Joseph Prince - Don't Let the Old You Trap the New You (01/25/2026)
Man was the highest creation of God, formed last on the sixth day to enjoy a finished work without claiming any glory for creation. God rested on the seventh day because His work was perfectly complete, not from fatigue. Salvation follows this exact pattern today—not earned through good works or morality (which God calls pride), but freely received through Christ's finished work on the cross, where He bore our sins, sicknesses, curse, and pains to grant us blessing, healing, and eternal redemption.
God's Finished Work in Creation and Its Parallel in Salvation
Man was the highest creation of all. And God made man last on the sixth day. And on the seventh day, God entered his rest. Not because he's tired, because his work is finished. So, the first five days, man is not created in the beginning, nor in the second day, nor in the third day, because God doesn't want man to have the glory. He has no part in the creation. Man's part, listen, see the love of God, is to enjoy a finished creation.
So, today, salvation is based on the same. A lot of people are trying to earn by their morality, by their good works, salvation, forgiveness of sins from God. And the Bible says, in fact, there's a way of pride. God calls it pride. Because the work has been finished. And at a great cost, at the cross, God sent His Son. Amen. And His Son died on that cross, obtaining eternal redemption for us.
He bore your sins, my sins, in His own body. He took our diseases. Amen. And the chastisement of our well-being fell upon Him. And with His stripes, we are healed. Surely, not maybe, surely, He has borne our diseases and carried our pains. Amen. And on that cross, He became a curse, that we might be blessed of God. Can I have a good amen, church?
The True Problem: The Source of Sin, Not Just the Acts
Let me tell you something. You know, the biggest problem with you and I, is not so much just us committing sins. That's bad enough because a lot of consequence of sins leads you all the way to death. Amen. It's always bad consequence. But really, it's the factory that's producing the sin that's a problem. Would you agree? It is the man that's producing the... It's the heart. It's the flesh. It's the person that produces the sin. Am I right? Am I right, church?
Even after you're born again, you find that, you know, sometimes that flesh, we call it the flesh. Okay, from now on, when it says flesh, it's not referring to your physical body. Amen. The Bible says, Jesus' blood has redeemed your body. He has bought your body. Amen. So, when I say flesh, I mean that part of you, that is the old man, right, nature, that was left after you're born again, the traits, the propensities, the desires, the lusts and all that, is all in that flesh.
You are not in the flesh, the Bible says. You are in the Spirit. Always remember that. Your real identity is that you're created in righteousness and true holiness. You're a new creation in Christ. You are in Christ. Can I have a good amen? Amen.
What It Means to Be "In Christ" – From Adam to the Second Adam
Alright. What does it mean to be in Christ, Pastor Prince? That means that there was a man who gave everything up because of his sin. God gave him everything and He gave everything up. Amen. There was a man that was surrounded with paradise. Everything that he needed was there. There was no lack. There was no sickness. There was no poverty. There was nothing that lack. Okay. And God gave him everything.
In this kind of environment where he had everything, he committed high treason. Amen. And obeyed Satan instead of obeying God. Obeyed the one who is an epitome of hate instead of the one who, the Bible says, God is love. Amen. And as a result, the consequence fell. The sin fell. Amen. Man starts to decay, starts to grow old, have sickness and disease. And these are not the Father's plan for his family. I said this is not the Father's plan for his family.
Church, we are in a fallen world. But soon, Jesus is coming back and setting it right. Amen. So, but meanwhile, we are in a fallen world. Amen. And death came in undefinedly the physical death. But the physical death is not even the final death yet. There is a death in the lake of fire, the Bible says. The Bible calls it the second death.
You Are a Spirit Being – Born Again in True Holiness
And that's why you all know, deep down, you are a spirit being. You can sense things that, you know, it's not, you realize you are more than just a body. You are not like an animal that dies, that's it. Alright? You are a spirit in a body. Yes, your body is made from the dust of the ground. I think one of the reasons why God made us, God could have made us just, you got, the Bible says, God breathed into the dust of the ground and man became a living soul.
Man was created, you know, from the dust of the ground like a mannequin. There was no movement, no life until God breathed into man. So, that part of you is your spirit man. Your spirit man. Say, spirit man. Amen. All of you have a spirit man. It's the real you. Amen. That spirit man was cut off from God when Adam sinned.
