Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-3)

Last time we concluded that in Jesus we can walk in freedom, not because we can’t sin anymore, but because we now CAN walk in holiness. Freedom is another way of saying we have been separated from (hate) our sin.

In the same way, “hating sin” (being separated from sin) is not a matter of will. When we encounter the cross of Jesus and we find that we are are crucified with Him we find we are now living at this moment by the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. This cannot be accomplished through human effort. Hating sin (being separated from sin) is a natural consequence of knowing and loving God.

When I talk about this with other Christians, some know exactly what I’m saying and others have this look of incredulity or “whatever works for you…”. They don’t seem to be able to relate to it in their personal experience.

But something supernatural definitely happens when our perspective is that of having died (Gal 2:20). It’s not anything we did but simply acknowledging that we’ve died and been resurrected with Him. In other words, you and I don’t do holy things to become holy, but because we are already holy (set apart, separate), we naturally do holy things. It’s our new nature in Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).

If we are in Him that nature is the real you and the real me. It is now our nature to do holy things, living holy both in outward appearance and inward reality. Peter said we we’re now “participat(ing) in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” because “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through knowing Him” (2 Pet 1:3,4)

So, in summary, we don’t do holy things to become holy, but since we are already holy, we naturally do holy things. It sounds like a philosophical play of words, but in fact, it is the actual freedom-giving truth of the gospel which goes beyond plucking us out of the waiting room for hell and “conforms” us to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:29).

Once transformed by the Holy Spirit into new creations, we are living life supernaturally, not naturally. We have a different context and a different power source than we were plugged into before we were transformed. That supernatural perspective leads us to acknowledge that each of us are separate — because God has unequivocally separated you and me from sin.