dog” beats the “bad dog” if I feed it more. • Sin actually can be minimized. It becomes relegated to a smaller place. It is in our old, sinful nature in contrast to our new, pristine nature. Such thinking could blind us to the way sin still can affect our entire being. • The cross of Christ will not be considered as decisive as it really was. Instead of only enlivening us to fight against sin—which it does—it has ushered us into an entirely new way of life. Adams wants to avoid these conclusions