God views our old sin nature as crucified with Christ, dead, and put out of commission—He no longer sees the old person, but sees us in Christ.
Romans 6:6 teaches that our old man was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed. Les explains that at the moment we believe, God sees us in the person of Christ on the cross and declares the old Adam dead. Although the old Adamic nature remains an influence in daily experience, it has been defeated and brought under the subjection of a new divine nature.
Romans 6:6 — This verse directly states that our old man was crucified with Christ, providing the core answer to how God views the old sin nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 — It declares that in Christ the believer is a new creature with old things passed away, showing the new standing before God.
The Bible plainly states what God has done with the old sin nature. Romans 6:6 says, '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 6:7 adds, 'For he that is dead is freed from sin.' The believer has died with Christ, and Romans 6:4 describes it this way: 'Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.' Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, 'Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.'
When someone believes the gospel—that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again—God reckons the old Adam as crucified with Christ. Les emphasizes that old Adam is declared dead in the mind of God; the moment we believe, God saw us in the person of Christ on the cross (Clip 6). God kills the old Adam and puts him out of commission, so that the body of sin might be destroyed (Clip 3). Yet Les is careful to say that in experience the old nature is still present and can trip us up; it has been defeated and placed under subjection to a new nature (Clips 4, 6, 7). God also clothes the believer with the righteousness of Christ, so when He looks at us, He does not see the old person but Christ (Clip 1). God sees the believer as Adam was before the fall and declares us just as if we had never sinned (Clip 5).
Les teaches that when God looks at a believer, He does not see the old person at all—He sees Christ. Because the old nature has been crucified with Christ, God clothes the believer with Christ's righteousness (Clip 1). God also saw every true believer in Christ at the cross, in the grave, and in His resurrection; the moment we believed, God saw us in the person of Christ on the cross (Clips 4, 6).
The Bible says the old man was crucified so that the body of sin might be destroyed (Romans 6:6) and that the believer is a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Les clarifies that God has killed the old Adam and put him out of commission (Clip 3), yet in experience the old Adamic nature is still with us. It is defeated and placed under subjection to the new nature, but it can still cause us to wrestle (Clips 4, 6, 7).
Christ fulfilled the demand that the soul that sinneth must surely die—He died our death (Clip 2). This is what makes it possible for God to reconcile us back to what we were in Adam before sin entered. When we believe the gospel, God declares us just as if we had never sinned and sees us as Adam was before the fall (Clip 5). The old body is still corrupt, but the believer's standing before God is that of a justified person in Christ (Clips 2, 5).
The Sin Nature Spiritually Dead
Les describes the sin nature as spiritually dead until God opens understanding and the gospel—Christ died for our sins—begins to be comprehended.
Clothed With Christ's Righteousness
Les teaches that once the old nature is crucified with Christ, God clothes the believer with His righteousness; God sees Christ, not the old person.
New Divine Nature in Fellowship
Les explains that the old sin nature now becomes a new divine nature in fellowship with God, and Christ's death fulfilled the death we owed.
God Kills the Old Adam
Les states that God kills the old Adam and puts the body of sin out of commission, so we should not serve sin.
God Saw Us in Christ
Les teaches that God saw every true believer in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection; the old nature is declared dead but remains a defeated influence.
Seen as Adam Before the Fall
Les teaches that God sees the believer as Adam before the fall and declares us just as if we had never sinned.
Old Adam Declared Dead in God's Mind
Les explains that at the moment of belief, God saw us in the person of Christ on the cross; old Adam is declared dead in God's mind but is still an influence.
New Creation With Old Flesh Present
Les teaches that in Christ we are a new creation; God imparts a divine nature that cannot sin, yet the old flesh can still trip us up.
Romans 6:4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Les references the believer being buried and raised with Christ, which is part of how God views us in Christ.
Romans 6:6: 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.
This is the central verse showing that the old sin nature is crucified with Christ.
Romans 6:7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Paul's conclusion that the believer is freed from sin's death grip, which Les quotes in Clip 3.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Declares the believer a new creation in Christ, which Les teaches in Clip 7.
God declares the old man dead in His mind, but in experience the old Adamic nature remains an influence. It is defeated and placed under subjection to the new nature, but it can still cause us to wrestle in our Christian life (Clips 4, 6, 7).
God has put the old Adam out of commission and freed us from serving sin (Clip 3). The new nature cannot sin; the old flesh is still capable of tripping us up, but it has been defeated by Christ's work on the cross (Clips 4, 7).
The moment we believe the gospel, God sees us in the person of Christ on the cross. It happens at that moment of belief, not through a religious ceremony or outward act (Clips 6, 0).