such were some of you

If Not For God

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1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV

But God…

Those two little words contain so much power and hold the key to the hopes of all mankind. In these verses, Paul expounds on the incredible gift of grace that made possible man’s redemption from hopeless enslavement to sin and his restoration to a right relationship with God. But the grace of God can be so overlooked and underappreciated.

Most people who believe in God foster the delusion that they somehow deserve His grace. While they are willing to admit that they are far from perfect, they take pride in the fact that they aren’t as bad as some other people. They somehow believe that God grades on the curve. But those kinds of thoughts are a reflection of either an over-inflated sense of self-worth or a very poor memory.

Even those of us who have placed our faith in Christ can suffer from memory lapses, conveniently forgetting our pre-salvation condition. Time has a way of sanitizing our memories and whitewashing our minds, eliminating any traces of our life before Christ.

But Paul was determined to remind believers of their past, not to demoralize or shame them, but to help them understand the glory of God’s grace. He wanted them to understand that their salvation was entirely undeserved and the result of God’s unmerited favor and love, and he used stark imagery to make his point.

And you were dead… – Ephesians 2:1 ESV

Whether they realized it or not, that was their pre-conversion state: dead, lifeless, helpless, and hopeless. God didn’t look down and see some who were better than others. He didn’t choose the more worthy ones. The Book of Genesis records God’s assessment of mankind not long after the fall.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. – Genesis 6:5 NLT

David made a similar evaluation of humanity’s condition.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one. – Psalm 14:2-3 ESV

And in his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul stated, “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). Jews, Gentiles, rich, poor, males, females, slaves, and freemen are all dead, and dead men are incapable of doing anything to change their condition. But Paul went on to write, “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight” (Romans 3:23 NLT). That is the good news. All men, apart from God, are spiritually dead and headed to an eternity separated from God, which is the definition of spiritual death.

This death metaphor was very popular with Paul. He wrote the very same thing in his letter to the Colossians.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses… – Colossians 2:13 ESV

In the next part of chapter two, Paul reminded the Ephesians that before coming to faith in Christ, they had “no hope and without God in the world…” (Ephesians 2:12 ESV). But why would Paul use such demoralizing language, and what was the explanation he gave for declaring them spiritually dead and hopeless? It was because of disobedience and many sins. They had been following the course of this world, living according to its rules and obeying the commands of its prince, Satan himself. That’s a sobering and unflattering assessment of every believer’s pre-conversion condition and is difficult to accept. But that is the truth, whether we like it or not.

Just to make sure his audience fully got his point, Paul bluntly told them they were once sons of disobedience, enslaved to their desires and passions and controlled by their sinful natures.

All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. – Ephesians 2:3 NLT

None of them were righteous, not one. All were separated from God because of their sins, and each deserved death; not a pretty picture. But Paul has good news.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… – Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

When we read Paul’s description of our condition prior to coming to faith in Christ, our natural response is to say, “But I didn’t…”, “But I wasn’t…”, or “But how could You?” We want to justify ourselves or explain that we weren’t that bad. Yet the painful reality is that, unless God had intervened, we would have remained just as we were: Dead. But the good news is that God stepped in. He did what we could never have done on our own. In His mercy and grace, He “showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT).

Two times in these verses, Paul emphatically states, “by grace you have been saved.” We were not saved based on our merits. God did not reward us with salvation because of our good deeds. We were not saved because we managed to meet God halfway, and He took it from there. We were saved despite our sinful condition. We were dead, and God gave us life through Jesus Christ. Not only that, God “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6 ESV). Our salvation is so secure that Paul states that we already have a place reserved for us in Christ’s Kingdom. It is as if we are already there, and nothing can change that reality. Paul put it this way:

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8″38-39 NLT

By grace we have been saved and sanctified, and by grace we will one day be glorified. It is all by grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

No one can stand at the gates of heaven saying, “I deserve to be here!” No one can claim admittance based on their own effort or hard work. Just as it is impossible for a dead man to make himself alive, it is impossible for anyone to make themselves more holy. Having a quiet time does not make you more righteous. Praying does not make you more godly. Going to church will never make you more like Christ. These spiritual disciplines are simply the means God uses to accomplish His sanctifying work in us. In and of themselves, they are incapable of transforming us. More knowledge of Scripture can lead to pride. An attitude of prayerfulness can actually lead to pridefulness. But when God is at work within us, He can use anything and everything to accomplish His work in us.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10 NLT

God has done great things, and He is far from done. One day, He will culminate His redemptive plan for our lives and finish what He began. All because of His matchless, marvelous grace.

