Standing & State

I believe it's important to distinguish between standing--your identity--and state--your conduct--when reading scripture. 

The believer's conduct should align with his identity, but it is not automatic. 

I believe we see the difference between standing and state in Ephesians 5:8: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."   

All believers are children of light, and they are to walk as such.

Their standing makes their state potential but not automatic, because if it was automatic, then there would be no need to instruct believers to "walk" as such.   

The ability to walk as one should, to have conduct becoming a child "of light," is because of what the believer has received that effected the new standing:  "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:3-4 

Through the "life" (new birth)--which changes are standing, making us “children of light,” we have the ability to have conduct (a "walk") that is becoming children of light, being "godliness" and escaping the "corruption that is in the world through lust." 

The ability is through the new birth and the renewing of our minds in the "knowledge of Him." 

Our standing is as children of light through the new life/ birth, and the potential state is the walk.