Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him, 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
As followers of Christ, our old nature has been killed and buried. We have been raised up as new creatures in Christ. We no longer have to serve sin because Christ has set us free.
We have Christ living in us and we can rely on His power to overcome temptation by His strength. Even when we mess up, we can live a life free from the guilt and punishment of sin. (Not always the consequences, but the punishment has been satisfied).
When God looks at us, He sees Christ in us. We are now holy and righteous in His sight. Not because of anything we have done, but because of the work Christ did. We no longer have to work to earn salvation. It is a free gift provided through Christ.
In Christ, we are all brothers and sisters, there is no upper level or lower level Christians. We are all saved by grace, equal parts of the body and living under the headship of Christ. Christ is our all in all.
May we continue to grow in Grace and let Him have the preeminence.
Done with Religion 