The things that God says about the old nature, the flesh, are not at all pleasant. He had to speak very plainly about it, for if He did not, people would think they could patch up their old nature enough to please God.
First He says that the old nature cannot please Him - Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 4:22; Romans 8:8; Jeremiah 17:9.
Even if one who was not saved should give money to a poor man, the Lord would not be pleased, for it would be the old nature that would be doing it, and as long as one does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing that he can do is good.
Then the old nature cannot obey God - Mark 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:2.
That is why we cannot save ourselves.
The old nature cannot understand God - 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Romans 3:11.
Some people say that the Bible seems foolish to them. That is because they do not have the new nature. The natural man—that is, the one who has only the old nature cannot understand the Bible, or any of the things about God. If a person says that the cross, and the Lord Jesus dying for our sins seem foolish to them, you can be sure that that is because they have only the old nature. They are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18).
But when we have been born again, we receive the new nature, which can please and obey and understand God. All this God gives us when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Excerpt From: Donald Grey Barnhouse. “Teaching the Word of Truth.” iBooks.
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