It is of the greatest importance to the believer of today to realize that our change from a corruptible animal nature to eternal life in the Presence of God will not happen suddenly at our physical death, in a "rapture," or at the coming of the Lord. Our change from death to life is taking place now. No moral transformation will take place in a "rapture" or at our physical death. The redemption that will take place at the return of Jesus, while it will include a final deliverance from all corruption and death and the issuing to us of a body fashioned from eternal life, will actually be the revelation of that which had taken place during our pain-filled pilgrimage on the earth.

Let us make sure we are not counting on imputation (ascribed righteousness) to furnish us with the wonders of the Kingdom of God that come only as we participate in the process of daily death and resurrection.

We are to count ourselves dead to sin. We are to take the position that because we have entered the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, sin no longer has authority over us. God has redeemed us through the blood of the Lord Jesus and we no longer are under condemnation.

We also are to count ourselves as alive in God's Presence in Christ. This means every aspect of our personality and behavior is to be experiencing the Life of God every day of our discipleship.

We keep ourselves from sinning by confessing and repenting of our sins, by resisting the devil, by meditating each day in the Scriptures, by daily prayer, by fellowshiping on a consistent basis (as possible) with fervent disciples, by giving, serving, presenting our body a living sacrifice, and obeying God in all areas.

We keep ourselves alive unto God by resisting sin and walking each day in fellowship with God. We must count that we are dead with Christ and alive in the Presence of God. This is our orientation to life in all of life's dimensions. We are not our own possession. We belong to Christ. He is our personal Lord. We are to obey Him in every instance. We are to abide in Him. We are not of the world just as He is not of the world. As He is, so are we in this world.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Romans 6:12)

By utilizing all the Divine provisions and directions we have discussed to this point we are able to prevent sin from controlling our mortal body.

We must keep in mind always that our body is filled with various lusts. These lusts war against the righteous, holy ways of the Lord that we find in the Scriptures.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)

To be continued.