We must understand that, even though we are in Christ, we are still capable of choosing to sin—and to be sure, it is a choice. Abraham had been guilty of a cowardly act 30 years earlier (see Genesis 12:10-20), and here, he discovers that he’s still capable of doing the same terrible thing he had done before—hiding behind his wife, subjecting her to dishonor and disgrace and shame in order to protect himself. He should have learned from the previous experience, but we find him guilty of the same thing again.
As we read this, we should consider ourselves. Our humanity is corrupt. It never operates as God intended. In our humanity, we are able to simulate righteousness in brief stints, but our flesh pursues self-righteousness. Self-righteousness demands self-praise. If we fall short, the result is self-pity. Either way, operating in the flesh can never please God.
This is why we need Christ. When God comes into our hearts, through Christ, we receive a new nature. Our old nature—self-advancing, self-centered, self-promoting—is contained and controlled by the new creation work of the Holy Spirit (II Corinthians 5:17).
This is one of the most encouraging truths in our Christian life, because it releases us from the burden of self-effort that tries to make the old nature behave itself. The Word of God teaches us to renounce self and quit feeding it, protecting it, polishing it up, trying to make it look good. We are to accept all that Christ is in us and wants to be through us, for Christ is perfect.
Any dependence on self results in the kind of experience that Abraham had. After 30 years of walking with God and learning wonderful lessons in the spiritual life, the minute he steps out of a dependence upon God, he steps back into that same ugly nature he had in the beginning.
HUman nature must be kept under control by walking in the Spirit. “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness (Galatians 5:16).”
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