15 Traits of The Old Nature Of Sin [Summarizing Sinners]

What are the unique characteristics of the old nature? What’s the difference between the old nature and the new nature?

This article will answer those questions and more as we explore the 13 traits of the old nature one by one that summarizes who sinful man is altogether.

With that said, let’s look at the 15 major characteristics of the old nature of sin that is responsible for making us sin and do all sorts of bad things we even wonder at times.

What Is The Old Nature Of Sin?

According to the bible, the old nature is simply defined as the old Adamic nature we are all naturally born with that causes us to sin in the first place.

It’s this old Adamic sinful nature we all inherited from our first parents who sinned in the Garden of Eden that makes us sinful in the first place which is why we are all born spiritually dead.

So, all the sin and evil we see in this world which is done by humans is a result of this old nature of sin we all have which is why the world we live in is full of evil.

Old Nature Vs The New Nature Differences.

There are fundamental differences between the old nature of sin or old self and the new nature which is obtained when one becomes born again.

One of the differences is that the former which is Satan-inspired loves to sin and hates righteousness while the latter loves holiness and hates sin as it’s based on Jesus Christ.

The other difference is that the old nature has a natural tendency to serve only self rather than God and is self-centred while the new nature seeks to selflessly serve God and others.

15 Major Characteristics Of The Sinful Nature.

Below are the 15 major characteristics of the sinful nature that characterizes an unregenerate sinner who isn’t truly born again yet with the new nature of Christ.

Loves Sin.
Selfish.
Self-Centred.
Hates Holiness.
Carnal.
Corrupt.
Proud.
Disobedient To God.
Morally Perverted.
Wicked.
Sensual.
Brings Death.
Hatred.
Unwilling To Accept Responsibility.
Fears God’s Presence.

1. Loves Sin.

The love of sin is one of the most prominent characteristics of the old nature of sin that makes us sin or love to sin in the first place.

This love of sin present in all sinful humans is due to the sinful nature we are all born with which is a result of the original sin of our first parents Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Romans 5:12).

If you have the old sinful nature in you, sin will be more appealing and attractive to you and that is why you will love to sin and hate holiness as our sinful flesh hates holiness and lover to indulge in sin like a Pig loves to be in sewage water.

Must Read: 13 Major Characteristics Of A Sinner (That Still Have The Old Nature.)

2. Selfish.

Selfishness is among the common characteristics of our old sinful nature. Being selfish simply means to only think about yourself and not others.

It’s just a matter of fact that all human beings are born with a selfish nature which is why we can’t love others unconditionally except if they are benefitting us in some way.

Love to the selfish natural man is all about who you are to him and what he can get from you, period. But if you have the new nature of Christ, this selfish nature will be taken away from you and you will now be able to love others selfless with the agape love found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

3. Self-Centred.

In addition to being selfish, our old sinful nature is self-centred and is all about me in everything it does be it in relationships or friendships.

And this self-centeredness has now become rampant in these late days we are living in which is why many relationships or marriages don’t last as everyone is out for grabs and about themselves with their co-called pursuit of happiness which isn’t Christ-centred.

The increase in seals centeredness in many people including people who claim to be Christians must be of no surprise to you if you are a true believer as Paul predicted in the new testament in 2 Timothy 3:2 that in the last days many will be lovers of themselves.

4. Hates Holiness.

It’s just a matter of fact that our old nature of sin hates holiness and righteousness but loves to do that which is evil instead due to our corrupt human nature.

And this hatred of holiness can be seen in many people who love and take pride in their sinful wicked lifestyles and mock holy and sacred things of God especially in the current generation we live in.

Paul writes about these people who love not the truth in 2 Thessalonians 2:12 that they take pleasure in unrighteousness and evil acts and hate that which is good.

Must Read: 13 Major Traits Of An Evil Person (With The Old Sinful Nature)

5. Carnal.

A person with the old sinful nature active in the will be carnal which implies that carnal people only mind things of the flesh and not of the spirit (Romans 8:5).

And since carnal people are not controlled by the Holy Spirit, they will always want to do things that please their sinful flesh and not God.

To such people who are carnal, Paul warns that to be carnally minded is death. So, if you are carnally minded just know you are spiritually dead and need to be made alive by becoming born again so that you become spiritually alive in Christ Jesus.

6. Corrupt.

The corrupt sinful nature and disposition of natural man is the reason why humans do all sorts of corrupt and imaginable abominations against others and God which is seen in the moral decay in society nowadays.

And this inherent corrupt old nature of man is seen in Genesis 6:11-13 where the earth became corrupt and evil where all the imaginations and the thought of man’s heart were evil continually which is why the old world had to be destroyed.

Since man is corrupt from the inside, natural man can’t just help it but do that which is evil which is why people do unimaginable evil things to each other.

7. Proud.

A person with the old nature of sin will always be proud and haughty in the way they conduct themselves with others. Self-exaltation will be the order of the day in proud people.

