Does God consider a believer's old sin nature to be dead?
Yes. God reckons the old sin nature of believers as dead, because the old Adam is dead. The believer’s life is now hid in God and in Christ, a threefold position of safety and security that nothing can touch. This is the believer’s secure position in Christ.
Les explains that Old Adam is dead, and God reckons the old sin nature of you and me as believers as dead. The life we have is hid in God and in Christ. That is the threefold position of the believer: in Christ and in God, safe and secure, where nothing can touch us. Les illustrates this with the black walnut—removing the outer shell, cracking the next shell, and finding delicious meat in the middle. He also points to Israel on Passover night, safe because the blood was on the door while the death angel passed, and Noah’s family safe in the ark lined with pitch, which in Hebrew meant atonement. Amid earth’s wickedness, believers are in Christ and safe. Paul says not to worry about he who can destroy the body but cannot destroy the soul.