Romans

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NASB	Romans 8:9 ¶ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
AMPLIFIED 2015	Romans 8:9 ¶ However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God]. [Rom 8:14]

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Subject: filled Holy Spirit, or to walk in spirit

Bible Note: Dear Pastor Glenn,

Regarding your first point: what I am denying is that salvation creates a second man in the believer. Salvation does not create a kind of schizophrenia. Instead, a man is made whole. As the old divines put it, "The corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and the first motions thereof, are truly and properly sin. (Romans 7:18,23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8; Romans 7:23-25; Galatians 5:17)" (BCF, chapter 6, paragraph 5.)

Regarding your second point, here are some references:

"All sin exposes men to misery here and hereafter. To escape from sin, to be happy in the world to come, it is necessary that man should be changed in his principles, his feelings, and his manner of life. This change, or the beginning of this new life, is called the 'new birth,' or 'regeneration.' It is so called because in many respects it has a striking ANALOGY to the natural birth. It is the beginning of spiritual life. It introduces us to the light of the gospel. It is the moment when we really begin to live to any purpose. It is the moment when God reveals himself to us as our reconciled Father, and we are adopted into his family as his sons." --Albert Barnes

"When a man is converted to God, it is done in a moment. Regeneration is an instantaneous work. Conversion to God, the fruit of regeneration, occupies all our life, but regeneration itself is effected in an instant. A man hates God -- the Holy Spirit makes him love God. A man is opposed to Christ, he hates his gospel, does not understand it and will not receive it -- the Holy Spirit comes, puts light into his darkened understanding, takes the chain from his bondaged will, gives liberty to his conscience, gives life to his dead soul, so that the voice of conscience is heard, and the man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.And all this is done, mark you, by the instantaneous supernatural influence of God the Holy Spirit working as he wills among the sons of men." --Charles Hadon Spurgeon

"The twin principles of the Reformation figured highly in Pietism but not without change and development. The language of salvation changed from its forensic, legal character to a more biological and organic TYPE OF EXPRESSION. No Pietist would deny or disregard the gospel of the justification of a sinner by the free grace of God. But a Pietist would express reservation as to the sufficiency of the language of justification to encompass the scope of God’s saving activity." --Dale W. Brown

"[The phrase] 'be born again' [John 3:3], or, AS IT WERE, begin life anew in relation to God; his manner of thinking, feeling, and acting, with reference to spiritual things, undergoing a fundamental and permanent revolution." --Robert Jamieson

"Regeneration is the SPIRITUAL CHANGE wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Spirit in which his/her inherently sinful nature is changed so that he/she can respond to God in Faith, and live in accordance with His Will (Matt. 19:28; John 3:3, 5, 7; Titus 3:5). It is an inner re-creating of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). This change is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. It originates not with man but with God (John 1:12, 13; 1 John 2:29; 5:1, 4). It extends to the whole nature of man, altering his governing disposition, illuminating his mind, freeing his will, and renewing his nature." --J. I. Packer

Regarding your third point: please refer to the Gnostic heresy from the first century and the Manichean heresy, from the third century. Dualism is dealt with by the church at these times. It is hard to get much more orthodox than that. :-)

Much of these heresies have resurfaced and find themselves manifested in the "New Evangelism" of our day. Much is made about "literal interpretation" but very little is really understood in terms of sound exegesis.

It is perfectly permissable to use the phrase "born again," "born from above," etc. They are Scriptural terms. However, they are only one of many terms. I am confused as to why some of these metaphors are more readily taken literally than others. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it is pretty clear that we are not literally branches in a vine, whereas one cannot actually see these "inner" beings.

In Him, Doc

PS You may also which to refer to my posts on the ordo salutis (151193) in general and regeneration in particular (151466).