The Lord Jesus commanded us to abide in Him, to live by Him as He lives by the Father. If we do not abide in Christ we will be cut out of the Vine, as we have said. We will be cut out of Christ. What would it be like to enter Heaven and not be part of Jesus Christ? I do not care to find out, do you?

We see then that our goal, as was true also of the Apostle Paul, is not Heaven but Christ Himself formed in us and dwelling in us. Am I correct in this?

When Paul, in the second chapter of the Book of Galatians, was dealing with the issue of leaving the Law of Moses and yet walking in righteousness, not making Christ the minister or promoter of sin, he resolved the problem as follows: "I am crucified with Christ and Christ is living in me."

What Paul is saying is this: "I am not walking in the righteous precepts of the Law of Moses. But this does not mean I am behaving sinfully. If I were I would be making Jesus Christ the minister of sin, the promoter of sin."

Does Jesus Christ promote sin?

According to the belief of most Evangelicals the answer is yes, although they would not care to have the matter defined so precisely. However, it remains true that if Jesus Christ is the Divine alternative to righteous behavior, the Divine apology for the sins of His disciples, He indeed is a promoter of sin and the new covenant is decidedly inferior to the old covenant in terms of producing righteous people who love mercy and walk humbly with God.

This is the position we are taking when we claim it does not really matter if we continue in sin because we are saved by "grace."

But Paul said this is not the case. "While it is true I am not seeking to please God by obeying the precepts of the Law of Moses, I still am not living in sin. I am living a crucified life such that Jesus Christ is living in me."

Of course, to be crucified with Christ and to have His life working in and through us makes infinitely greater demands on our behavior than ever could be true of obeying the statutes of the Law of Moses.

How the Christian churches have persevered through the centuries until they have arrived at the present, and still believe the transition from Moses to Christ means we do not have to live righteously, is very puzzling; since the New Testament is clear that the goal and validation of salvation is a changed personality, a new creation. For a believer to continue in the flesh and state he is saved by grace is unthinkable, according to the New Testament. Yet this idea prevails to the present hour.

We know in time past there have been, and yet are, sterling Christians in the churches. In every Christian church you can find a handful of true Christians who are serving God. But they are doing so in spite of evangelical doctrine, not because of it.

To be continued.