Happy New Year! With it comes self-examination and an attempt to find the best version of ourselves. 

What’s that look like?   
We must find our true design.

A significant misunderstanding about coming to Christ is the belief that one must first be sinless or perfectly righteous. However, the truth is that Jesus came for us precisely because we are sinners”. (Romans 5:8)

Religion twists Galatians 5:16-25 (walking “by” the Spirit), making it about us and not Christ. 

When you by faith accept the finished work of Christ, you who were dead in Adam are now alive in Christ – a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), always walking “in” Him. 

You are a new design, and your optimal performance comes from walking “by” the Spirit. 

This verse is not about  salvation; it’s about what empowers us as a result of our salvation.

Imagine having a luxury sports car designed by the world’s greatest engineer. You have two choices: fill it with the premium fuel it was designed for, or use whatever you feel like putting in the tank. The car will still be yours either way – that doesn’t change. But which choice lets you experience what the engineer designed it to be?

That’s us. We’re designed for something greater.

Think about the first human – Adam. He was the prototype, perfect in design, walking in complete harmony with God. But love required choice, and that choice opened the door to malfunction. Not because of a design flaw, but because true love can’t exist without freedom to choose.

Enter Jesus – the perfect human 2.0 (last Adam 1 Corinthians 15:45), prophesied from the moment of that first crash (Genesis 3:15). He showed us what humanity was meant to be, then did something revolutionary: He moved in. Not into a building, not through rituals or substances, but into us. (John 17) The engineer didn’t just fix the car; He got in and took the wheel.

Here’s the beautiful truth: Your salvation isn’t about what you do – it’s already finished. You’re not working to become God’s child; you already are. The question isn’t about getting saved but about experiencing what you already have.

When a father and son share a beer and genuine conversation, that’s walking in/by the Spirit – enjoying God’s gifts in relationship. But when we chase the next drink, the next high, the next whatever-it-is to fill that space only God can fill, we’re putting the wrong fuel in the tank. The car’s still yours, but it’s not running as designed.

Paul wasn’t giving us another set of rules when he talked about walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25). He was showing us how to experience the life we already have. It’s not about earning God’s love – you can’t earn what’s already freely given. It’s about letting the perfect Engineer, who lives in you, drive.

This isn’t about being “good enough” – that’s religion talking. This is about discovering what happens when we let God be God in us. Sometimes we’ll choose well, sometimes we won’t. But here’s the incredible part: He stays in the car either way. He’s not waiting for you to get it right; He’s helping you learn to drive.

Your best version isn’t about what you do – it’s about Who lives in you. And maybe, just maybe, as we learn to let Him lead, we’ll catch glimpses of what humanity was always meant to be.

The Designer lives in you. The Engineer is at the wheel. The question isn’t “Can you be good enough?” but “Are you ready for the ride?”

Living by the Spirit aligns your desires with God’s desires, leading to a more fulfilling and purposeful life. As you rely on the Spirit’s guidance, you will find yourself making choices that reflect your true identity in Christ and bring glory to God (Philippians 2:13). This alignment results in a deeper sense of peace and contentment, knowing that you are living in accordance with God’s will and purpose for your life.

The best version of you!  

SINNER’S PULPIt.com

Come in a sinner, leave a saint”