ONE NATURISM
Miles
J. Stanford
We will briefly consider the
"one-nature" error.
1)
Wesleyan One-Naturism
This is the traditional Pentecostal aberration: "Total
Depravity does not mean that human nature is essentially and completely
evil, but that every part of it is damaged and infected by inherited
Adamic sin. "It is insisted that there is no new nature involved at
conversion, but rather the impartation of spiritual life that regenerates the
old Adamic nature.
Eradication: This is the teaching that all sin is
eradicated from the sinful Adamic nature. The Wesleyan "pure heart,"
is attained when the "second blessing" experience of the
"Pentecostal flame" consumes the sinful propensities of the old
Adamic nature. Presto, new divine nature!
2)
Arminian One-Naturism
Another type of "one-naturism" is set forth by J. Sidlow Baxter in his book, A New Call to Holiness.
This holiness theory
is that of amelioration of the sinful Adamic nature. Dr. Baxter writes:
"Sin is a diffused infection of thought, desire, motive,
impulse, inclination, and even of instinct, right through the moral nature.
From the moment the Holy Ghost fully possesses us, He begins to correct,
purify, refine, inbreathe and renovate all the qualities, tempers, urges,
propensities, and functions of the mind, the sensations, and the will. This is
how holiness begins and continues to be inwrought" (p. 116).
This is the humanistic theory of change in
contradiction to the spiritual principle of exchange; "Not I, but
Christ."
3) Covenant One-Naturism
The most prevalent and insidious type of
"one-naturism" today is that of Covenant Theology. Through the error
of considering Romans 6:6 to be actual (condition), rather than positional,
it is claimed that the old Adamic man is actually crucified, dead, and
gone--eradicated. Those holding this view are forced, however, to admit to
indwelling sin in the Christian. Some teach that it is simply a residual
influence left over from pre-salvation days.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Dr. Jay Adams refer to indwelling
sin as "old habits." Dr. John MacArthur terms it the "old coat
of humanness." Dr. Charles Solomon says it is the "energy of
residual sin." Another erroneous term for the indwelling old man is
"condition
of flesh." The one-nature proponents separate the alleged eradication of
the old man from the indwelling "flesh."
However, the Word teaches that "flesh" is a person, as
well as a condition. "My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for
that he also is flesh" (Gen. 6:3). "Fathers of our flesh" (Heb.
12:9) sire progeny of flesh. Belief in the eradication of the old man tends to
relieve the Christian of much of his responsibility concerning the
activity of his indwelling Adamic life and nature. He is wont to place the
blame for his sinning upon Satan, and upon "residual tendencies" and
"habits" developed prior to salvation.
But here is the crux of the matter: it is not possible for the
source of indwelling sin to be eradicated, while retaining sin, the
product of that sinful source. Effect must have a cause! If you sin,
you have its source, i.e., Adam.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones taught that "The old man is
non-existent. Your old self is gone" (Romans Six, p. 65).
Dr. MacArthur:
"The old man is dead, destroyed, removed…it isn’t around" (Tape
GC 2147). Dr. Solomon: "The old man and sin nature no longer exist in
the Christian" (Rejection Syndrome, p. 106). Dr. Bob George:
"That old man is dead and gone; he will never exist again" (Classic
Christianity, p. 90). Dr. Bill Gillham: "I claim by faith that the
old man is extinct" (Lifetime Guarantee, p. 187).
What the one-nature eradicationist fails to understand is that death ever
means separation! Separation from God is living death.
I, as a new
creation in the Last Adam, was positionally separated from the first Adam
at the Cross (Gal. 2:20). Hence I reckon myself dead (separated) from sin and
its source, the sinful indwelling old Adamic man. This is the meaning of Romans
Six.