We no longer direct our life, but we have given the controls over to God to be governed by the principles and precepts of the Bible. The very essence of salvation is not merely the elimination of the penalty of our sin, it is the elimination of the sin itself. In order for this to be properly understood, we must first distinguish between sin and sins. Sin is an attitude, sins are actions. Sin is a motive, sins are the motions of the motive.
Sin is the aim, sins are the acts.
Sin is putting self first instead of putting God first. Sin is loving oneself first. It means turning from loving self first to loving God first. It indicates a change from seeking our happiness first to seeking God's happiness first. This God-centered motive becomes the preference of the heart, thus making him a saint.