What is the difference between what the law showed man and what the indwelling Holy Spirit does?
The law acted as a mirror, showing man his utter sinfulness and helplessness. The indwelling Holy Spirit is something totally different; it is not merely a mirror that exposes sin, though the context does not elaborate further on its specific work.
Les explains that the law was only a mirror that showed man his utter sinfulness and helplessness. He then says the indwelling Holy Spirit is something totally different. In the following verses, Les moves to Ephesians 1, where God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. He emphasizes that Jesus Christ was the Creator God of Genesis 1, the One who spoke the universe into being and formed Adam from the dust. Yet Christ came in sinful flesh to deal with the old Adam, condemning the old Adam and the flesh. Les says this was His whole purpose: to get down at man’s level, in man’s frame of flesh, that He might condemn sin and the flesh. Les admits this is beyond comprehension except through faith. The indwelling Holy Spirit’s work is thus presented as distinct from the law’s mirror-like conviction, though the specific ministry of the Spirit is not detailed in this excerpt.