Overcoming Giants: The Knowledge of the Sin Nature

• Paris Ragan
• Christian Living
• 0 comments
• December 06, 2017

Romans 5:21 says, “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The sin nature is a vast subject that deserves more devotion in explanation than one could possibly ever provide in a short blog series; it’s a subject matter all of its own. In the verse provided, this giant presents itself as a domineering figure reigning in the hearts of helpless man against its tyranny and power.

As previously stated in the last blog, the Cross has provided an answer for every giant that we will face in our lifetimes, and the sin nature is no exception. In fact, the greatest statement that I can make today is that the sin nature has been defeated by the Cross of Calvary, and the believer’s simple faith in what Christ did at Calvary slays this giant—the sin nature.
What is the sin nature? This is the all-important question. In short, it is the problem. Most believers today are living under the dominion of this giant—a giant they don’t even know exists. The first step in destroying it is to be aware of its existence. When Goliath stood before David, the Holy Spirit provided great description of Goliath’s stature: his lineage, his armor, and his weaponry. Hosea told us, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Ignorance is not a viable defense in the courtroom of heaven. We are responsible for knowing what God has made known through the Scriptures.

One of the best definitions for the sin nature that I’ve found is this: “a corrupting force that is pumping sinfulness and selfishness into the heart of unbelievers and believers in whom it is reigning.”

The great subject of the sin nature begins in Romans 5:12 and is carried throughout Romans, Chapter 6. Most view “acts” of sin as the problem when really those acts are merely a by-product of an active sin nature. The word sin is a noun, and a noun is a person, place or thing. Between Romans 5:20 and Romans 6:23, the word sin used 19 times. A definite article, which points to a specific thing, is found in front of the word sin 16 times between Romans 5:20 and Romans 6:23. In Romans 5:21, sin is personified as a monarch or a king, reigning on the throne, and its seat is the heart of man. So we are dealing with a sin nature rather than mere acts of sin.

In Psalm 51:5, David said, “Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” We are born as sinners. Committing an act of sin is not what makes someone a sinner; birth is what makes someone a sinner. But this evil nature—the sin nature—has been dealt with at Calvary’s Cross.
Next week, we will teach on how the believer becomes dead to the power of this giant, the sin nature.

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