This is by the operation of the Holy Spirit, Who, at the salvation of

the sinner, gives a Divine gift to the one who believes in Christ, so that it

can be said:

'That which is born of the Spirit (the Giver) is spirit' (His gift, the

new nature) (John 3:6),

and such a one is said to be 'a partaker of the Divine nature' (2 Pet. 1:4).

This nature like God Himself is sinless and perfect.

Apart from the new man of Ephesians 2:15, which deals with the church

of the One Body collectively, this phrase relates to the new nature in

contrast to the flesh, the 'old man', and is 'renewed day by day' (2 Cor.

4:16), and further 'renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created

him' (Col. 3:10).

Just as we have seen that the flesh is not improved by God, so also

there is no possibility of it being changed into spirit or the new nature.

Consequently these two are for ever opposed and give rise to that conflict in

the believer that is so graphically described by Paul in the seventh chapter

of Romans.  And in Galatians 5:17 he writes:

'For the flesh (the old nature) lusteth against the Spirit (the new

nature), and the Spirit (the new nature) against the flesh (the old

nature): and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot

do the things that ye would'.

This experience leads on to the heart -searching cry of Romans 7:24: 'O

wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?'

The solution to this tremendous problem is beyond either the wisdom or the

strength of man.  It is only found by reading the next verse:

'I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord'.

He alone can deal, not only with our individual sins, but with the root,

namely Sin -- which is found in the old nature:

'Knowing this, that our old man was crucified (aorist tense) with Him,

that the body of sin might be rendered inoperative' (Rom. 6:6 author's

The Authorized Version translates katargeo 'destroyed', but this is too

strong, for the word means 'to put out of working order' or make of none

effect (Rom. 4:14; Gal. 3:17).  The old nature is not abolished in this life,

as the daily experience of every believer testifies.  It remains with us

until the end of our earthly pathway and our hope is realized, but the Word

of God assures us that it was crucified with Christ at Calvary and therefore

in God's plan finished and given over to death, and the only way to put it

out of working order is continually to count upon this glorious fact:

'Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin' (Rom.