BEWARE THE BEAST WITHIN (poem)

BEWARE THE BEAST WITHIN
(A poem with a warning, an invitation and a promise)

Beware the beast that lives within.
It fills your heart and life with sin.
It steals your joy and peace and love.
And robs you of a home above.

It blinds your eyes to all that's right.
And leads you to eternal night.
Hate and anger fills your life,
As well as arrogance and strife.

You hurt your friends and folks who care.
Your look of love becomes a glare.
Instead of tender words that heal,
Your tongue becomes a knife of steel.

Humble your heart and seek his face,
Turn from your sin, and trust His grace.
He'll wash away your guilt and shame,
And make you pure, in Jesus name.
(dlg)

WHY I WROTE IT

I wrote this for those who have been saved, but find "another law warring" within your body, "the law of sin and death" (Romans 7:23). It is often called by the extra-Biblical name, "the sinful nature." However, I prefer the Biblical names, such as "Old Man," "carnal mind," "evil heart of unbelief," "root of bitterness," the "double mind," "sin," "the flesh."

When we get saved, our sins (wicked deeds) are forgiven (justification) and we are given newness of life (regeneration). We need newness of life since we were dead because of our sins and trespasses. We are also cleansed (sanctified), but we are not purified or delivered from double mindedness at that point (entire sanctification). This is why the believer still has a tendency to sin and needs a total purifying.

We all have the ability to sin throughout our lives: carnal believers have both a new nature and the old nature, therefore a tendency to sin; the entirely sanctified believer has the ability to sin, but since he has been purified from all sin, he does not have the propensity to sin, Just as Adam was without sin when he was created, yet he still had the ability to sin, so the entirely sanctified can be "pure even as He is pure" but still capable of sinning.

The inner man, the New Man is alive to God, but the Old Man (sinful attitude) is still alive and well. Remember, the "Old Man" is not subject to the law of God, therefore it is not subject to our authority either.

The answer to these dueling attitudes is death to the Old Man (Ro. 6:6; Ga. 5:24; Ga. 6:14). God promised us (at the end of Romans ch. 7) that we can be free from this double mindedness (Ro. 7:24-25). In fact, Romans ch. 8:1-16 is a very clear commentary on the Holy Spirit delivering believers from this sinful nature.

My poem refers to this sinful nature. Here is a passage, upon which I based my idea.
Hebrews 3:12-13
(12) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
(13) But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.