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John MacArthur's OneNature Teaching

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John MacArthur'sOne Nature Position

1) John MacArthur's One NatureTeaching

The IFCA doctrinal statement very clearlyaffirms that the believer has TWO NATURES,a new nature and an old nature: "We believethat every saved person possesses twonatures, with provision made for victory ofthe new nature over the old naturethrough the power of the indwelling HolySpirit; and, that all claims to the eradicationof the old nature in this life are unscriptural."(Section 1, Article 8)

Now let us see what Dr. MacArthur teachesregarding the two natures of the believer:


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HIS DENIAL OF THE TWO NATURES (HISONE NATURE POSITION):

"I believe it is a serious misunderstanding tothink of the believer as having both an oldand new nature. Believers do not have dualpersonalities...there is no such thing as an oldnature in the believer" (Freedom FromSin--ROMANS 6-7, Moody Press, pp. 31-32).Question: Does this mean that hebelieves that the IFCA statement offaith (Section 1, Article 8) reflects a"serious misunderstanding"? And if so,how could he sign it and be in heartyagreement?

"Salvation is not a matter of improvement orperfection of what has previously existed. It istotal transformation...At the new birth aperson becomes `a new creature; the oldthings passed away; behold, new things have


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come' (2 Cor. 5:17). It is not simply that hereceives something new but that he becomessomeone new...The new nature is not addedto the old nature but replaces it. Thetransformed person is a completely new `I.'Biblical terminology, then, does not saythat a Christian has two differentnatures. He has but one nature, thenew nature in Christ. The old self dies andthe new self lives; they do not coexist. It is nota remaining old nature but the remaininggarment of sinful flesh that causes Christiansto sin. The Christian is a single newperson, a totally new creation, not aspiritual schizophrenic...The believer as atotal person is transformed but not yet whollyperfect. He has residing sin but no longerreigning sin. He is no longer the old mancorrupted but is now the new man created inrighteousness and holiness, awaiting fullsalvation." (The MacArthur New Testament


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Commentary-EPHESIANS, p. 164)

"The biggest difficulty in believing that sin isa vanquished foe is the constant conflictbelievers have with sin. When you destroypeople's convenient theological categories byteaching what God really says--that there isonly one nature in the believer--manydon't know how to respond" (Freedom FromSin, p. 52).

"The believer does not have two competingnatures, the old and the new; but one newnature that is still incarcerated inunredeemed flesh" [Study Bible Note underRomans 6:6].

"Explaining the reality that the believer hasonly one new nature is not simply playinga psychological word game. It isn't saying toyourself, `I'm really wonderful, holy, and


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righteous', until you finally convince yourselfof something that isn't true. The point is thatGod's Word teaches that sin's power is brokenin the life of the believer, and our response isto believe that to be true" (Freedom FromSin, p. 52).

"Nor is Paul describing a dualistic,schizophrenic Christian...Christians sinbecause of the vestiges of sinful flesh, notbecause they have the same old active sinfulnature. Certainly we sin, but when we sin it iscontrary to our nature, not because we havetwo dispositionsâ€”one sinful and one not"(Faith Works, p. 116).

"If you are a Christian, it's a seriousmisunderstanding to think of yourself ashaving both an old and new nature. We donot have a dual personality! Assuming thedual nature of the believer could easily lead


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one to excuse all kinds of sins by blamingthem on the old nature" ("The Good NaturedBeliever" by John MacArthur in TheMasterpiece magazine, March/April 1990, p.18).

"I know of a pastor who counsels premaritalcouples to take a shower together. He tellsthem not to worry about sin, saying that whenwe sin, it is simply a manifestation of our oldnature. He believes the old nature is going tosin anyway, so there's nothing believers cando about it. But according to the Apostle Paul,the believer's old nature is dead and buried.With that in mind, how can we possibly servesin? Those who hold the view that sees a dualnature in the believer could easily attempt toexcuse all kinds of sins by blaming them onthe old nature" (Freedom From Sin, p. 31;and this same illustration was used in hisarticle, "The Good Natured Believer" which


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appeared in The Masterpiece, March/April1990, p. 18). Note: This quote impliesthat those who teach that a believerpossesses both an old and new nature(as the IFCA doctrinal statementclearly states) will be prone to easilyexcuse all kinds of sins, even as thepastor in the wicked illustration above.This is a very unfair representation ofthose who hold to the two natures ofthe believer. Those who hold to the twonature position would condemn theabove pastor just as strongly as Dr.MacArthur does.

