Rom 6:5 (NIV) If we have been UNITED with Him like this in His death, WE WILL CERTAINLY also be UNITED with Him in His resurrection.

How did we get UNITED with Jesus? By praying a prayer like the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and by obeying the requirements of Romans 10:9-10. That is the way we accepted Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and King. That is the way we fulfilled Romans 7:1-6. Yes, we were delivered from all our sins by us being UNITED with Him in His death.

But, perfection is pointing us to the fact that we have been UNITED with Him in His resurrection.

This is the part that raises us up into a whole new life and ministry with potential that will boggle our minds. God isn’t just trying to get our sins forgiven. He isn’t just trying to get rid of all our sinning. He has far greater plans for us than living a sinless life. He wants us to be mightily used by Him for great and wonderful ministerial things. He wants us to be involved in all that Jesus can do to minister through us. That is the new life and ministry God has in mind for us.