The Old Man is Crucified

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,

that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

(Romans 6:6)

Those who interpret the ‘old man’ as our sinful nature often struggle to reconcile this verse, especially considering that our sinful nature appears far from dead. Careful interpretation of Scripture is crucial to avoid confounding the Word of God and confusing our audience.

The apostle Paul's use of the term ‘old man’ refers to the first Adam. There is no human older than him and he represents all his descendants. Under Adam, we were chained and condemned, helpless in our fall and guilty before God’s law. Dead in trespasses and sins, we could not perform even the smallest act of obedience to satisfy a Holy God. Thus, the work of the LORD Jesus is precious and merciful. He willingly came as the last Adam, representing elect sinners for righteousness, just as the old man, Adam, represented them for condemnation. Christ became sin [served as the sin offering] and through His sacrificial death He destroyed the body of sin, bearing its judgment and fully satisfying God’s law and justice for those for whom He died.

It is only in this sense that the body of sin is said to be destroyed. Clearly, it has not been eradicated within us because as long as we are in this flesh, even as sinners made alive by the Spirit of God, that sinful nature remains unchanged, Romans 8:7-8. The body of sin, the legal condemnation of sin imputed in Adam to our account, has been destroyed FOR us by Christ’s death. It is abolished in Him and by Him Who died in our place and we died with Him as our Representative.

Thus, the ‘old man’ [our state in Adam] and the body of sin [the legal condemnation by imputation] are destroyed, as Christ bore them away in His obedience unto death. Consequently, we no longer serve sin, nor are we liable to its curse and condemnation even though it still resides within us because we have been justified [freed] from its accusations and condemnations, Romans 6:7.

This Truth is echoed in Ephesians 2:15 which speaks of Christ having abolished in His flesh the enmity. The enmity is not forgiven or changed but abolished, accomplished through Christ’s taking the place of His people, being made sin and so reconciling them to God. By Faith we accept this reality because God declares it to be true, 2 Corinthians 5:17.