"Salvation is a spiritual union with JesusChrist in His death and resurrection that canalso be described as the death of the `old self'and the resurrection of the `new self,' whonow walks in `newness of life.' This unionand new identity clearly means that salvation


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is transformation. It is not addition of a newself to an old self. In Christ, the old self nolonger exists (compare 2 Cor. 5:17)."(EPHESIANS, p. 177)

"Paul declares `I have been crucified withChrist,'--that is, my old `I' is dead and nolonger exists" (Romans 1-8, Moody Press, p.323).

"According to Romans 6, the old naturerepresents a person before salvation,who exists solely in a state of habitualsinfulness. The new nature, however,describes a regenerate man who lives a life ofrighteousness and holiness that is honoringto God" (Freedom From Sin, p. 43).

"But according to the Apostle Paul, our oldnature is dead and buried" ("The GoodNatured Believer", The Masterpiece,


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March/April 1990, p. 18).

"Our old self...has been crucified and is nowdead, and therefore cannot dictate to usanymore" (Romans 1-8, p. 325).

"Some believe 1 John 3:6,9 mean our newnature can't sin, but our old nature still does.But those verses say nothing about the oldand new natures...I'm not convincedthere are two natures; I think you haveone new nature that has the possibilityof sinning" (Marks of a True Believer--1John 2:18-4:21, Moody Press, p. 51). Such astatement seems to imply that thesource of sin is to be found in the newnature. This is not what MacArthurteaches, as we shall see later. But thisquote does point out MacArthur'sdilemma. If the believer does not havean old nature, as MacArthur teaches,


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then the source of sin cannot be the oldnature, but sin must come from someother source. Later we consider closelyMacArthur's teaching as to where sinin the believer comes from.

"I have had a terrible time trying to figure outwhich is my old man and which is my newman. I gave up a long time ago. I'm just me! Iknow one thing--when I sin I'minvolved...I'm not even convinced youhave two natures. I think you just haveone new one that has the possibility ofsinning. You can't split yourself up intolittle pieces...In the new man and in thenew nature there is the capacity for sin" (TapeGC 2111 on 1 John 3:4-10, 1975).

"Paul is saying in Romans: 'Look. The oldman is done away, the old nature isdestroyed" (Your Completeness in Christ, p.


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100).

"...the old self is gone" (Colossians andPhilemon, p. 149).

"As Christians, our old life has beencondemned, crucified, and done away with.The old life is gone." (Tape GC 2147).

According to Dr. MacArthur, being "dead tosin" means that "I no longer possess a sinnature" (Freedom From Sin, p. 50).

MacArthur teaches that when a personbecomes a Christian "God takes away theold nature" and gives the believer a newnature (Your Completeness in Christ--Colossians 1:24-2:23, p. 96).

"The dualistic view that a Christian has twonatures uses unbiblical terminology and canlead to perception that is extremely


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destructive of holy living" (Romans 1-8,Moody Press, p. 323-324).

"True believers have already been removedfrom the presence and control of the oldsinful self" (Romans 1-8, p. 325).

"No matter how radical our outertransformation at the time of salvation mayhave been for the better, it is difficult tocomprehend that we no longer have the fallensin nature and that our new nature is actuallydivine" (Romans 1-8, p. 334).

"That view of salvation [a view whichMacArthur claims is a false view] oftenincludes the idea that, although trust inChrist brings the believer a new nature, theold nature remains fully operative, and thatthe Christian life is essentially a battlebetween his two resident natures" (Romans


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1-8, p. 334)

"A person cannot have two different andopposing natures at the same time" (Romans1-8, p. 344).

