In our study of Mark we are in Mark 7:23; where Jesus explained to his disciples that a person is defiled by what comes out of their thinking not from what they eat or weather the hands are washed before eating.
Jesus was referring to the OSN that predisposes everyone to perform sin and evil. So we took up a study on the doctrine of the OSN.
In that study we left of in 1Cor 3:1-3; where Paul states: "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual persons (believers functioning in God's' power system), but as to belonging to the sin nature (believers controlled by the OSN), as to babies in Christ (childish believers).
v2 I gave you milk, and not solid food (advanced doctrine), for you were not able to receive it;
v3 in fact, you are still not able because you are still belonging to the sin nature. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not belonging to the sin nature, and keep walking in conformity with men?"
Paul is explaining to the Corinthians believers why were unable to learn advanced doctrine. It was because they were under the control of the old sin nature. The control of the soul by the OSN made it impossible for them to learn because of the hardness of heart it created in their thinking.
The fact that they are still "fleshly" or of the flesh means that after committing personal sins they didn't recover fellowship with God by judging themselves and acknowledging personal sin. Paul uses the mental attitude sins of arrogance and the emotional sin of jealousy as what revealed their status quo of being of "the flesh."
The Corinthian believers are therefore "of the sin nature" and without the power of God the Holy Spirit they are living their lives as though they were unbelievers.
"The body of sin" in Rom 6:6; tells us that the old sin nature resides in the cell structure of the body where its genetic home is in the chromosomes of the cell.
"Corruptible man" refers to the sin nature in Rom 1:23. Corruption means the old sin nature and the result of the old sin nature. Man is corrupted physically, spiritually, and therefore morally.
"Corruptible seed" in 1Pet 1:23; refers to the genetic transmission of the old sin nature.
There are passages that describe sin, and good or evil as coming from the "heart." The heart, or right lobe of the soul, has nothing to do with the old sin nature. But the old sin nature gets to the soul of man by attacking the heart or the thinking.
The old sin nature influences the thinking so that sin, and human good and evil are performed because they have been programmed into the thinking when we submit to the temptation of the OSN and obey it. Jer 17:9; Matt 12:34-35; Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21-23;
There are three references to the old sin nature in Rom 6:6. "Knowing this, that our old man (old sin nature) was crucified with Him (retroactive positional truth), so that our body of sin (body that contains the old sin nature) might be rendered powerless, in order that we should no longer be slaves to sin (old sin nature)."
The implication of this verse is that we are locked into slavery to the old sin nature apart from the retroactive positional truth that we receive as one of the forty things we receive at salvation when we believe in Jesus Christ.
When the old sin nature gains control of the soul, it is called a "desperately wicked heart." Jer 17:9; "The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked."
The Hebrew word "leb" is translated "heart" referring to the right lobe of the soul, but in this case it refers to the right lobe in connection the old sin nature's temptations that are projected into the soul.
The right lobe is the place where sin is presented before volition takes it and runs with it. Temptation is projected through the soul to the heart. Sin originates from one's volition and the choice to follow the temptation and implement it that occurs in the heart.
This explains Jer 17:9; where the right lobe is related to the old sin nature. Matt 12:34-35; and Matt 15:19; say that the heart is the source of certain sins. This doesn't refer to the right lobe by itself, but the choices that are made in the heart or the right lobe that are made from the temptations that are presented to it by the old sin nature.
In other words, the sin nature comes from the cell structure of the body and presents a temptation that goes into the right lobe of the soul where it is defined in terms of language or some kind of emotion.
So once the source, the old sin nature, gains entry to the soul, then the temptation is defined. At this point you are being tempted according the language of your own soul.
Then you have a choice regarding that temptation. Negative volition means you will commit the sin you are being tempted with, whether or not you know it's a sin. Positive volition means you choose not to commit that sin, so that the temptation merely remains a temptation that has been rejected.
A temptation is not a sin until volition chooses to act on it. This is true of all people weather they are sane or insane, normal or abnormal. God holds everyone responsible for every choice they make. Weather they choose to sin or not regardless of weather they know it is a sin or not. Lack of awareness is no excuse.
Jesus did not have an OSN but He was tempted in every way that everyone else is but never chose to sin so He remained impeccable. Heb 4:15;
Rom 7:14; has two references to the old sin nature. "For we know that the law is spiritual (comes from God, a Spirit), but I am of the flesh (sin nature infused body), having been sold into bondage to sin (slavery to old sin nature)."
1John 1:8, "If we say (contend, maintain, assert) that we have no sin (nature), we deceive ourselves, and doctrine is not in us."
1John 1:10, "If we say (contend, maintain, assert) that we have not sinned (after salvation), we make Him a liar and His doctrine is not in us." The old sin nature is the genetic home for the imputation of Adam's original sin at physical birth causing real spiritual death.
Real spiritual death is separation from God and with no capacity to relate to God.
The old sin nature resides in the cell structure of the body and is the source of inner temptation. The things that become a temptation are projected into your soul. The old sin nature works through the soul because that is where decisions are made. Most temptation comes this way, although we also face an overt temptation.
At birth there are two simultaneous imputations. When the fetus emerges from the womb, God imputes human life to the human soul. God creates human life at birth in every case.
The justice of God simultaneously imputes Adam's original sin to the genetically formed sin nature that resides in the cell structure of the body. The result is real human soul life and real spiritual death in a living physical body at birth.
Everyone except for Jesus Christ because of His unique conception has the genetically formed old sin nature at birth. At birth God imputes Adam's original sin to the genetically formed old sin nature every time a child is born.