Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ

To sin is to fall short of a goal, or the willful violation of a set standard. According to Romans 8:7, the carnal man is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. The unregenerate person, being under the total domination and control of the carnal man, is incapable of sin. A person is delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13) at regeneration. In other words, when regeneration occurs, the person is loosed from the total control of the carnal man and is transfered into the dominion and power of Christ. Once this occurs, we become subject to the laws of God and are judged daily. If we are disobedient, we are condemned by Christ (Romans 8:34) and chastened of God (Hebrews 12:10). If we are found to be in obedience, then He intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34). After regeneration occurs, being freed from the total domination of the carnal man, we are in a state of Spiritual Death yielding ourselves servants of sin unto death (Romans 6:16). While doing so, we reap the reward of death (Romans 6:16, 6:23).

According to Romans 6:3, all of God’s elect are buried into death by regeneration. Paul explains in Romans 6:4 that this occurs so that the children of God MIGHT be raised to life. This is know as the first ressurrection, but is commonly referred to as conversion. Despite being in the state of the second death, it is by promise that God raises to life any of his children that convert to Christ.

•John 3:16 For God so loved the world [of his elect], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever [of that group] believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Any act of righteousness that a person is able to perform is due to the power given him from God. Even our faith would not be possible, had we not first recieved it from God.

•1 Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]? [Who gives us the power to believe when others fail to believe? Who enables us to seperate ourselves from the world? Did you, of your own accord make the decission to follow Christ?]

Therefore, despite being spiritually dead and living in sins, after the lust of the flesh as regenerate disobedeint children, God sends forth His Spirit, just as He did with Nicodemus, and calls each child that he recieves to live a life of righteousness. It is then the childs choice to greive the Spirit, and even quench the Spirit, and remain by nature a child of wrath, which God will continue to chasten. But should the child choose to obey from the heart, he will be raised to life, being quickened by the birth of the Holy Spirit.