Slavery to righteousness leads to holiness. Holiness in its purest and ultimate form is Christ. There is nothing found in Christ that is not found in the Father. There is to be nothing found in us that is not found in Christ. There is to be nothing of Satan in us, only that which is of Christ.

The Divine redemption is Christ. When our adamic personality has been crucified and our new nature has been raised with Christ, then it is true that Christ is our Life. Every aspect of our personality is to be in Christ and of Christ. The life, righteousness, holiness, love, joy, peace, self-control that we seek—all is Christ. Release from slavery to sin is the Presence of Christ.

The new covenant is Christ. By becoming part of Christ we become the new covenant. We become righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. Such union and possession are the highest form of the Kingdom of God. They are the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the total fulfillment of the eternal law of God. Such union and possession are the only true and eternal holiness.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (Romans 6:20)

Paul makes a very strong point of comparing slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness, and the results of each form of slavery. It would be helpful today if God's preachers and teachers would stress this comparison with equal intensity.

The comparison made today is between "accepting" and "not accepting" Christ. Salvation is viewed in these terms. The concept is that once you accept Christ the sin problem has been solved. You now are on your way to Heaven. While you ought to try to do good in order to please Jesus, or to show your appreciation for His love, your behavior is not critically important.

In our day we have not only numerous demons to resist and a humanistic society to contend with, but in addition there are newly arrived lords of the spirit realm that have been driven from the heavenlies. Some people are "channeling" these ancient potentates. They have been tricked by them and are permitting the fallen lords to use their bodies.

With such titanic forces arrayed against us our feeble, fleshly attempts to "please Jesus," combined with the false assurance that no matter whether or not we succeed in pleasing Jesus our mansion in the spirit realm is secure, will leave our adamic, animal personality, with its body of sin, intact. No redemption will take place, no release from slavery to sin, no yielding to the control of righteousness.

God has made provision for the titanic forces arrayed against us. The Divine provision is union with the atoning death of Christ and union with His triumphant resurrection. These two aspects of our union with Christ are supremely powerful and result in the destruction of our adamic, animal nature and the bringing forth of a son in God's image who is totally obedient to the Father—perfectly righteous and perfectly holy in and through Christ. This does not mean we are righteous and holy because Christ is righteous and holy but that the very righteousness and holiness of Christ have become our personality as we live by His body and blood instead of by our own wisdom and energy.

To be continued.