Preparing for a Permanent Bond

Many attempts to put a new coat upon an existing surface fail because of lack of preparation to insure good adhesion. Nearly every can of paint or tube of adhesive material warn that failure to carefully remove dirt, water, grease or loose material will result in a poor bond. The instructions always highlight the importance of thorough “surface preparation.”

It is interesting how we will be so careful to read and follow directions for natural bonding applications while failing to recognize the greater importance of spiritual adhesion. Spirit will not bond with Flesh! We can not put on Christ without removing Adam!

Paul gives very specific instructions regarding the importance of new life “surface preparation.” Hear the instructions he gave to those early believers: “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Many of us have failed to realize that the new man in Christ will never bond with the old man in Adam; failure to remove the old man’s flesh will always result in poor adhesion with Christ’s own life giving Spirit; the two will never bond together. The Spirit of Christ Jesus will only bond with our spirit, our inner man; we must remove the outer man’s corrupt flesh so that His Spirit can properly bond with our spirit. “He who is joined with the Lord is one spirit with Him.” We can never receive the life of the Spirit while making provision for and walking in the flesh. The flesh, with the law of sin in its members, must be put to death and put off in preparation for putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Flesh and Spirit will not mix any more than oil and water; attempting to put the new spiritual nature of Christ on top of the old carnal nature in Adam will result in failure of adhesion that will give way at the first sign of trouble. We might look spiritual for awhile; but, just like the house built on sand – the coming flood will soon reveal that the newly built house formed no actual bond with the immoveable rock. The wise man “dug deep” removing the material that would prevent his foundation from bonding with the solid rock. It took him much longer to build, but his house was left standing long after the fool’s house became river debris.

Perhaps we are skeptical that such a simple analogy could be so relevant spiritually, but let’s at least ask ourselves why every provision for life and godliness in Christ Jesus seem so inconsistently present in our lives when we are tested. Why have the many attempts we have made to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” still resulted in failure during temptation? I believe if we are honest, we will admit that we have attempted to put Christ on before we have finished putting Adam off. May the Lord grant us a fresh godly sorrow over the areas where we have attempted to cover over Adam rather than remove him.