INDWELLING SIN: FACT OR FALLACY?
Saint or Sinner ?
A Study on the Nature of Regeneration
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INTRODUCTION
Several hundred years ago a band of men known as the Puritans rose up from the sea of humanity and left us a legacy of religious teachings, not the least of which is the widely accepted view among evangelical professing Christians [most of who are not saved] of the doctrine known as "indwelling sin". This doctrine underscored, and in a very real sense defined the broader doctrine of Sanctification; not just in terms of the nature of the Christian life but also in terms of one's view of Anthropology having to do with the constitutional makeup of a regenerate human being. Puritanical notions of Sanctification and the place of sin in the Christian life may well have been around before the Puritans made the scene but it appears to me from my studies that it was the Puritans, on the heels of the Reformation who brought it to its full fruition. Many of their writings could be cited and I shall provide a few here in this paper but it is a sure bet that if you pick any Puritan and search for his view of sin in relation to the Christian you will surely find the doctrine of "indwelling sin" most would accept as a Biblical view. This doctrine says that, even though a man has been regenerated by the power of God the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and has been delivered from his sin, he is still nevertheless a wicked, depraved enemy of God and that in the very heart of his being and can still do nothing but sin. Even when he is walking by the Spirit and keeping the commandments as the Lord Jesus Christ instructed His people to, he is still sinning because he can never do anything "perfectly" while he still "has the flesh". Everything he does including his 'good works' is "tainted with sin". I will cite some of the writers who taught this view of Sanctification and the nature of a believer but first some passages from Scripture as groundwork from which to maintain our bearings.
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When we examine the issue of Anthropology we discover that the Bible presents to us two separate and distinct groups of passages that clearly teach two separate and distinct classes, or categories, or we could even use the word "species" of human beings. The one group describes natural man in his unregenerate condition and how he lives while the other describes the supernatural man whom God has regenerated.. and how he lives.
First a sample of verses which speak of man in his natural condition before regeneration. Emphasis added. All KJV unless otherwise noted.
And the Lord saw that the
wickedness of man
was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts
of his heart was
only evil continually. Gen. 6:5
The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Gen. 8:21
Behold, I was brought forth
in iniquity;
and
in sin did my mother
conceive me. Psalm 51:5
LIT
In heart you work
wickedness...
The wicked are estranged from the womb; they
go astray as soon
as they be [are] born, speaking
lies.
Psalm 58:2,3
This is an evil among all things
that are done
under
the sun, that there
is one event to all. Yea, also the heart of the
sons of men is full of evil,
and madness
is in their heart throughout their lives; and after that, they
go to the dead. Eccl 9:3 LIT
The heart is
deceitful above all
things
and desperately wicked:
who can know it. Jer.17:9
For from within, out of the
heart
of
men... evil thoughts proceed...
evil things proceed from within. Mark
7:21-23 ASV
And this is the judgment,
that the light is
come into the world, and
men loved the darkness rather than the light;
for their works were evil.
John 3:19 ASV
Ye are of your father the
Devil and the
lusts
of your father it is
your will to do. He was a murderer from
the beginning, and
stands not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him.
John 8:44 ASV
The mind of the flesh is
death... The mind
of the flesh is enmity
against God; for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed
can it be... and they that are
in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:6-8 ASV
But we are all as the unclean
thing, and all our
righteousnesses are
as a menstruous cloth. And we all fade as a leaf,
and like the wind our
iniquities take us away. Isa 64:6 LIT
and He worked in you who were
once dead
in
trespasses and sins,
in which you then walked according to the course of this
world, according
to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now
working in the sons
of disobedience, among whom we also all
conducted
ourselves in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed
of the flesh and of the
understandings, and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as the
rest. Ephesians 2:1-3 LIT
He who reads such verses and denies the
Biblical
doctrine
of man's depravity is blind. Depravity speaks to two main elements of a
man; his Character and his Conduct. That is to say that the natural man
is a sinner in his Character, or makeup, or by nature. The result is
that
he is completely sinful in all his Conduct.
You can easily see this in the verses I cited, particularly Ephesians
2 which speaks to both aspects of the natural man. And so it is rightly
said that man is not a sinner because he sins; rather he sins because
he
is a sinner. This includes every last thing the unregenerate man
thinks,
says or does. Even the plowing of the wicked is sin. Now the question
is..
does regeneration change this situation or does it leave man in the
same
condition of depravity? To answer this we now look at the class of
Scriptures
that describe man after
he
has become saved and regenerated by the Spirit of God.
