PORTERVILLE POST | The "RIGHT" Word © ~ with Brother Scott

| When “The Old Man” Dies
The Right Word^© - Jun 15, 2025
with Brother Scott : scott@portervillepost.com

When they talked about him, my uncles on my mother’s side would always refer to their father as “the old man” or “my old man”, which is not an uncommon term used among some people on the east coast. Occasionally I hear this used in a movie, too.
Listen :
I don’t think I have ever heard anyone from other parts of our country refer to their father in that way, and I never did my father. It is disrespectful and reflects an attitude that suggests perhaps an unloving and demeaning spirit. However! There is one place the term “old man” is completely appropriate and deserves the utmost disrespect and prejudice, and that is in reference to the very real sinful nature that must be addressed and dealt with once we are born-again from Heaven.

( † † † )
† Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [When Jesus died on the cross, He took all of humanity into death with Him from that day until the end of His 1,000-year reign to come. In water baptism, we are identifying with His death for sin as being our death to sin.] 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 this life] in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. [Just like a man or woman is no longer married to his or her spouse that has physically died and therefore can marry another without violating moral laws, our old-man-sinful-nature has factually and historically died, and you and I can be joined unto another, free of guilt or condemnation. We are free from the sinful old man and its power of sin and married to the new Man, Jesus who is sinless.] 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law [of sin and death], but under grace. [Paul gives us a critical understanding of this chapter 6 as he continues here:]
† Romans 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. . .
† Galatians 2: [Please note, as believers:] 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. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God. . .
† Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after [live according to] the flesh [the sinful spirit of the “old man”] do mind [obey, go along with] the things of the flesh; but they that are after [live according to] the Spirit [obey, go along with] the things of the Spirit.

Now so many believers today are so superficial in their walk with God and so not interested in the truths of the Holy Scriptures that they say, “Oh, these are nice hypothetical platitudes but are just not attainable; they are too “out there” for any normal person to live by or even to grasp.” This is flatly-not-true and is the voice of that old sinful nature trying to avoid his actual death at the cross!
Your old man and mine historically and factually died when Jesus died but it must actually die-away more and more if and as we will believe and act on the Word of God; otherwise we will continue to serve the old man and not walk in the newness of life in Christ (who is the “new man”), which [walk] is freedom from sin and peace with God, and by the power of the new nature comes the easy fulfilling of the laws of righteousness and holiness.

𝕋o those that think of these truths as only hypothetical platitudes—okay, I say then, break it down.

To those that think of these truths as only hypothetical platitudes—okay, I say then, break it down. “Hypothetical” means it’s only a hypothesis, an unproven theory (perhaps to you) and something that must be honestly and legitimately tested a few times, and if found to be true, it becomes fact and not some high-sounding and unattainable “platitude” (boring and means nothing to the spiritually untrained).
If you trust me and what I teach week after week, I am a witness to the fact that the old man is real and has power after the new birth but it is under the sentence of death that only happens when the believer enters into the truth of the fact that the old man was crucified with Christ and awaits his execution in the reality of your life. Most of the life-force and influence of my old man has actually withered away into death, much like a man lost in the desert without food or water dies a little more each day under the hot sun a thousand miles from any help.
Your old man is that man under the sentence of death, and Jesus is the hot Son overseeing the death of the sinful nature with its power and influence over you to sin, if you will seek for that to happen—continually—where you see sin still happening in your life, and that involves the work of the cross and the denying of the old man’s sinful desires.

𝕃isten to what else Paul had to say about the old man.

( † † † )
† Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
† Colossians 3:5 Mortify (put to death, deaden) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man (regenerated, fresh [in Christ]), which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

If you continue to have a habitual sin problem, and you know if you do, it means the old man is still very much alive and influential in your life. It means that you are not employing the provisions of your covenant-agreement with the Lord whereby the old man is taken to the cross and executed and the new Man is becoming the chief influencer in your life’s thinking, actions, and even your plans.

𝕋he old man refuses to submit to the Holy Spirit

The old man refuses to submit to the Holy Spirit, read the Word and pray, repent, forgive, be merciful, talk about Jesus, walk in love, and he hates it when you praise and worship God.
As to the old man, we are told to take him to the cross, nail him there by our commitment to God and His Word, then deny temptations to sin (sin = “come down from the cross”), and let the Holy Spirit put to death more and more of the old man.
We do this as often as we recognize those whispers to sin—or when we have sinned, we quickly repent, ask for forgiveness and the blood of Jesus to cleanse us, then get to the cross about the sinful nature that is behind the sin, and closely follow Jesus as He commands of those that call themselves His disciples.

( † † † )
† Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
† Mark 10:20 And he [the rich young ruler] answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast [“lose his life”], and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions [he didn’t want to give up his world-loving life, nor does the old man].
† Galatians 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross (self-denial, exposure to death) of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

As born-again ones and the children of God we are to walk in peace before Him and all men (in spite of their selfish and even pernicious ways). We are to walk in the joy of His salvation (if we will be submitted to its flow from Heaven). We are to walk in praise of our God (when we come to praise Him for Who He is and not for some blessing He gave as our only motivation).

𝕋he main reason we do not have the peace ...

The main reason we do not have the peace, His joy, and the praise of our God and Savior is because of the old man who is selfish, fearful, disobedient, and has a significant say in our day. We must have the Spirit of our Savior ruling our minds and hearts from His place in our regenerated human spirit and not the old man from our mind and heart.
Jesus is the new man and the One that brings life to you and me—life as a new creature that is to walk in peace and joy and praise each day, no matter the circumstances.

( † † † )
† 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old (original, primeval) things are passed away (perished); behold, all things are become new (are caused to be, come into being, come to pass, fulfilled as, wax as [grow stronger as the new creation]).
† 1 John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come [not has or did but is present always] in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…
† Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

The old man, and the new man that you and I are to be, are at war (the Bible calls this enmity, acts of hostility), and as the old native American saying goes about the bad dog and the good dog fighting, “The one you feed is the one that will win in the end.”
There are many wonderful advantages to the old man dying, which will be the focus of our part two of this discussion, When “The Old Man” Dies.
Think about what you’ve heard today as it relates to your life of either victory over sin—or the guilt of your sin as you feel helpless to triumph against it.

~ Brother Scott ... With ... The Right Word^© ... For Today~

.