And when Jesus comes into your life, praise the Lord, you are born again. That's what it means. Your spirit is born again. And now you are, you are born in righteousness and true holiness. Amen. Why the word true holiness? Because there is a lot of pseudo holiness. A lot of fake holiness. But child of God, once you are born again as a new creation, that new creation is created in righteousness and true holiness. Amen.
Jesus as the Second Adam – Victory Where the First Failed
And God cannot see sin on you. because He sees the blood of Jesus in His holy of holies. Jesus went back to the Father after He bore your sins in His body. Amen. And He did it perfectly. He shouted, finish! Amen. He went back to the Father. On the third day, He was raised from the dead. He, now you must understand one thing. He died, even though He is God, 100% God, He died as man. He came as man and died as man. He is 100% God, 100% man. Are you listening?
He was a man that gave up the world, gave up everything for an apple, or whatever fruit you choose to believe it was. Okay? Gave everything up. Jesus was in an environment of wilderness, being tempted by Satan, and He won over Satan. You see, if you like it or not, your life is intricately linked with your forefathers. Okay? It's linked. You cannot say, what they did has nothing to do with me. It's got everything to do with you. Amen.
And we trace it back. Everything goes back to Adam. So, Adam was like a federal head of the human race. Do you understand? And he gave up everything. He brought in sin. He brought in sickness. He brought in poverty. He brought in depression and everything that you can see in the world today, alright, that is bad and wars and all that. He brought it in through his sin. Amen. Not God.
God's Dream: Paradise Restored in the New Creation
If you want to see what God's plan is like, look at it. Before man fell, that's God's dream. Perfect paradise. Look at it. Fast forward all the way to the book of Revelation, when heaven and earth comes down. Praise the Lord. A new heaven. God makes a new heaven and a new earth. Amen. And there's no more tears. No more sickness. No more death. No more sighing. No more crying. Amen. We'll live forever. Live forever young. Forever strong. Forever healthy. Amen. And forever is a long time.
Want to see the Father's plan? What is the Father's heart? What is the Father's will? It's never all these things. Okay? So, but that happened. So, Adam is the federal head of the human race. So, God has to send another second Adam. Now, say second Adam. The second Adam, right? So, now Jesus becomes the federal head of the new human race. Amen.
So, he has to come as a man. Hence, the devil tried to stop him from coming. Even when he was born in Bethlehem, the king then, which is actually not the rightful king of the throne, King Herod, tried to have all the boys killed. But the Lord, the Lord delivered his son. Amen. And sent him to Egypt. And he came out from Egypt for a while. Some believe it was in Alexandria. And he grew up. Amen.
The Cross: Where Justice and Love Meet Perfectly
The whole purpose for him to come to earth is to be the federal head, the new federal head of mankind. So, that whatever happened to Adam, as it was before, now happened to all the men that came from him. Therefore, those who are born again, whatever Jesus has accomplished, whatever victories he has wrought, is all yours. Amen. If you are part of the new creation. Are you listening, people? So, it's who you identify yourself with.
Now, real quick, the whole purpose is to die on the cross. Why die on the cross? Because the soul that sins shall die. You see, for God, if God just say, you know, God's holiness and righteousness cannot allow injustice. Amen. Lawlessness and sin to enter heaven. Amen. Same token, you all agree. You don't want to live in a country. And one reason why people like to stay in Singapore is because we are a law-abiding country. Amen. There's justice. There's equity. Amen.
If somebody Rob you, somebody do wrong to you, somebody, you know, do crazy stuff and all that, to your daughter or your sons and all that. Do you want justice in a country? Or you want in a country, no police, nothing. Everyone do what is right in their own sight. Which is what the world wants to do. No, of course not. Justice is important. And where do you get justice finally? Who decides what is just and what is not just? Finally, you trace it back to judo-Christian laws and principles, which came from God. God's justice.
Grace Replaces Law – No More "Ifs" in the New Covenant
Without God's justice, this whole, every, every nation that is civilized today is civilized through, based on this judo-Christian laws and principles. Amen. And it brings prosperity to the nation. Okay. Now, we all want justice. But if God just has justice, and God says, because my justice cannot allow anyone with sin, and who is without sin? All of us have sinned. None of us will enter heaven. He'll wipe all the, the human race out. He's got nothing to lose.