“But God…” That phrase should always be on our hearts and minds, constantly reminding us of our need for Him. Without Him, we were dead. With Him, we are alive. But God is not done yet. There is far more to come. And even though we struggle with trials, temptations, and difficulties in this life, we are loved by God, and He remains the source of all our hope and help.

Father, I could never repay You for all You have done for me, but I am grateful. The older I get, the more I realize my need for You and my hopeless condition without You. Yes, I still try to run my own life and make decisions without You, but I am quick to recognize the ignorance of my ways. I used to think I was somehow responsible for my sanctification; that I had to do my part. But I realize that, without You, I can do nothing. Any spiritual growth I have experienced in my life was Your doing, not mine. When I reflect on my faith journey, I can’t help but acknowledge Your grace and mercy. There were so many times I strayed and wandered, but You never let me go. I can’t count the many times I tried to take back control of my life, but You patiently put up with my stubbornness and stupidity. I have doubted You repeatedly, disappointed You regularly, and disobeyed You willingly, but You never stopped loving me. Thank You for all You have done and all that You are going to do. I am grateful. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Compassion Without Prejudice

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16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 ESV

How easy it is to judge others from our limited human perspective. We are so quick to assess others’ value based on external criteria. We are even prone to establishing someone’s unworthiness or lack of value based on how they look, their ethnic makeup, economic background, educational status, or personality profile.

The Old Testament contains the account of Samuel the prophet visiting Jesse’s house to find a new king to replace Saul. When he set his eyes on Jesse’s son, Eliab, Samuel said, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” (1 Samuel 16:7b NLT). But God responded, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:8 NLT).

Because of the life-transforming work of Jesus Christ and the Spirit’s power to give new life to those who were dead in the trespasses and sins, Paul states, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!” (2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT).

Prior to coming to faith in Christ and recognizing Him as his Savior, Paul saw Him from a purely human perspective. Paul was a Pharisee who viewed Jesus as nothing more than a charlatan, a political revolutionary, and a threat to the religious status quo. But ever since his encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul’s view of Jesus had radically changed. His view of others had changed as well

…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

Salvation was meant to be life-changing; it wasn’t just a matter of someone switching religious allegiances or choosing another way of pursuing a right relationship with God. What Jesus offered was a radical, out-of-the-ordinary life transformation that resulted in a totally new nature. Those who placed their faith in Christ were instantly transformed from death to life, from darkness to light, from enemies to friends of God, from condemned to forgiven, from guilty to innocent, and from outcasts to members of the family of God. And Paul states, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18 ESV).

It was all God’s doing, not man’s. Salvation is the work of God, from beginning to end. He is the one who reconciles, redeems, restores, forgives, justifies, regenerates, and sanctifies. He provides new life and places His Holy Spirit within us. And He accomplished it all through Christ. God sent His Son to be the payment for the sins of mankind. As the sinless Son of God, He became the acceptable sacrifice, whose innocent life was given to satisfy the Father’s just demands and holy wrath against man’s rebellion.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. – 2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT

It was through Christ that God had determined to restore His lost creation. It was through Christ that God had ordained a means by which He could satisfy His own righteous judgment against sin while also showing His love for mankind.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 ESV

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 NLT

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20 ESV

This message of God’s love and offer of reconciliation had been given to Paul and his companions. They were God-appointed ambassadors, sharing the good news that men and women could be reconciled with God and restored to a right relationship with Him.

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” – 2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT

They viewed themselves as conduits of God’s grace. They were vessels in the hands of God, pouring out His goodness and grace upon all those they encountered, not pre-judging or predetermining who was worthy to hear their message of God’s love. They simply told of the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s Son, His offer of salvation, and the simple requirement of faith.

