The call from Sal made it so clear. The reason Christians are not delivered from their sins is they do not know this promise is in the New Testament and is a distinct feature of the new covenant.

I know there have been holiness teachers who have taught instantaneous sanctification root and branch. From what I have seen, this doesn't work. Others have said sanctification is progressive, and this seems more practical. But, at least in our generation, there does not appear to have been in many places a clear statement that our salvation includes deliverance from sin or a workable program for overcoming sin.

Before we can attempt to overcome our sinful nature we must know for a certainty that the Bible teaches that believers do not have to continue in known sin.

The new covenant does not permit continuing in sinful behavior.

The new covenant includes deliverance from sinful behavior.

The new covenant includes a workable plan for deliverance from sinful behavior.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

We do not receive salvation until we learn it is in the Bible. Then we have faith to obtain it.

We do not receive Divine healing until we learn it is in the Bible. Then we have faith to obtain it.

We do not speak in tongues or exercise other gifts until we learn they are found in the Bible. Then we have faith to pursue them.

The same is true of deliverance from sinful behaviors. We do not gain victory over them until we learn that such victory is in the Bible. Then we have faith to pursue victory over the sins of the flesh until we obtain it.

Do you follow me so far?

We are not speaking of some sudden experience in which the sin nature will be removed from you. The final subjugation of the sin nature is included under the new covenant, but it has to do with a whole life of cross-carrying obedience to the Lord as the sinful nature is slain and Christ comes to maturity within us. Such freedom from the sin nature, transformation into the moral image of Christ, untroubled rest in the Person of the Father through Christ, and a new sin-free body, are all part of the new covenant.

But in this brief essay we are dealing only with victory over specific behaviors, such as lust, anger, lying, gossip, slander, selfishness, hatred, unforgiveness, spite, backbiting, sexual perversion, drunkenness, the use of drugs, and other demonic chains that destroy people including Christians.

Does the new covenant include victory over these? You bet it does. Let's see what the Bible says about victory over sin.

It may help us to understand that the sin in our personality is not infinite. Each one of us has specific tendencies that are sinful. The list is not endless. It is entirely possible to get victory over this bunch of messy behaviors while we still are in this world. You don't have to deal with them all at once. The Holy Spirit will lead you city by city.

To be continued.