Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 
2 Corinthians 5:17

The old is gone, and the new has come. In Christ we are brand new creatures, period! No two ways about that. We don’t have dual identity. It’s either black or white, goat or sheep, darkness or light, Adam or Christ, hell or heaven. We are not the old self and the new self at the same time. We are just the new self.

The doctrine that we are both the old and new self, that is why we struggle with sin is false. We struggle because of our unrenewed mind.

Jesus’ death was once and for all time, so is our old self. Our rescue or deliverance from spiritual death was not progressive, it was instant (Colossians 1:13). It happened right at the moment we made the decision and received Christ. Salvation is instant but growth is progressive. Our learning, renewal of mind, and growing in Christ is progressive. A process that will never end till Jesus’ return.

However, we are not talking about the mind here. Your identity is not your mind or your thoughts. Sin and flesh dwell in the mind, but your identity is your human spirit, which is now brand new because you are in Christ. 

If we didn’t have dual identity in Adam, then we don’t have dual identity in Christ. In Adam we were sinners and sinners alone, so we practiced sin. In fact, even when we did good in Adam, it still didn’t change our identity from sinners to saints, or give us dual identity, we were still sinners. In the same way, in Christ, we are saints and saints alone, so we practice righteousness. However, when we sin in Christ, it still doesn’t change our identity from saints to sinners, or give us dual identity, we are still saints.

(Excerpt from the book IDENTITY by NAK Ernest)

NAK Ernest
NAK Ernest Ministries