Crucifixion of the Old Man, revealed to the heart of a believer by the Holy Spirit, also deals with man’s conflicting inner and outer problems of life. It deals with a life out of harmony with the Spirit of God and out of harmony with the moral truth of the Bible. It deals with a life of holiness (living without sin) that many think cannot be achieved in this life. A believing soul longs for a deliverance from the conflict of the flesh, as the Holy Spirit reveals Calvary to the soul. Like the Spirits conviction upon the sinner…the Spirits deliverance from the bondage of sin at the new birth…the crucifixion of the Old Man is the Spirits directive that prepares a believer for an entire sanctification. Another Biblical term for the crucifixion of self is called…putting off the Old Man.
• Col 3:9…seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
• Eph 4:22…put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
• Col 2:11…in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ
Putting off, getting away from, cutting away, circumcision, or being severed from, are all-definitive to Biblical sanctification. Here are the two sides of sanctification:
1. The human side…which is a believers crucifixion to the flesh
2. The Spirits side…which is God’s deliverance from committed sin or inherited sin
Sanctification through the Spirit gets man away from the lust of the flesh, selfishness, doubt, rejection of truth, etc. The Holy Spirit leads a believer to the crucifixion of self through the revelation of Calvary. Christ’s crucifixion reveals the crucifixion to self to the heart of a believer. The Bible confirms this by saying, “The Old man is buried in baptism”.
• Col 2:12…Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God
This baptism has no reference to immersion in water but relates to an operation of God upon the soul of a believer. After the penitent sinner believes, he is baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ where the Spirit begins it’s ministration to the soul. The Holy Spirit testifies Calvary to the soul and thus reveals the negative side of man, which still exists in the life of a believer. The Holy Spirit ministers death to the Old Man through the Spirits baptism into the body of Christ. Without the Spirit’s baptism there is no directive in the heart of man to do right, or to be right. A believer is led to the crucifixion of the flesh by the Spirit’s baptism. When a believer dies to all that he is…he is crucified and thus…can bury the Old Man.
• Rom 6:4-5…Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
After the Old Man is dead and buried the Bible says we are planted in the likeness of Christ’s death. When the old life is gone the Holy Spirit takes full possession of the body, soul, and spirit. A believer’s desires are changed, his attitude is different, and all doubt is taken away as belief turns to full assurance. After sanctification the believer is renewed in the spirit of his mind. His whole life and way of thinking is renewed by the work of the Holy Spirit under the power of the Divine Grace of God.
• Eph 4:22-23…That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Renewal takes place, after sanctification. This new part of the Christian life is built upon a life governed by the Holy Spirit and not the flesh. The believer no longer has two conflicting natures but is governed by one, which is the…divine. He is with less attachment to the weights and burdens encountered through life itself. He now has an ability to trust and depend totally on the power of a resurrected Christ. Renewal is another part of the Christian walk where the completed work of sanctification through the baptism with the Holy Ghost allows the believer to be yet a new man. The old man is dead and buried. The renewed man is made true to God because of an entire sanctification.
• Eph 4:24…And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness
After the crucifixion of the Old Man; after indwelling sin is removed; the new man becomes a …renewed man. He’s a controlled man by the Spirit of God. Calvary offers him a greater meaning of life with victory over the selfish side. The world’s influence and the lust of the flesh are now subject to a single minded and single-hearted believer. With a renewed mind the believer is not conformed to the world but rather transformed from it.
• Rom 12:1-2…I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
• Acts 2:46…And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Because of the new man that’s put on and the renewal of the Spirit this man can prove from the heart what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. His will has been changed. The revelation of Calvary has become even more vivid as his consciousness to the Holy Spirit reveals more of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to the heart. The flesh is no longer in control of the believer’s physical body. Since the flesh no longer governs the physical part of man the Spirit of God gives him the power and strength to keep the deeds of the body mortified.
• Rom 8:9… But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
• Rom 8:13…For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Old Testament prophecy concerning the Indwelling Spirit pointed to the fact that God would take away the heart of stone. A renewed man does not war after the flesh. His conflict has been removed. The struggle has been taken away. A renewed believer is mentally and physically controlled by the Indwelling Spirit.
• Ezek 36:26-27…A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you
• Gal 5:16…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
• Rom 8:11…But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Religion does not offer this kind of power and truth. Worldly teachers do not teach this form of doctrine but, “The Bible does…and the Holy Spirit does”. This Biblical truth cut’s deep into the soul…but yields fruit produced by the Spirit of God. It’s a fruit that offers moral victory through Jesus rather than defeat from the Old Man. It’s a fruit that gets people to heaven by having victory over self. All that’s required is death to the Old Man. When self is crucified and buried the struggle is taken away. The Spirit’s adoption allows the renewed heart of the believer to rejoice seven days a week, 365 days a year. Not just in church on Sunday. With much gratitude toward the Holy Spirits witness the renewed heart of a child of God will cry daily, “Abba Father”.
• Rom 8:15…For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.…The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
"True Life in Christ"... is found by death to the Old man… Hubert T. Lindsey
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