But the Bible says, God is love. Amen. So, if God is love, right, on the other hand, if God is love, God says, ah, never mind. Boys will be boys. You know what? Just sweep everything under the carpet. Like some of you, when you, when you sweep, sweep everything and come back, once a week, I'll remove everything and vacuum. Right? No, God doesn't do that. God has to do it justly. He has to do it in righteousness. He has to welcome sinful men in righteousness. Better still, He has to welcome sinful men. He has to welcome sinful men because His attributes must be glorified. And He will not be glorified if He doesn't welcome you. Amen.
So who can accomplish that? The cross. The cross of Jesus Christ. The blood that He shed, that, that sinless blood, that holy blood, that royal blood that He shed on the cross. He's the only one without sin. He knew no sin. He did no sin. In Him is no sin. It was a perfect offering. Amen. On that cross. Amen. But He offered Himself as a man, a sacrifice. Praise the Lord. He took your place. That you might take His place. Are you taking His place? Amen. He took your place in curse that you might take His place in blessing.
It Is Finished – The Old Man Crucified, Grace Established
So when Jesus hung on that cross and cried, it is finished! What is finished? Yeah, the old covenant where it's based on your obedience. And no one can, can, can, can live under the old covenant of law. No one can keep the law. The one who says they cannot keep the law truly understands the law. The law is perfect. It is not just outward, but it's also inward in your thoughts. You might keep it outwardly, or when people are looking, but you are different in your thoughts and your behaviour when no one is looking. That is not keeping the law.
So no one can keep the law. Let's admit it. For by the law, no flesh shall be justified, the Bible says. So God knew that man cannot live under the law. God, God sent His Son to establish grace. So when Christ died on the cross and Christ finished, one of the things is that law is. fulfilled. Jesus didn't finish the law by breaking the law for us and say, or destroying the law. He says, not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Has it been fulfilled? Yes. Where? At the cross.
All your lawlessness and your broken, your, your, your law breaking and all that was born by Jesus at the cross. He paid the price and the law is satisfied. For the law to demand justice and payment from you today, or else it will curse you, it will punish you, will be unjust. And the law is magnified. That's why the phrase, the law is magnified, has got to do with the cross. The law is magnified. Jesus said, thy law is within my heart. Amen. That's why the Ark of the Covenant has the Ten Commandments inside. Only He can keep it. And He fulfilled it at the cross for all of us.
We are no more under law. We are under grace. What's grace? Grace, under, if you're under the covenant, there is an if. If you obey, I will bless you. If you disobey, I will curse you. Alright? But under the new covenant, there are no ifs. God says, I will be this to you and you will. I'll be your God and you will be my people. Amen.
There was a time God hides His face from Israel. The, the, the, the, the period of low army. Not, no more my people. Loro huma, no more mercy. But God says, through Christ, now, you are now my people. You have now obtained mercy. Can I be good? Amen. Alright? So, we have a very beautiful picture of the second man. Amen.
Your Identity: Seated with Christ, Not in the Flesh
And this second man, when he Rose from the dead, please understand, he died on the cross as man. Alright? And he Rose from the dead as man. By the way, when he died on the cross, not only he bore our sins, he also bore us. We were crucified with him. That part of you, the old man that loves to sin, that has been crucified at the cross. It is finished. Knowing this, Romans 6, 6, our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be nullified, done away, ineffective.
So, today, the Christian still has this, right? Your biggest problem, say amen if you agree, your biggest problem is not so much the sins that you have committed. It is more of this uprising of lust, this outbreak of temper. Sometimes you think that, wow, I've just come out from church, I feel so good, I cannot sin anymore, right? Then the next thing you know, you say something that you shouldn't have said. You lost your temper. It is this uprising that you feel inside, right? Is that your, your problem?
If that's not your problem, I suspect you are born again. Amen? Because only Christians don't like this kind of thing. Amen? The world will say, I, I, I feel nothing. It's all the same. In fact, I don't know what I am. Right? Only you will know, this is not you. This is not you. You don't like it. And worse, it, it, it, something, it intrudes into your most private holy moments when you're praying. Even. You'll think, how can I think this, those thoughts? Child of God, is this true? Let's encourage each other. Are you all having the same experience? Amen?
God never sees you in your flesh. Write that down somewhere. God never sees you in your flesh. God sees you in your spirit. Romans 8 tells us, you are not in, if you are in this, if you are, if Christ be in you, alright, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Amen? And the Bible says, you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. Romans 8. You are not in the flesh, you are in the spirit.
What does that mean? All that is true of the second Adam is not true of you. As He is, so am I in this world. Not as He was. As He was is good enough. When Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, you know, oh, if, if I'm as He was, good enough. But no, God is referring to the Christ that has been enthroned and glorified at His right hand. As He is, so are we in this world. Amen. Are you listening?