"He [Paul in Romans 7] was certainly notteaching that a Christian has two natures ortwo personalities. There is just one savedperson, just as previously there was one lostperson" (Romans 1-8, p. 386). [Note: Wewould agree that there is just one savedperson, and yet this one saved personhas two natures. The Lord Jesus Christwas one Person and yet He had twonatures, the human and the divine.MacArthur seems to be implying that isthere are two natures then there mustbe two persons, and this is not true]

"The relation of the old self and the new


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self has been much disputed. Many hold thatat salvation believers receive a new self butalso keep the old self. Salvation thus becomesaddition, not transformation...Such a view,however, is not precisely consistent withbiblical teaching. At salvation the old self wasdone away with. [He then cites 2 Cor. 5:17and Rom. 6:6] Salvation istransformationâ€”the old self is gone,replaced by the new self" (Colossians andPhilemon, p. 148).

"To argue that believers have both an old anda new self is to argue in effect that thebeliever's soul is half regenerate and halfunregenerate. There is no support for such aspiritual half-breed in Scripture" (Colossiansand Philemon, p. 149).

"Just as it is impossible to be in Adam and inChrist at the same time, so also it is


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impossible to be or to have an old and newself" (Colossians and Philemon, p. 149).

"Scripture does not support a dualistic view.Romans 6:6 clearly says that our old self wascrucified with Christ. The person we werebefore we trusted Christ is no more. Ournature is changed, transformed. We are newcreations, not merely the same old creatureswith a new side to our personalities" (TheVanishing Conscience, p. 218-219, WordPublishing, 1994).

"The OLD SELF refers to the unregeneratenature, who we were when we were INADAM. It is not the dark side of aJekyll-Hyde disposition. It is not half a dualtemperament unique to Christians. It is notan `old nature' that battles with our newnature for control of our wills. It is simplywho we used to be before we were born again.


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The old self is no more. It has been crucified,put off, laid aside" (The VanishingConscience, p. 137).

MacArthur Labels theScofield/Dispensational View of theTwo Natures as Erroneous:

"I oppose the two-nature dualism that waspopularized by The Scofield Reference Bible.Since this is probably the predominant viewin American evangelicalism today, it ishelpful to examine what is being taught.Scofield believed all Christians have twoactive natures--the old or Adamic nature, andthe divine nature received through the newbirth. These, he taught, are equal but oppositerealities that operate in every believer. Theold Adamic nature--with its love for sin, itsthoroughgoing depravity, all its evilpropensities and its inability to love God or


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do good--is still alive and powerful. The newdivine nature is given only to believers, butonce implanted within, it competes with theold nature for control of the will. Therefore,according to this view, every Christian stillhas the old sinful nature to contend with--butnow has a new, godly nature as well. It is akind of spiritual schizophrenia" (TheVanishing Conscience, p. 217).

Summary of MacArthur's denial of the twonatures:

As time passes MacArthur seems to becomemore dogmatic in his assertion that thebeliever has only one nature. Here are a fewof his statements which have already beencited above along with the year when thestatement was made:

In 1975 he said, "I'm not even convinced


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you have two natures, I think you justhave one new one that has the possibility ofsinning" (Tape GC 2111).

In his book published in 1986 he said,"Biblical terminology, then, does not say thata Christian has two different natures. He hasbut one nature, the new nature inChrist" (Ephesians, p. 164).

In his book published in 1987 he said, "Ibelieve it is a seriousmisunderstanding to think of thebeliever as having both an old and newnature...there is no such thing as an oldnature in the believer" (Freedom FromSin, pp. 31-32).

In his magazine article, March/April 1990 hesaid, "it's a serious misunderstanding tothink of yourself as having both an old


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and new nature" (The Masterpiece, p. 18,and the article is entitled, "The Good NaturedBeliever." Even this title reflects his onenature position).

