In accomplishing His work in man, God does not deal with individuals. He includes the whole of humanity in Christ. Whatever He executes in Christ is carried out in us. The doctrine of salvation is found in Christ. God also gives man a new life in Him.
God has no desire to change our outward behavior; He only wants to change our life. His one intention is to replace our old life with a new one. He can only accomplish this in Christ Jesus. When we are in Christ, this work of replacement is automatically applied to us.
However, before God can dispense a new life to us, some matters need to be taken care of. If these things are not settled, God can never give life to us, and we will never have the right to receive anything from Him. We know that the most crucial matter in the Christian faith is the possession of a new life from God. But there are a few prerequisites, without which it is impossible to partake of this life. Therefore, these items occupy an important position and rightly demand our attention.
The first item is the forgiveness of sins. This provides God with a proper standing to dispense life to us.
We all know that the manifested behavior of our natural life is extremely evil. It is hopeless beyond measure. Our corrupt behavior is made known by the sins we commit. Some commit rash and ugly sins, while others indulge in more refined and subtle ones. In either case, all these sins have to be forgiven. They have to be forgiven justly and properly before we can receive the life of God.
Second, the very life which activates sins must be dealt with thoroughly. Unless this life is removed from its root, the possibility of sin remains; it will continue to bear corrupt fruit. Sin will still be manifested in our thoughts and actions. God must give a final solution to our old life. It must be terminated once and for all.
After these two things are taken care of, God can freely dispense a new life to us in Christ. Then we can walk according to it day by day. We will also be able to live a God-like life on earth and fulfill His purpose.