If we, as so many Christians do, choose to get off the cross and try to harm the tool God has used to uncover the sin in us, we will continue in spiritual death. No salvation will take place. If we continue to ignore what Christ has said we will save our adamic life and then lose the Kingdom of God in the end. We will remain a bitter, spiritually dwarfed person.

But if we go to prayer and ask Christ to help us to keep His commandment by forgiving the individual who harmed us, something very, very powerful takes place. Divine grace steps in. The Virtue of Jesus Christ enters us through the Holy Spirit. The vengeful part of our adamic nature dies on the cross. In its place comes the Life of Jesus Christ. A new creation appears.

This is how the new covenant operates. This is what salvation is. The death and new life do not bring us to salvation, they themselves are the salvation of God under the new covenant.

This is how Christ's Word is to abide in us so we may always have our prayers answered.

Death, and life. Death, and life. Death, and life. The old dies. The new lives. We continually are crucified with Christ. We continually are living by the Life of Christ and therefore remain without condemnation.

Are you having problems with worldliness, too much television watching, involvement in the American sports idolatry, preoccupation with money? Come to Jesus. He has the power. The power! He will stretch forth His mighty hand and yank that stuff out of you. In its place He will install Divine life. This is salvation.

Are you bound with the lusts of the flesh, adultery, fornication, pornography, drugs, alcohol, a violent temper? Come to Jesus. He has the power. He will cast it from you. In its place He will put His own Nature. This is salvation.

Do you gossip, criticize, slander the church members, seek to draw a following after yourself? Are you stubborn, self-willed, self-seeking? And then you wonder why your husband won't serve the Lord?

Come to Jesus. He will set you free. Adam will die and Christ will live in you. This is salvation. This is the new covenant.

Are you disobedient to God? Are you unwilling to stay in the prison you have been put in? Are you ready to leave your wife and children and run off with some floozy (probably a "believer")? Come to Jesus. He has the power to change your heart.

Why should you five years from now wake up to the fact you have betrayed those who trusted in you. Roll over in bed (in your imagination) and take a hard look at the unprincipled person who removed the crown of glory from your head; who took you away from your precious wife and irreplaceable children; who caused your mother and father to grieve over the son they had such hopes for, were so proud of.

I hope the thought makes you good and sick. It ought to!

To be continued.