And this Satanic prideful nature is what makes a sinner not want to submit to God’s word and will which is why such people take pride in their sinful way while not realizing the dangerous consequences awaiting their sinful lifestyles when they die.

This is why Proverbs 16:18 says that destruction is always preceded but pride and the great fall of man are preceded by a haughty spirit, the same spirit that made Satan fall from heaven.

8. Disobedient To God.

If you have the old sinful nature that comes with the old man, you will naturally be disobedient to God’s word and commandments found in the bible.

Instead, you will rather obey the sinful flesh that leads you to sin which is seen in many lives including people who claim to be Christians but live disobedient lives contrary to God word because that old nature of sin is still active in such people.

Paul talks about such people in Ephesians 2:2 that are disobedient to God due to a spirit of disobedience active in such people which reigneth in all the children of disobedience.

9. Morally Perverted.

The rotten moral and sexual perversions we see especially in these last days we live is a result of the corrupt human nature of sin which has corrupted man from the inside.

And this is of no surprise because both the new and old testament of the bible says that in the last days, moral pervasion will be on the increase which is why Jesus Christ said in Matthews 24:12 that the love of many will wax cold due to the increase of wickedness.

This is why there is rampant sexual immorality and all manner of sexual perversions like homosexuality or lesbianism in the current generation we live in because man has become morally rotten and perverted inside beyond measure.

10. Wicked.

All the wickedness you see in humans is a result of the old sinful human nature which is inherently evil in its ways, thoughts and deeds.

No wonder Jeremiah 17:9 says that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things and it’s due to this wicked heart of man which is why people do sick and evil things against their fellow human beings.

All the murders, sexual perversions, rapes, homicides and all other evil deeds you see wicked people do to others are due to the fallen and depraved sinful nature we all have in our wicked hearts.

Must Read: 11 Signs Of A Wicked Heart (Evil People Always Manifest.)

11. Sensual.

Sensuality is one of the major traits of the old nature that makes one sensual in their way of thinking. When you say someone is sensual, you are simply implying the person who likes doing things that gratify their sinful flesh, especially those of a sexual nature.

Being sensual also extends in the way of thinking and wisdom which James 3:15-12 talks about that worldly wisdom is sensual and devilish as it only appeals to the sinful flesh and doesn’t draw you close to God.

So, if you are a sensual person with your old self of sin still active in your life, sensual and worldly wisdom which promotes sin will be more appealing to you than Godly wisdom from above with is pure and draws you close to God.

12. Brings Death.

Since the old sinful Adamic nature we are all born with which makes us sin that was passed to us from our first parents Adam and Eve, it, therefore, follows that death also comes with it.

Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin that comes as a result of our old nature of sin are death and that the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus which brings about the new nature.

This is how our old nature of sin brings about death both physical and spiritual of which the latter is even worse because if you die in that state, you will be eternally separated from God in hellfire which will be your second death (Revelations 21:8).

Must Read: 7 Major Dangers Of Sin To Help You Stop Sinning (+Video Sermon)

13. Hatred.

Last and not the lead, hatred is one of the prominent characteristics of the old nature or old man that one will display if they haven’t been truly born again yet with the new nature of Jesus Christ in them.

In short, hatred is the opposite of love that makes people do all sorts of evil and vile things to their fellow humans which is why hatred is dangerous and the source of all murder.

This is why 1 John 3:15 says that if you hate your brother, you are a murderer and that you have no eternal life in you and if you hate others, you are of you father the devil as he was the first murderer and the father of all hared and envy as we all know it.

14. Unwilling To Accept Responsibility.

Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it paved the way to the old nature we are all born with. Every descendant of Adam and Eve has inherited the old nature or sin nature.

It’s this sinful Adamic nature of man that makes one hate being corrected when in the wrong or admit responsibility for their sinful actions. Such people like to play the blame game.

And this is seen in Genesis 3: 8-13 where Adam blamed God and Eve blamed the serpent for making them eat the forbidden fruit when in fact they made that choice out of their free will to eat it

15. Fears God’s Presence.

You will fear God’s holy presence which can’t tolerate sin if you still have the old nature in you which is seen with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden when they ate the forbidden fruit

The first thing we see is that they hid. When they heard God walking in the garden in Genesis 3:8 they immediately covered themselves with fig leaves. That was their response to knowing they had done wrong.

This shows that sinful man’s natural primary response to wrongdoing is to hide and cover himself as if to say, “It wasn’t me.” This fear of God’s presence which wasn’t’ there in the first place is a result of the shame a guilt sin brings on a person.

Must Read: 11 Horrific Consequences Of Sin (To Help Avoid Sin All Costs.)

Conclusion.

I hope the above post on the 15 characteristics of the old nature will now help you understand more about the problem of sin man has.

On the other hand, if you realize you have the old nature of sin but don’t want to anymore, read this post on how to be truly born again which will help you experience a new birth in Christ.

In closing, if you found this post beneficial, kindly let me know in the comments below along with any questions you might have on what you have read. Be blessed and don’t forget to share.

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