The Christian salvation includes the overcoming of sin through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The new covenant is not primarily a waiving of the guilt, power, and consequences of sin. It is, rather, the God-given opportunity to climb out of the pit, to extricate ourselves through God's grace from the chains of darkness.

All disobedience to God is sin.

God has commanded us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are to live by faith, believing that if we choose each day to put God's interests first, our daily needs will be provided. We are not suggesting by this that Christians should cease working, should beg for money, or should go from house to house "talking about the Lord," taking advantage of those who do work.

Satan, the world, and our own personality counsel us to provide for our security by acquiring as much money and as many material goods as we can.

Putting our material needs first, and the Kingdom of God second, is sin. Christ enables us to put God first in our lives, when we seek His wisdom and strength. Christ empowers us to overcome Satan, the world, and our own personality, and to do the will of God. This is salvation. This is the working out in us of the new covenant.

God has commanded us to resist the sins of the flesh. We are not to be practicing moral sins, such as adultery, fornication, lying, stealing, covetousness, drunkenness. We are to lead a clean, holy life in the sight of God. We are to be holy as He is holy.

Satan, the world, and our personality invite us to seek pleasure in immorality, in the uncleanness of the flesh and spirit.

Breaking the moral laws of God is sin. Christ enables us to keep the moral laws, as we seek His assistance. This is salvation from sin.

God has invited us to become one with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to set aside our individual ambitions and abide in restful union with Christ. We are to live in union with Him as He lives in union with the Father. We are to embrace God's will as our own will.

Satan, the world, and our personality urge us to seek to use God for our purposes. They suggest we give Christ the keys to some of the rooms of our "house" but reserve the deepest springs of our being for the use of our self-love, self-centeredness, and self-will.

We are to make Christ our servant if we can. We are to seek "spiritual principles" that will enable us to manipulate God and Christ according to our pleasure and advantage.

Living our individual life apart from Christ is sin. Christ enables us to die to our first personality. He will come to us and take up His abode in us if we open the door for Him to do so. Christ will deliver us from that most terrible of fates—being independent of God.

To be continued.