In his major commentary in 1991 he said,"The dualistic view that a Christian hastwo natures uses unbiblicalterminology and can lead to perceptionthat is extremely destructive of holyliving....we no longer have the fallensin nature....a person cannot have twodifferent and opposing natures at thesame time" (Romans 1-8, pp. 323, 324,334).

In another major commentary in 1992 hesaid, "...so also is it impossible to be orto have an old and new self" (Colossiansand Philemon, p. 149).


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MACARTHUR'S SEEMINGLYCONTRADICTORY STATEMENTSCONCERNING ERADICATION AND THEOLD NATURE:

Dr. MacArthur makes it very clear that the"eradication of the believer's sin nature" isnot a Biblical doctrine (see Freedom FromSin, p. 17). "Some theologians would tell usyou get to the point where your sin nature iseradicated...It has never been eradicated"(Tape GC 45-53, Romans 7).

And yet in the quotes cited above MacArthursays the following: "There is no such thing asan old nature in the believer." "There is onlyone nature in the believer." "The old self nolonger exists." "I no longer possess a sinnature." "God takes away the old nature.""The old nature is destroyed" (seedocumentation above) So MacArthur is


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saying that there is no such thing as an oldnature in the believer...it does not exist, it hasbeen destroyed, and yet it has not beeneradicated! These statements arecontradictory. If it is not eradicated then itmust still be there, but how can it still bethere if it does not exist? How can it still bethere if the believer no longer possesses it?How can it be "destroyed" and yet noteradicated? (Note: As we will see later,what MacArthur really seems to beteaching is this: The believer does nothave an old nature, just a new nature.But the believer still has sin. Thesource of sin in the believer is not theold nature which he no longerpossesses, but the source of sin is thebeliever's unredeemed body where sinresides. When a person is saved Godredeems the soul but not the body. Butif the old nature has been crucified and


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destroyed and "put off" as MacArthurteaches, then how can he say that it hasnot been eradicated? ProbablyMacArthur is here guarding against thefalse teaching of sinless perfection(which he does not teach). Herecognizes that sin is still present inthe believer and he doesn't wantanyone to think that this sin principleis no longer there, and so he teachesagainst the idea of sin being eradicated.But let it be said again that MacArthurstrongly teaches that the old nature inthe believer has been put off and doesnot exist ).

On the one hand MacArthur says, "A personcannot have two different and opposingnatures at the same time" (Romans 1-8, p.344), but in the same book he says, "Thepassage [Romans 7] is obviously a poignant


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account of a person's inner conflict withhimself, one part of him pulling one directionand another part pulling the opposite. Theconflict is real and it is intense" (p. 378).How can there be such a conflictwithout two different and opposingnatures?

On the one hand MacArthur teaches that theold self, the "old I," is "dead and no longerexists" (Romans 1-8, p. 323), but elsewhere inthe same book he says, "The Christian can saythat a new man has already arisen in him, buthe also must confess that the sinful part [sic]his old man has not yet ceased to be" (p.393).Has it ceased to exist or not?

On the one hand MacArthur teaches that "theold self has been made a corpse; and a corpse,by definition, has in it no remaining vestige oflife" (Romans 1-8, p. 318), but in the same


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book he says this: "because the believer is stillclothed in the old self, he sometimes resistsGod's will" (p. 412). If the old self hasceased to exist, how can the believed beclothed in him? If the old self is acorpse and has no life at all, how can itcause the believer to resist God's will?

MACARTHUR'S TEACHING THATSALVATION IS A TRANSFORMATION, NOTAN ADDITION:

"Christians are often taught that salvation ismerely addition, not transformation. Theytherefore believe your new nature is added toyour old nature, and you spend the rest ofyour life in a war zone" (Freedom From Sin,p. 51). "A believer is a new creation inChrist...When a person comes to Christ, heshares in His death and resurrection andbecomes a different person...Those who


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simply add Christ to their sinful life-styles arenot saved at all" (Freedom From Sin, pp.21-22)

"Salvation brings about a radical change inthe nature of the believer...The old man hasceased to exist" (Freedom From Sin, p. 33)."Salvation begins with the creative act of Godin totally remaking the believer's nature"(Freedom From Sin, p. 69). "God haschanged our nature" (Freedom From Sin, p.168).