Seated at the Right Hand – Sins Purged Forever
Now, you are being elevated in your thinking. This is the kind of thinking that is holy thinking. It is thinking in line with the New Testament. It is thinking in line with the way God wants you to think. Because God thinks that way. God thinks of you, not as down there, you know. God thinks of you in His right hand, in Christ. God, when God's eyes see, see blood, God's eyes cannot see sin.
If ever, if ever today in heaven, by the way, you know the blood of Jesus has been sprinkled in heaven? In the book of Hebrews, it says, Jesus went in with His own blood. Now, listen, He Rose from the dead, He conquered death as man. Because the work is finished, so death has no more claim. So He Rose from the dead on the third day as what? Man. Listen, listen. And then God raised Him all the way up bodily, you know, in the new body that can never grow old, never decay, never die. Amen.
He went up to heaven and He was glorified. The Father welcomed Him and He sat down. And the Bible says in Hebrews, the reason He sat down is not because He is God. That He always is. The Bible says, having purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. And that's why in Hebrews 10, it says, right, that once He has purged our sins by His body, we are all sanctified once and for all. Amen.
And He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Having offered one sacrifice, say one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down. Sat down on the right hand. Same as chapter 1 of Hebrews. Amen. Having purged our sins, sat down. Now listen, the same person that bore the most sins in the entire history of man, there never was a person that bore more sins. There never was a person who can bear sins. Put it away.
But if you talk about every filth, every uncleanness, the person that bore all these sins in his own body, amen, on the cross is Jesus Christ. The fact that He can, right now in His resurrection, walk into heaven by His blood and the Father glorifies Him, the Father says, sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.
That means what? Where are all the sins? Where are all the sins that He bore a few days ago? Where are all the sins? Whose sins are those sins? Whose sins are those sins? Whose sins are those sins? Come on. Hey, talk to me, people. Come on. Talk to me. Come on. Whose sins are those that He bore? But where is it now?
When He stepped into the Father's right hand and the Father says, you are my son, this day have I begotten thee. Sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. You are a priest forever after the order of Malchizedek. Having purged our sins, He sat down. Purged means cleansed. Are our sins cleansed? You know how we know? Jesus seated at the Father's right hand.
The Blood Speaks – Sins Remembered No More
Just imagine that. Just before He sat down at the Father's right hand, just a few days ago, just a few days ago, He was carrying our sins. Hmm? On that cross? Today, where are the sins? Gone. That's why He can go in. Listen, you must have the same mentality. Where there's remission or forgiveness of sins, where sins are put aside by His blood, we must have boldness to enter the holiest.
Actually, listen carefully, it is not so much… it is writing to the Hebrews, telling them, come near. For us, we are already near. That's why we are called the Body of Christ. You know where is the Body of Christ today? At the Father's right hand, the right centre of the universe. We are the Body of Christ. We are the Many, Many. Remembered Body of Christ. It's like, to you, it's like, this sounds so metaphorical and so out there and all that. With God, it is the reality. Your experiences every day is more like metaphorical and all that. This is the reality.
You see, if God ever… The blood of Jesus has been sprinkled at the Father's right hand just now. I said that, right? The Bible says Jesus went in with His own blood, not with the blood of bulls and goats, like they did in the Old Testament. That's why they got reapplied the blood, reapplied the blood, reapplied the blood, because their work is never finished. It's not sufficient. The blood of bulls and goats cannot wash away sins.
But He went in once with His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. Do you see the word eternal? redemption for us. Okay? Is the blood still there? Then you have been perfected and perfected without ceasing. Amen. Is the blood there? Then you are made righteous. And you are righteous in God's eyes without ceasing.
If ever you can remove the blood. And God's eyes on the blood. It's not on man. Listen carefully. God's eye is not on man's sin. I'm talking about believers, okay? Not on your sin. God's eyes on the blood. If ever, if ever, which is not possible, okay? If ever God takes His eyes off the blood to look at your sin, God has just negate, slighted the blood of Jesus. God cannot do that.
And that's why the Bible says, blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Why? Because it has been imputed at the cross. That's why the Bible says the new covenant is all based on this clause. And the Holy Spirit has been sent, in Hebrews 10, it tells us, to be a witness to us. And we hardly hear this witness. And the witness is, your sins and your lawless deeds are remember no more.