2Cor 5:17 So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new! LIT
This verse, in describing the nature of one who is saved [for to be "in Christ" means to be saved] employs the doctrine of the power of God in Creation. That is to say, the only way a Christian can come into being is if God Creates one and that is exactly what Regeneration is; the Creative activity of Almighty God bringing a New Creature into existence. He who is in Christ has become a new creation. Whatever he was before God regenerated him, he no longer is. He whom God has regenerated has become something he was not; and that by nothing less than the creative power of God. And when the Bible talks about God creating, it means He brings something into being that did not exist previously. Just as God created the universe out of nothing just by speaking it into existence, so also, He creates a new heart [nature] in us when we are regenerated! We see this illustrated in the following verse;
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. Ezek 36:26
God says that He will give His people a new heart. The "stony heart" is the same one found in Gen 6:5, Jer. 17:9 etc.. that hates God and His law and Ezekiel says that God will perform a spiritual transplant by removing the 'old' heart which is wicked and replacing it with a new one.. and folks if the New Heart is still just as wicked and depraved as the one He removes then God is the most incompetent surgeon in the universe! And so we find passages in concert with this mind-boggling truth such as...
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any strength nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. LIT
[Covenant theologians mull on that one. Unless your children are a new creation in Christ Jesus by the power of God they ain't "in the covenant."]
Eph 2:10 for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them. LIT
[Those of
you who hold to
the
"I'm still a wicked sinner whose works are all tainted with sin" view
mull
this one. Did your god "prepare" works that were "tainted with sin"?]
Eph 4:24 and to put on the new man, which according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness. LIT
Col 3:10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him: ASV
As you can see, these references cannot be describing lost, unregenerate men. They are speaking of those whom God has saved and caused them to become Born Again, or regenerate. In these verses I have underscored the word for "create" for it is the same Greek word in each verse. The doctrine found here is that regeneration is nothing less than the creative act of God! Creation did not stop at Genesis one folks. God is still exercising His creative power and is creating a nation of peculiar people who once were sinners by nature but no longer are such! They are the righteous of the earth of whom the Bible speaks again and again.
Ge 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation
Ps 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Ps 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Ps 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Ps 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Ps 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Ps 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Pr 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Pr 2:20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Pr 3:32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Pr 10:3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
Shall I quote the whole Bible?
New Testament....
Mt 10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet
shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man
in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Mt 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mt 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel ..
Lu 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
OBJECTION;
I'm righteous only "in Christ" while I am still, in my person, wicked
and depraved.
Answer;
Essentially this idea actually destroys Sanctification and puts
Justification
in its place. This is a reflection of the false doctrine of Positional
Holiness which I deal with in my article on Sanctification
A person who has a wicked heart is a sinner. He's
lost.
A person who has had his wicked heart removed is no longer a sinner.
He's a saint. He's saved.
Next some writers...
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Of all the Puritan writers the one who is probably the main culprit in fostering such a doctrine is none other than that great Prince of Puritans, Mr. John Owen. He wrote a book entitled Temptation And Sin which is probably as exhaustive a display of the doctrine as could be found. Some selections from the book...
Section title; The Nature, Power, Deceit and Prevalency of the Remainders of Indwelling Sin in Believers. Chap. 3 para. 6.
Wow folks.. the title alone is enough to send unholy chills down your spine! Can you imagine living in a house with paper-thin bottles of nitroglycerin all over the place? And no lights! Now look at what Owen says...
"This is the subject, the seat, the dwelling-place of this law of sin--- THE HEART: as it is the entire principle of moral operations, of doing good or evil, as out of it proceed good or evil. Here dwells our enemy; this is the fort, the citadel of this tyrant, where it maintains a REBELLION AGAINST GOD ALL OUR DAYS!!!". Sometimes it has more strength and consequently more success; sometimes less of the one and of the other; but it is ALWAYS IN REBELLION WHILST WE LIVE." [My Emphases.]
Imagine that folks... a Christian who is in rebellion against God all his days! Isn't that a lovely prospect to present to someone you witness the Gospel to? Or how about if you're a preacher and you get in the pulpit and inform your audience... "Those of you out there who consider yourself Christians I have good news for you. Y'all ain't nuthin but a bunch of rebels against God. John Owen said so!"