"The renewal of the mind in salvation bringsnot simply a renovation of character, buttransformation of the old to the new self. InChrist, the old self no longer exists" [StudyBible Note under Ephesians 4:24].

"Second Corinthians 5:17 says, 'If any man bein Christ, he is a new creation.' That's why I'm


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not comfortable about the old man/new manconcept. You don't keep the old man and havea new man added to it. I don't see this as anaddition; I see it as a new life" (Marks of aTrue Believer, pp. 62-63).

"(quotes 2 Cor. 5:17) He is re-created, all new!It isn't just the addition of a new thing to theold thing...I don't feel comfortable about theidea of an old man and a new man, (that) youjust keep the lousy old man and get a newman added to it. I don't see it as an addition. Isee it as a total new life" (Tape GC 2111, 1John 3:4-10, 1975, Side 2).

"We have a new heart--not an added one, buta whole different one" (The VanishingConscience, p. 219).

"If...salvation is truly a work of God, it cannotbe defective. It cannot fail to impact an


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individual's behavior. It cannot leave hisdesires unchanged or his conduct unaltered.It cannot result is a fruitless life. It is the workof God and will continue steadfastly from itsinception to ultimate perfection (Philippians1:6)" (Gospel According to Jesus, p. 74).

Note: MacArthur key proof text thatsalvation is transformation is 2Corinthians 5:17. We are new creaturesin Christ. This verse speaks of ourposition in Christ, it does not speak ofthe believer's actual condition. A newcreature may or may not act as a newcreature. Remember, Paul told theCorinthians that they were newcreatures, and yet he also had to tellthem in his first epistle that they werecarnal, and they walked as men!

We should also note that in the Bible


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the term transformation(metamorphoomai) is used twice of thebeliever (Romans 12:2 and 2 Cor. 3:18).In both places the term is used of theprogressive and gradual change intoChrist-likeness which takes placethroughout the Christian life. We are tobe constantly, day by day, transformedby the renewing of our minds and aswe behold the glory of Christ in theWord of God we are constantly beingchanged from one stage of glory to thenext. These verses speak not of a totaltransformation at the point ofjustification, but of a gradualtransformation which is to be takingplace throughout the Christian life.MacArthur, on the other hand, seemsto be speaking of a sudden andcomplete transformation that happensthe moment a person is saved.


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This kind of teaching seems common amongReformed men. For example, R.C.Sprouldefines REGENERATION as a change in aperson's nature. According to this view,regeneration has transformed the old natureinto something good. Here are his words:

"Regeneration is a vital change in a person'snature....All who are regenerated arechanged. Reformed theology viewsregeneration as the immediate supernaturalwork of the Holy Spirit that effects the changeof the soul's disposition....The believer is achanged person. He is still a sinner but is inprocess of spiritual reversal that has, by theefficacious work of the Holy Spirit, alreadybegun" (R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone, pages111,26).

Dispensationalists have taught thatREGENERATION is the impartation of


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a new nature but not thetransformation of the old nature. It istrue that the believer is a changedperson, but this is because hepossesses Christ, not because his oldnature has been improved or reformedor transformed. Scofield said it thisway:

The Scriptures teach thatevery regenerate person isthe possessor of twonatures: one, received bynatural birth, which iswholly and hopelessly bad;and a new nature, receivedthrough the new birth,which is the nature of GodHimself, and thereforewholly good....The believer,while still having his old


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John MacArthur's One Nature Position- Index

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nature, unchanged andunchangeable, has receiveda new nature which `afterGod is created inrighteousness and trueholiness.' It will be seenthat regeneration is acreation, not a meretransformationâ€”thebringing in a new thing, notthe change of an old. (C.I.Scofield, Rightly Dividingthe Word of Truth, chapteron "The Believer's TwoNatures").


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john macarthur's one nature teaching — — readability

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