How wonderful to be "free from sin." Complete freedom from sin does not take place instantly no matter what anyone says. It is line upon line and commandment upon commandment.

When God led the Israelites in the invasion of Canaan He did not give them all the cities at once. If He had done so the farms would have been ruined from neglect and the wild animals would have become threatening.

Instead the Lord gave them the cities one at a time. In the meanwhile the Philistines kept the farms going and the animals under control.

So it is with us. The Lord does not give us our whole personality in one stroke. He gives us victory over a small area. In the meanwhile our carnal nature keeps us going.

If the Lord were to drive all the worldliness, sin, and self-seeking out of us in one dramatic deliverance we would be an empty personality. Christ would not be formed in us. Soon the demons would return multiplied in number.

Instead the program is a small deliverance, and then Christ formed in the conquered territory. Another small deliverance, and then Christ formed in the conquered territory. Another small deliverance, and then Christ formed in the conquered territory.

We go from grace to grace, faith to faith, glory to glory. We see the Glory of the Lord dimly as in a clouded mirror, and as we see the Lord we are changed into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how the new covenant operates.

Now we are not just free to do as we please, as some suppose, but are slaves of God. The end result of slavery to God is holiness. The end result of holiness is everlasting life.

Did you notice that? Eternal life is the end result of holiness!

If a Christian continues in sin he dies. If a Christian grows in holiness he gains eternal life.

I am not saying we are saved by works. I am saying that righteous, holy works are the result of and the only proof of salvation. We don't do righteous works in order to get saved. We get saved in order to do righteous works.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

The wages the Christian receives for continuing in sin is spiritual death. The gift of God is forgiveness and then the power to grow in righteous, holy behavior through Jesus Christ. It is the holy behavior that results in eternal life.

Thus we see that the true grace of God is the opportunity to attain eternal life through Christ.

Every day the battle is joined. Every day, spiritual death and spiritual life fight for control of our personality. We decide which spirit is victorious. We can give the victory to spiritual death or to eternal life in Christ.

The power is there. It is something like power steering in a large truck. The wheels do not change direction until you make a decision and your hand begins to turn the steering wheel. The moment that decision is made the power steering mechanism takes over and the big wheels turn in the direction you want. But nothing happens until you choose one direction or the other.

The power is there waiting for you. Why don't you choose to be the slave of righteousness and live?