What happens when God reckons old Adam as crucified?
God responds by putting within the believer a new nature—a divine nature, the very mind and nature of Christ Himself. This is what it means to become Christlike or Christian. He also declares old Adam dead, sees him no more, and justifies the believer as if he had never sinned.
Les explains that the old sin nature must be declared dead, at least so far as God is concerned, though it remains a viable force in our living. The minute God reckons old Adam as crucified, He puts within us a new nature, a divine nature, which is the very mind and nature of Christ Himself; that is what it means to become Christlike or Christian. Even though God reckons old Adam as dead, sees him no more, and justifies us as if we had never sinned—putting old Adam completely out of God's sight—in our experience as a believer he is still there. The only hope is that God has intervened with something that will help us control this old Adam and keep him defeated.