The Old and the New
James 1: 9-11
Whether possessing much or little in temporal things, every believer has the inner man created in newness by the Spirit of God by the Everlasting Father, as well as the old sinful man of our first birth, from the first Adam (John 3: 5, 6.) The old man is rich in self-conceit. These are the problems James addresses throughout this letter (James 1: 14, 26; 2: 1; 3: 1; 4: 1; Romans 7: 22-25.) Through trial the rich man of our flesh is brought low, subdued, bridled by God as the inner man is grown in grace (James 5: 7.) So as we are kept from trusting in temporal things and as the rich man of our sinful flesh is bridled by God through trials, let us rejoice because the rich man shall fade away in his ways (Isaiah 40: 6-8; James 1: 10, 11; Ephesians 4: 22-24.)