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reborn spirit that is completely in Christ. This “new man”, in Christ does not want to sin though he can
sin. If he allows himself to be deceived by Mr. Sin, he will be defeated in his mind and wind up doing the
very thing he hates just as Paul tells us in Rom 7:19-22 (NKJV) "For the good that I will to do, I do not
do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do
it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." Your re-born spirit, made alive in Christ,
will always desire to follow the will of God and do the correct thing in every circumstance.
As we begin to really understand our true identity in Christ Jesus, that our new man does not want to
sin though he can sin, we begin to see that if we resist the temptations of the enemy coming at us through
this Mr. Sin to our mind, we can walk in victory. Col 1:27 (RSV) "To them God chose to make known
how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory." There is no other hope. Christ working through us, as us, will provide the victory. And it will
be a victory done in the Lord’s will. It will never be a “dead work” that is useless to us. It will be a work
that brings blessing to us and life to the people with us. This is what is called “walking by the spirit”. Gal
5:25 (RSV) “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
So finally, let us remember: Birth determines Identity in the Lord’s eyes! Performance determines
identity only to the flesh and to the world. And flesh will never accomplish the purposes of God. Rom
7:18 (RSV) "For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right,
but I cannot do it."
(**Note by author: In the lesson above brackets [ ] denote explanatory words inserted by author in
the biblical text and are not part of the original and do not form a part of the scripture but are solely to
assist the reader in understanding the intent of the author in using the particular scripture).
*****End of Lesson*****
sin. If he allows himself to be deceived by Mr. Sin, he will be defeated in his mind and wind up doing the
very thing he hates just as Paul tells us in Rom 7:19-22 (NKJV) "For the good that I will to do, I do not
do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do
it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." Your re-born spirit, made alive in Christ,
will always desire to follow the will of God and do the correct thing in every circumstance.
As we begin to really understand our true identity in Christ Jesus, that our new man does not want to
sin though he can sin, we begin to see that if we resist the temptations of the enemy coming at us through
this Mr. Sin to our mind, we can walk in victory. Col 1:27 (RSV) "To them God chose to make known
how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory." There is no other hope. Christ working through us, as us, will provide the victory. And it will
be a victory done in the Lord’s will. It will never be a “dead work” that is useless to us. It will be a work
that brings blessing to us and life to the people with us. This is what is called “walking by the spirit”. Gal
5:25 (RSV) “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
So finally, let us remember: Birth determines Identity in the Lord’s eyes! Performance determines
identity only to the flesh and to the world. And flesh will never accomplish the purposes of God. Rom
7:18 (RSV) "For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right,
but I cannot do it."
(**Note by author: In the lesson above brackets [ ] denote explanatory words inserted by author in
the biblical text and are not part of the original and do not form a part of the scripture but are solely to
assist the reader in understanding the intent of the author in using the particular scripture).
*****End of Lesson*****