I'm not trying to be funny folks but this is a rank denial of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. Salvation from what according to John Owen? Certainly not the power of "the Remainders of Indwelling Sin in Believers." We're stuck with that for the rest of our days!
Notice Owen says that "..as out of it [the Heart] proceed good or evil." This is the error that one's heart can produce both good and evil at the same time. But this clearly contradicts the Lord Jesus who taught us;
Lu 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Mt 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth
good fruit; but
a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit.
Mt 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit
This observation by Owen is a result of his [and all who follow him] failure to differentiate between the two groups of Scripture that separate all men into two categories that are totally different in nature and must be distinguished. To take passages of Scripture that speak of the unregenerate man in his natural depravity and apply them to believers is to wreak havoc with Scripture and this is exactly what Owen did. He based his view on some of the verses I cited above which speak of the unsaved man. Owen cites Eccl 9:3, Mat 15:19, Gen 6:5 and Luke 6:45, all of which speak of the natural, unregenerate man and builds his [false] doctrine that the heart of a Christian is the "seat of the law of sin" and is in "rebellion against God all our days".
Another Puritan wrote;
“When I look into my heart and take a view of its wickedness, it looks like an abyss infinitely deeper than hell. And it appears to me, that, were it not for free grace, exalted and raised up to the infinite height of all the fulness and glory of the great Jehovah, I should appear sunk down in my sins below hell itself; far below the sight of everything, but the eye of sovereign grace, that alone can pierce down to such a depth. And it is affecting to think how ignorant I was, when a young Christian, of the bottomless depths of wickedness, pride, hypocrisy and deceit left in my heart” (1743 A.D.).
Imagine that folks. God gives this man a new heart and when he beholds it it "looks like an abyss infinitely deeper than hell." ! How's that for declaring the wonderful works of God?
Ps 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful
works
which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they
cannot
be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of
them,
they are more than can be numbered.
Ps 78:4 We will not hide them from their
children,
shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his
strength,
and his wonderful works that he hath done.
Dad; Okay children gather 'round. Dad is going to
tell
you of the wonderful works of God. You know
what He
did? He took out my old heart and gave me a brand new heart.
Kids; Really? And what does your new heart look
like
dad?
Dad; Oh... it looks like an abyss infinitely
deeper
than
hell.
The man's name was.. Jonathan Edwards. From his
Memoirs;
chapter VII "Remainder of Personal Narratives". Banner of Truth ed.
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A modern day writer;
"Sin is still hostile to God and cannot submit to His law (Rom.8:7). Thus we have an implacable enemy of righteousness RIGHT IN OUR OWN HEARTS. (Emph. added). First of all the scripture indicates that the seat of indwelling sin is the heart. Mark 7,21-23 Gen 6,5 Luke 6,45. The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful and unsearchable to any but God alone Jer.17,9. And IN THIS UNSEARCHABLE HEART DWELLS THE LAW OF SIN. (Emph added). Knowing that indwelling sin occupies a heart that is deceitful and unsearchable should make us extremely wary". "The Pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges, chapter 6
Here we have a reflection of the Puritan doctrine of indwelling sin from a modern-day writer which is almost word-for-word from John Owen! It shows the error which fails to recognize the true nature of regeneration and the change that takes place when God saves a man. By this subtle error they have come up with an erroneous doctrine of "indwelling sin" which says that a believer, even though he is regenerated, has been taken out of the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of light, has been placed into union with Christ and is become a new man in Christ, yet still has a heart that is basically evil, is averse to God and His laws, is bent toward sin rather than righteousness and in which sin still dwells and is very active. Whatever regeneration does, it does not change the basic inclination of the human heart to love darkness and drink iniquity like water!
Is that your god?
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What is it that "Dwells" in a true Christian? Let the Scriptures
give answer;
God dwells
in him. 1 John 4:12-16
The
truth dwells in him. Col.
3:16 / 2
John 2:2.
The
law of God dwells in him. Romans 7:22 / 1John 3:24
The
Holy Spirit dwells in him. Romans 8:9,11 / 1 Cor. 3:16
The
love of God dwells in him. Romans 5:5
Christ
dwells in him. Eph. 3:17 / Col. 1:27
Sin
dwells in him. 0