In the Old Testament story of Israel, the Promise Land is typical of Jesus Christ. The Israelites came out of Egypt, typical of a sinner coming out of sin. They were to enter into the Promise Land, typical of us entering into Christ and Christ entering into us.
The Israelites refused to believe God could be their life supply in the Promise Land, in the same way we struggle to trust that Jesus Christ is our life supply on this earth. We gladly receive His forgiveness, but deny Him full rights in us. Even though He has bought and paid for us. Even though we belong to Him.
We were meant for so much more! Created to contain the presence of God – to partake of His nature – and together with other believers as His body, to be an expression of the character of God on the earth. We were emptied of sin to be filled with God!!
In the same way Jesus could do NOTHING without submitting to His Father’s will in Him, Christians can do NOTHING without submitting to the will of Christ in us through the Holy Spirit.
If we think we can we are fooling ourselves.