They shared, and God saved. Christ had provided the means; Paul simply shared the message.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

Sharing the gospel is really quite easy. It is simply pleading with people to come back to God. It is an impassioned and loving appeal for them to accept the only means by which they can be restored to a right relationship with God, by faith in Jesus Christ. It is not up to us to determine who deserves to hear or to judge who is worthy of receiving the message. It is not our job to predetermine who we would prefer to have as a brother or sister in Christ. We have been given the message of reconciliation, and, like Paul, we have been appointed ambassadors by God, with the sole responsibility of spreading the good news of His Son’s death and resurrection to a lost and dying world. God’s offer of salvation is non-discriminatory, and so should our appeal be.

Father, it is so easy to let prejudice and our own personal preferences to interfere with our sharing of the gospel message. We tend to cherry-pick and prioritize the list of those who we think are worthy to receive the message of salvation. But Jesus expressed love and forgiveness to the thief on the cross. He displayed unbiased love and compassion to the despised and disenfranchised of society, from lowly prostitutes to despised tax collectors. The apostle Paul outlined a rogue’s gallery of people we tend to withhold the gospel from: “Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people” (1 Corinthians 16:9-10 NLT). But he added, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 16:11 NLT). Never let me forget the fact that I was undeserving and unworthy of Your love. Yet, rather than pass judgment on me, You sent Your Son to die for me. And while I am grateful, I know I have an obligation to share that love with others – without prejudice or a predetermination of their worthiness. Help me to embrace Paul’s attitude: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all” (1 Timothy 1:15 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Out With the Old, In With the New

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9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV

Up to this point in his letter, Paul has emphasized the kind of conduct or behavior that believers should model. Their unique status as children of God came with non-negotiable expectations that their lives should reflect their Father’s character. They had been “called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:9 ESV) and had been given the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower them. And as Paul mentioned in the opening of this letter, as the body of Christ, they lacked none of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 1:7).

All of these factors should have resulted in demonstrable life change, and, according to Paul, it had. But they were still struggling with pride, jealousy, and a tendency to view life from their former perspective as unbelievers. Their new natures in Christ had not yet replaced their old tendencies. This is what led them to settle their disputes in court rather than within the body of Christ. They were thinking more like pagans than believers. Their focus was on this world instead of the one to come, and they were motivated more by selfishness than selflessness. At this point, their faith in Christ was little more than an add-on, a convenient option that provided them with forgiveness of sins and eternal security, but did little to change the way they lived their lives in the here and now.

This is what leads Paul to remind them, “that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV). He then describes the unrighteous as “those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NLT). These behaviors are characteristic of the lost. This sordid list should have resonated with the believers in Corinth, because Paul immediately reminds them, “such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11a ESV).

Paul speaks in the past tense, emphasizing that this was their former condition; it was how they used to live. But something had happened. Their old way of life had been radically changed when they placed their faith in Christ. Paul reminds them that as a result of God’s gracious gift of salvation made possible through His Son, “you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11b NLT).

Again, he uses the past tense, indicating that these things have already happened. They had been cleansed by God from their former sins, declared to be righteous before Him, and set apart by Him for His use. This is exactly what Paul had written to them in the opening chapter of his letter: “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin” (1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT).

But their salvation was not yet complete; God’s work in them was not finished. God had declared them to be righteous because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ; now they needed to live righteously. God had made them holy, setting them apart as His possession; now their lives needed to reflect their holy standing. He had cleansed them from sin, forever delivering them from the penalty of death under which they had lived. But through His Holy Spirit, God had given them the capacity to live free from the power of sin in their daily lives. While they were still fully capable of greed, envy, idol worship, sexual immorality, theft, drunkenness, and virtually all of the sins listed by Paul in these verses, these sins were no longer characteristic of who they were. They were sons and daughters of God who had been redeemed. They were new creations and had been provided with new natures. As Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). This message of new life was a recurring theme for Paul. He told the believers in Rome, “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Salvation not only offers a future reward, but it also guarantees a real and radical transformation in our present lives. Our sanctification or growth in holiness is ongoing. We are constantly dying to our old way of life and being reformed into the likeness of Christ, and this will continue until, as Paul puts it, “Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19 ESV). It will not stop until we are “mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT). This transformative process will continue until we are glorified by God and given new bodies, are set free from sin, and are no longer held captive to the threat of death.

