To be dead to the old Adam is to have God reckon the old Adamic nature as crucified and dead with Christ at the moment of belief, so it has lost its control over the believer.
Les Feldick teaches that the only way to be separated from the old Adamic nature is to put Adam to death, and at the moment he dies he loses his control over the believer. This death happens by faith when the believer believes the gospel, so the believer can say with Paul, "I am crucified with Christ." The believer is now free to reckon himself alive unto God, with a new life hidden with Christ in God.
Romans 6:2 — Les teaches that this verse is clarified when Scripture's "dead to sin" is understood as dead to the old Adam — the believer cannot live any longer in him.
Romans 6:7 — Scripture's own statement that he who is dead is freed from sin — the death of old Adam releases the believer from his control.
Galatians 2:20 — Paul's testimony "I am crucified with Christ" is the basis for Les's teaching that old Adam dies when the believer believes.
Colossians 3:3 — Declares the believer dead in his old Adamic state and his new life hidden with Christ in God.
The Book of Romans directly connects death and freedom from sin. Romans 6:2 asks, "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:7 states plainly, "For he that is dead is freed from sin." Romans 6:11 then commands the believer, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord," and Romans 6:12 warns, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Paul describes his own experience of this death in Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Colossians 3:1 and Colossians 3:3 tell the risen believer to "seek those things which are above" because "ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." And 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares that "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Les Feldick teaches that "dead to the old Adam" is Paul's way of explaining the believer's separation from the Adamic nature received at birth. He reads Romans 6:2 as "How shall we who are dead now to old Adam live any longer therein?" and answers that the moment we believed, God reckoned old Adam dead and crucified — the ground of Paul's words in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." The only way to separate from that old Adamic nature is to put Adam to death, and the moment he dies he loses his control over the believer. Until Adam is put to death, he reigns as a king. This death is not the end but the beginning — old Adam is put to death and life really begins as the believer enters a new relationship with God by faith. Les makes it practical: God leaves the believer in the world, and the old Adam is still in force experientially, but God reckons him dead and his power over daily behavior is broken. That is why the believer is commanded to "reckon" himself dead indeed unto old Adam and alive unto God — and why "let not" in Romans 6:12 is a matter of choice: the believer decides whether old Adam continues to reign in the mortal body. The believer's new life is hid with Christ in God, wrapped up in the Godhead where nothing can touch him. And just as Christ was raised from the dead, the believer comes out of deadness into a new life — a new creation in Christ — because every believer is now out of Adam and in Christ, where God sees only the righteousness and holiness of Christ.
Les teaches that the moment a person believes, God reckons the old Adam dead and crucified — that is the meaning of Paul's "I am crucified with Christ." The only way to separate ourselves from the old Adamic nature is to put Adam to death, and the moment he dies he loses his control over us. This all comes by faith, when we believe the gospel; old Adam is put to death and life really begins.
Yes, experientially. Les says the old Adam is still in force experientially even though God reckons him dead, and his power over daily behavior has been broken. The believer is left with the choice found in "let not": the word implies choice, not something forced. Unhappy believers are miserable because old Adam is still controlling them, and they are the ones left with the choice.
In the believer's old Adamic state, he is dead, and his life — eternal life as well as this life — is hid with Christ in God. Being in Christ means being wrapped up in the Godhead, where nothing can touch us. Les compares this to Jesus' words that no one can pluck His sheep out of His hand — almost a simplistic understatement compared to being hid in God.
Because every believer is out of Adam and in Christ — and God no longer sees the believer in the cesspool of sin but only in the righteousness and holiness of Christ — the believer is told in Colossians 3:1 that if he be risen with Christ, he should seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. It is a whole new mental attitude about things. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, the believer comes out of deadness and experiences a new life; if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.
Out of Adam, Into Christ
Les teaches that when a person believes what the cross says, he moves out of Adam and into Christ, and God now sees only Christ's righteousness — the basis for the believer's new mental attitude of seeking things above.
Dead to Old Adam
Les teaches that the moment we believed, God reckoned old Adam dead and crucified, so the believer asks with Paul, "How shall we who are dead now to old Adam live any longer therein?"
Adam's Death Breaks His Control
Les explains that the only way to separate from the old Adamic nature is to put Adam to death — at that moment he loses his control, and until then he reigns as a king.
Death by Faith, Life Begins
Les teaches that identifying with Christ's death comes entirely by faith when we believe the gospel — old Adam is put to death, and life in a new relationship with God really begins.
Reckon Dead — Make the Choice
Les teaches that the believer is to reckon himself dead indeed unto old Adam and alive unto God, and that "let not" in Romans 6:12 leaves the believer with the choice of whether old Adam continues to reign.
Dead Positionally, Active Experientially
Les teaches that God reckons old Adam dead and his power over daily behavior is broken — yet he is still in force experientially, so the believer lives day by day by the faithfulness of Christ.
Hid With Christ in God
Les teaches that in the old Adamic state the believer is dead, and the believer's new life is hid with Christ in God — wrapped up in the Godhead so that nothing can touch him.
From Deadness to New Life
Les teaches that old Adam has to die and the believer has to be separated from him, and just as Christ was raised from the dead, the believer comes out of deadness into a new life — the new creation of 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Romans 6:2: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
The verse Les uses to show that the believer, dead to old Adam, can no longer live in that old life.
Romans 6:7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Scripture's explanation of why the death of old Adam breaks his control over the believer.
Romans 6:11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The command to count the old Adam dead and oneself alive unto God.
Romans 6:12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
The choice Les points to: the believer must not let old Adam reign in the mortal body.
Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul's testimony that the old self was crucified with Christ, which Les applies to the death of old Adam.
Colossians 3:1: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
The new mental attitude of the believer who is risen with Christ.
Colossians 3:3: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
The believer's security: dead in the old Adamic state, with life hidden in God.
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.
The new life that begins when the believer comes out of the deadness of old Adam.
Les teaches that the moment a person believed, God reckoned old Adam dead and crucified — the same moment Paul expressed as "I am crucified with Christ" in Galatians 2:20. At that moment old Adam lost his control over the believer; until he is put to death, he reigns as a king.
Experientially, yes. Les says old Adam is still in force in daily experience, but God reckons him dead and his power over daily behavior has been broken. The believer is left with the choice — "let not" old Adam reign in the mortal body — and unhappy believers are miserable because old Adam is still controlling them.
In Romans 6:11 the believer is told, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Les explains this means you believe and understand all that the gospel has done for you — counting yourself dead indeed unto old Adam but alive unto God.
In the old Adamic state the believer is dead, and the believer's new life is hid with Christ in God. Les teaches that being in Christ means being wrapped up in the Godhead, where nothing can touch us — a deeper security than even Jesus' words about no one plucking His sheep out of His hand.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "Saved by Faith" Really Mean? Romans 1:16-17