1 Samuel 24:13
“As the proverb of the ancients says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you.”
Every creature acts according to its inherent nature. Some creatures are naturally violent, while others are naturally gentle. God created each one, and each fulfills their purpose by living out their nature.
When a lion struts through the forest, every creature around knows not to mess with him because of who he is. When he roars, he is not trying to prove anything. He is just being himself and testing that nature may not be wise.
By default, every man also has an inherent nature that produces wickedness. That nature is the result of the Fall, and when Man lives out that nature, he simply fulfills his in-built DNA. He is not intentionally being bad. He is being himself.
The mystery of regeneration is that in Christ Jesus, God remakes that inner nature and redefines the inner thrust, transforming the original default into something totally different. When the DNA changes, everything changes as well.
David quoted a proverb that hit at the crux of the matter. When wicked people act wickedly, they are not doing something wrong. They are being truthful to their nature. If evil people start acting lovingly, that is the problem.
Jesus put it more directly. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Mat. 7:18). The key word is “CANNOT.” Even if a bad tree may seem to bear good fruit, that fruit is still considered bad because of the source.
In Christ, we were recreated for good works that God had ordained us to perform from the foundation of the world. That means that in Christ, from the beginning, God knew that anyone in Him can only produce one type of fruit.
This amazing truth needs to sink in. If we are in Christ, we CANNOT produce anything other than the works of Christ. This is the law of recreation. The old is forced to give way. The new is installed. You are who you are based on your nature. Amen.
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