Even though we are now living in the new realm of the Spirit as children of God, we still live in this world. Thus, we still continue to suffer for various reasons. This can result in either discouragement or doubts. But God remains true to His promises. We don't need to be afraid. We can have hope even in the midst of suffering.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been transferred from the realm of the flesh (i.e., in the flesh) into a new realm of the Spirit (i.e., in the Spirit). This is the main change that has happened to us in Christ Jesus, which makes possible all other changes in our lives. We need to know this and believe this, for it has profound implications for our whole being.

Sin will always prevent us from obeying the law. Therefore, we will always end up as objects of God's wrath. Spiritual death and condemnation will always be the result of all our efforts if we continue to pursue righteousness in our natural state (i.e., in the flesh). This is the reason why we need to be saved. Through Christ, we can be saved. Through faith in Him, we are transferred into a new realm of life, which is life in the Spirit. We need to understand what that means.

God's law (i.e., the laws of God that came through Moses) is holy, righteous, and good. But it cannot save us because of one formidable problem: sin. Left on our own, and apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, sin will always defeat us. We cannot obey God's law. Thus, we will always be under God's wrath because, as Paul says, the wages of sin is death. The only solution is the gift of God through the Gospel, which is eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.

Even though it is true that we as Christians have died to the law, and also to sin, it does not mean that there is something wrong with God's law (i.e., the laws of God that came through Moses). We must not reject God's law or even the entire Old Testament. Some teachers of the Bible today say this and it's wrong. The Old Testament is part of the Bible and it will always be profitable for us (2 Tim 3:16-17). Although we are no longer under the law, we still need to know and understand its true nature.

We are now under a new kind of slavery, one that does not imprison us but rather liberates us to truly live holy lives. In other words, our new slavery is now our new freedom, as we have learned. But what is the nature of this new freedom that we have in Christ?

God has set us free from the power or dominion of sin. Therefore, we are no longer slaves to sin. We can now say "No" to sin because of God's grace. But this freedom does not mean that we can now do whatever we want. It does not mean that sin is no longer a problem for us. It can still enslave us all over again! The key is to understand that we are now under a new kind of slavery, one that does not imprison us but rather liberates us to truly live holy lives.

We have learned that, through Christ, grace overcomes sin and all its deadly effects. God replaces our spiritual death with the gift of eternal life in Christ. He also replaces our sinful state with the gift of righteousness, which is our new status before God. But these gifts can be quite abstract and difficult to understand. So, God does something very personal and real to us. Through our union with Christ in water baptism, God delivers us from the power of sin itself.

Justification has profound personal implications throughout our lives and even for all eternity. But it is important to understand how those implications begin now. According to Paul, through Christ, grace overcomes sin and all its deadly effects. How does this happen?

Justification is not just a one-time event. It has profound personal implications in our lives. It affects us entirely. That's why we must also think of our justification as our salvation. Paul begins to expound on the rich implications of our justification, which is also our salvation, from chapters 5 to 8. Paul is not talking about something separate from our salvation, like our sanctification, for instance, as some theologians call it. He is still talking about salvation all throughout, even though he is detailing its implications.