The apostle John provides us with these encouraging words:

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. – 1 John 3:2 NLT

In the meantime, we have been given the privilege, power, and responsibility to live our lives in keeping with our standing as God’s children. We are commanded to lead lives worthy of our calling by God (Ephesians 4:1). We are encouraged to live in a way that honors and pleases God (Colossians 1:10).

So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. – 2 Corinthians 5:9 NLT

We were once sinners, but now we are saints. However, we must learn to live out our new identity so that our lives reflect the true nature of who we have become in Christ.

Father, for some reason, we have no problem accepting our salvation as a free gift provided by Your grace and made available through the death and resurrection of Your Son. But when it comes to our sanctification, we seem to struggle believing that we can truly live set-apart lives that reflect our new identity as Your sons and daughters and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our everyday lives. Holiness seems unattainable. A life marked by righteousness appears to be unachievable. But Peter said that You have “given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3). We have the indwelling presence and power of Your Spirit and access to Your written Word. But our old sinful natures seem to be too hard to resist. The allures and attractions of this world seem too strong to deny. Open our eyes to the reality of our ongoing sanctification. We are not who we used to be. We have been redeemed and are being transformed, because You are faithful and will finish what You began. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Law of the Spirit of Life!

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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4 ESV

There are few human conditions worse than slavery. But imagine the lot of an individual who was born a slave, but is totally ignorant of their circumstance. They are oblivious to their condition and know of nothing different or better. Their life is completely controlled by an outside force over which they have no power to refuse or escape. Yet as sad as we may feel for someone faced with that unenviable circumstance, it is exactly the state of every individual who does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Paul tells us that they are slaves to the law of sin and death, and most of them don’t even realize it. And such was the sorry condition of each of us who have been set free in Christ. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul states, “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV). We were at one time slaves to sin, totally ignorant of our condition, and yet totally incapable of doing anything about it. But we were set free in Christ Jesus by the law of the Spirit of life.

What is Paul telling us in these verses? What exactly is the law of the Spirit of life? Paul provides us with insight back in chapter seven. “For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:5-6 ESV). At one time, we were held accountable to God’s law. It was up to us to live righteous lives in keeping with God’s commands. But because of our sinful natures, we were incapable of pulling it off. The law said, “Don’t!” and our sinful nature said, “Do!” Paul gave his own personal testimony regarding this inward battle between the law and the flesh. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19 ESV). This conflicted condition caused Paul to cry out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24 ESV). But he answers his own question. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7:25 ESV). 

It is the Spirit of life who provides us with the power to live righteously, in spite of our indwelling sin nature. It is the Spirit who provides us with the capacity to live a life like that of Christ. While before we knew Christ we were slaves to sin and all our best efforts were like dirty, polluted rags (Isaiah 64:6) in the eyes of God, NOW we have the Spirit living within us, empowering us to live righteously and holy. He is the Spirit of life and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). The Spirit brings us life, but the life He brings is Christ. The Spirit is the means by which we experience the life of Christ. When Paul refers to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, he is not talking about a set of rules and regulations to keep, but a regulative principle to live by. We must realize that our ability to live as Christ lived, to obey as He did, and to love like He loved, is only possible through this principle of the indwelling power of the Spirit of God. Our new life in Christ is only possible when we submit to and live in keeping with the Spirit of God within us. We have to recognize our incapacity to live a Christ-like life and humbly submit to the Spirit’s control. Paul puts it succinctly and simply: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 ESV). It is the Spirit who makes it possible for us to live out our salvation in daily life, exhibiting Christ-like fruit and modeling Christ-like behavior. The original law could point out sin, but couldn’t cast out sin. It could set the standard of God’s righteous requirements, but couldn’t do anything to help man live up to those standards. But the Holy Spirit makes righteous living possible. We have within us a new law, a new regulative principle. We are to live by the Spirit. We are to live under the control of the Spirit. We are to live according to the power of the Spirit, not according to the flesh. Which is why Paul tells us, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 ESV).