What is true of our relationship to sin?...

Sin does not have the power to rule us because we are not under the Law but under grace. Sin no longer possesses authority over us because we now are part of Christ’s death. Sin is the transgression of the Law, and the Law governs our former personality—that which has been grafted into union with Christ in His death on the cross.

The Law cannot exercise authority over our new man, our new personality that has been grafted into union with the resurrection of Christ. We are part of the resurrection Glory of Christ.

Sin cannot exert legal authority over us because legally we are dead. Sin cannot exert compelling power over us because we are part of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Although there may be areas of our personality that continually strive to lead us away from the path of righteousness and that attempt to resist our efforts to overcome them, as we press forward in Christ we finally will gain the upper hand over every one of them and drive them out of our "land."

The Spirit of God is ready to assist us, if we choose to avail ourselves of His help.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

Paul stated, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." What Paul means by this must be interpreted by his statements throughout the Book of Romans.

When we are under the Law, sin has dominion over us because the Law points out our guilt but does not deliver us from the bondage of sin.

When we are under grace, the Law has no authority over us. However, the urge to sin is present. We have been forgiven completely through the blood of Jesus but the law of sin is present in our members.

The manner in which we address ourselves to these facts, the understanding of them that we have, may determine whether or not we make a success of the program of salvation.

Sin shall not have dominion over us for three reasons: (1) the Law no longer has the authority to condemn us; (2) we are without the guilt of sin because of the atoning blood of Jesus; (3) God has given us grace through the body and blood of the Lord, the birth of the Divine Seed in us, the indwelling Presence of the Spirit of God, and the testimony of the Apostles so through these we may possess enough virtue, wisdom, and strength to overcome the world, Satan, and the lusts and self-will that dwell in our personality—particularly in our flesh.

As long as we are abiding in the Lord Jesus, as long as we are pressing forward each day in the work of transformation, the blood of Jesus is maintaining our guiltlessness before the Father.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (I John 1:7).

The current Christian position interprets Paul to mean because we are under grace we cannot be guilty of sin; that salvation is unconditional and based on a verbal profession; that God sees the disciple only through the righteousness of Jesus. None of this is true.

When the believer yields to lust or ceases to seek the Lord or disobeys what he feels in his heart is God’s will, condemnation is at hand. Salvation no longer is operating in him as it should. God sends judgment on him so he will not be condemned with the world.

The Christian position that the blessing of God is not conditional but holds true eternally once a verbal profession has been made, independently of a life of discipleship, is not true. It is a wresting of Paul’s doctrine. It will lead the teacher and the student to certain destruction. There is no scriptural support for such a distortion of God’s program. We ought to know better than this!