"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," Ro 6:4.

God is calling us to a new life—not just to some new steps in life, some new habits or ways or motives or prospects but unto a new life. This new life was produced by the Eternal Son of God taking our flesh, dying, being buried and raising again.

It is not life producing life by an improvement of the old man, but a new life wrought out of death--by the death of "The Prince of Life." Our Saviour, "Died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God," Ro 6:10. Our new life must be conformed unto the life of Christ. "Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin," Ro 6:6.

A "new creature" is one who has been "crucified with Christ," has "died unto sin" with Him, has been "buried with Him by baptism into death," risen with Him "in the likeness of His resurrection," ascended with Him and is seated "in heavenly places" with Him, Ga 6:15; Ro 6:3-8; Ga 2:20; Eph 2:5-6; Col 3:13. As such he reckons himself dead unto sin but alive unto God, Ro 6:11.

As such the "new creature" seeks the things that are above and sets his affection on things above, mortifying his "members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affections, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry," Col 3:15.

The "new creature" is seen both in its exclusion of evil and its inclusion of the good. This is summed up in two things:, "righteousness and holiness." "Put off," says God's Word, ". . . the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and . . . put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness," Eph 4:22-24.

This holiness is the fruit of, not the cause of, our salvation. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them," Eph 2:10. The "new creature" is chosen, called, quickened, washed, sanctified and justified by God Himself. We are in no sense our own deliverers. De 32:6, Ps 100:3, 138:8, Isa 43:21, 60:21, Ro 9:21, Heb 13:21, Jas 1:18.

The new life is not the result of a mechanical process, but it is the product of a divine power. God claims it as a new "creation" and as His handiwork. "He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit," 2 Co 5:5.

Here the word "wrought" implies some difficult piece of work. "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure," Ph'p 2:13. These expressions establish an operation which influences our "willing," as well as our "doing," and this because of His being well-pleased with Christ, M't 3:17.

We are called "unto holiness," 1 Th 4:7; that we should have our "fruit unto holiness," Ro 6:22; that our hearts should be established "unblameable in holiness," 1 Th 3:13; that we should abound in "all holy conversation and godliness," 2 Pe 3:11; "called with an holy calling," 2 Ti 1:9; "holy and without blame before Him in love," Eph 1:4, presenting not our souls alone but our "bodies" as not only a "living", but a holy sacrifice to God," Ro 12:1; remembering that our bodies are, "the temple of the Holy Ghost," 1 Co 6:19.