When Christ transformed us into a new creation, it is His miracle and work, nothing of ourselves. All we do is choose to believe Him and in Him, and He does all the rest. Then He sends His Holy Spirit to live in us as the guarantee of our inheritance.
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
When we come to Christ His way in repentance, and He changes us, then He gets the glory.
Those who come to "religion" about Christ the wrong way through their own pride, only glorifies them and not Christ.
Usually, those who come to "religion" about Christ often have many rules God never made; there is bondage to the system instead of freedom in Christ. They change the meanings of God's Word to fit their desired belief and their culture, that does not give God glory.
Colossians 2:6-7 "Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, / rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"
When the old is passed, it no longer exists, so it cannot rear its ugly head again because it is no longer there. The spirit in us has been changed into His Spirit.
We still struggle with this flesh, battling against sinful attitudes that can lead to sinful actions.
Galatians 5:16-18 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
Those who are not saved do not battle the flesh; they trust in it and lean into it. But those who are born again, they battle the flesh and hate their own flesh while desiring the Spirit of Christ to work in them, overpowering the flesh.
Galatians 5:15-17 "15 But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want."
Thankfully, God has provided a way for believers to walk in the Spirit so that we do not obey the flesh.
1 John 2:1-2 "1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
When we do fall we hate it and want to be cleansed from it, so we confess it so that the Holy Spirit will continue the transformation process of holiness in us.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
If we sin, God deals with us as sons, not as enemies.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
If a child of God continues in sin, the Holy Spirit will stop speaking to him until he repents.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 "19 Do not quench (silence) the Spirit, 20 do not utterly reject prophecies, 21 but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, 22 abstain from every form of evil."
And finally, no child of God keeps on sinning because the Holy Spirit in them will convict them of their sin; they will not be able to remain in sin without serious consequences and deep torment until they repent. No one born of Christ will remain in sin, eventually they will confess to be cleansed. If someone remains in sin, defends it in defiance, and loves it, this person was never born again.
1 John 3:9 "No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God."
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