George in Cologne, Germany, writes in Peshachan,

if a Christian is born anew and has died to sin,

why is sin in the heart so decisive, the same for the flesh?

Why must it be killed every day?

My status in Christ and my daily work,

this mortification seems and feels so contradictory.

Would you say to George, Peshachan?

Yes, it does.

I totally resonate.

Let's try to do two things in answer to George's question.

First, let's show from the New Testament

what actually happens in the New Birth,

especially as it relates to a Christian's ongoing sinning.

And then second, let's see if we can answer, at least partly,

why does God do it this way?

Because that's really the heart of His question.

But in order to get to that, I think we need to start with what happens

in the New Creation or the New Birth.

So my answer to this first question is what God creates

in the New Birth is not a sinless Christian.

What He creates is an embattled, not yet perfect,

spirit empowered, persevering, Christ treasuring,

...