“But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt …Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians…” Exodus 3:7-8
The Christian is set free from the requirements of the law, by the sacrifice of God’s Son at Calvary, immediately the LORD sets him apart for the holy purpose of worship and service to God. This act of being set apart for a holy purpose the bible calls sanctification.
Going in to salvation the Christian performs no good works, nor would any works proceeding from a sinful heart be acceptable to a Holy God. However, coming out of salvation and by sanctification of the Holy Spirit, good works are always produced. The Apostle Paul transitions from the great liberation of Romans 5, to the great demand to live consistent with our profession in chapter 6, with these probing words, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2
It is as though the Apostle says, what I am about to say is so basic; this should have been the first thing you learned. “Do you not know that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4 (Emphasis added). Do you not know, did you not get this yet, you don’t make sin a practice anymore!
The act of believing in Christ and receiving the work that He did on our behalf cannot be separated from confessing Him as Lord. “For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.” Romans 10:9
The Christian is one who believes in Jesus Christ to the saving of his soul from sin – and its penalty!