When the question of redemption is a perfectly settled thing, then government begins. The government of God, as regards His saints, only begins when they are saved, and then the saint goes through all the process of conflict between good and evil. Having got the good as his possession, he goes through all the question between good and evil, to ascertain the faithful love which maintains him and keeps him from evil. There are two ways of knowing good and evil. We know that we have got the knowledge of it first by sin; but the question of good and evil must also be brought to a complete issue in ourselves. We cannot be innocent again. As Christians we acquire the knowledge of good and evil by the possession of the good and being above the evil. I cannot learn it by merely finding the power of evil that I cannot get the better of—that is, as under the law. This is what we find in Rom. 7. It is there a man discovering that when he ought to be this, he is the other thing— “sold under sin.” I hate and detest evil and yet I do it; I love good and yet, alas! I do it not. But when I get hold of redemption, I have now perfect good; I am made perfect righteousness in Christ; I have eternal life. Then, this flesh being in us, the conflict comes. This does not cease, but it is carried on with the conscious possession of good, and of being perfect in Christ. It is not I that live, but Christ that liveth in me.