United Together in the Likeness of His Resurrection

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of resurrection. (Romans 6:5) This fact requires that we apply our full measure of faith to this reality. For if the "mystery" spoken of by Paul concerning our being one with Christ and the Father is true and it most certainly is; then when Christ died (we died with Him) and when He was raised "by the glory of the Father" (we were also raised with Him).

We are told in scripture that because of this great truth that we should walk in the "newness of life." (Romans 6:4)  You and I as Christians have not only died to and for sin through our Savior Jesus Christ, but we are also raised again in the newness and glory of our Lord.  Walking in the newness of life is referring to our living our lives in such a way that the very life of our Lord Jesus Christ would be made real through our lives.  For not only are we in Christ-but Christ is in us! (Hallelujah)!  He is made real in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We have been born again and are new creatures in Christ Jesus.  The first-fruit of the new creation who now have the privilege of living our lives so that Christ's life might be lived through our lives. How then are we to "walk in this newness?" We do so by submitting to and obeying the Holy Spirit as we are instructed and taught by Him according to the written word of God (the Bible).  For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). This then is our duty as Christians; we are to commit to knowing our Lord through His word and revelation of the Holy Spirt. When once we know, we then are to do the will of our Father. Amen

Spiritual Mysteries

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory (I Corinthians 2:7)

Scripture speaks about essentially two great mysteries and the apostle Paul alludes to them many times throughout the gospel.  These two great mysteries center around salvation and sanctification. More specifically the mysteries spoken of are descriptive of how both of these great spiritual accomplishments were made possible through the death of Jesus Christ.  We are told in the bible in John 14:20; Colossians 1:27; John 17:11 and John 17:21-23; that we are one with Christ and His Father. This then pertains to the great mystery.  Paul tells us that after Christ was resurrected that the mystery became a reality and that all of the gospels prior to Christ pointed to the fulfillment of God's purpose through Christ. However, the understanding of the significance of Christ's death, burial and resurrection in relation to the salvation and sanctification of mankind was not made known to man until the Holy Spirit made it known to Paul and the other disciples after Christ's resurrection. 

I will now use the illustration used by God's servant the late Watchmen Nee from his book "Ordinary Christianity"  He uses the following example to illustrate the great mystery of Christ in Us and Us in Christ.  "If one had a cup of tea and added sugar to that tea-the two would become one."  That is to say, that we would have a sweetened tea.  Once that we combined the two, (short of a chemical process perhaps of adding heat); we would find it impossible to separate them.  When we drink the tea we would not be able to distinguish the difference (individually) between the tea and the sugar.  The two (both the tea and the sugar), will have become one. From that point whenever you experienced the tea you would experience both elements (the tea and the sugar) which previously were one.  We are told in scripture that as "believers" that we are one in Christ and God and as such are inseparable.

This admittedly inadequate description of the mystery of our being one in Christ Jesus-leading to salvation and sanctification, will hopefully help our minds to grasp the reality of this immutable fact.  The fact being that Christ is in us through the Holy Spirit!  What a glorious reality which has profound implications!

Christs' Buyback Program

Many of us are familiar with the efforts of law enforcement agencies to encourage criminals and others to turn in their weapons by purchasing them. Essentially there are no questions asked of the people who bring them in.  They simply have to come and bring their weapons.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is making a similar offer to all of mankind.  He is asking us to bring our sinful lives that He has already paid for through His death on the cross.  All we have to do is to trade in our lives for a new life (His life). Most Christians have the wrong notion about the program.  Somehow they think that Jesus wants to purchase their sinful lives and return it back to them-new and improved. That is not the deal however, He wants to exchange His life for our old life.  The Holy Spirit is in the business of negotiating an exchanged life for the life of Christ. He is not in the business of changing our lives. Will you bring your life to Christ today?  He is waiting-no questions asked!

Christ-realization vs Self-realization

Today as we seek to live our lives for Christ; let us do so with the right strategy in mind.  Let's approach our day to day tasks and situations with courage and the certainty that Christ resides in us.  Our responsibility is to realize the actuality of Christ in us. We are told in Philippians 2:12...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

This is not an instruction for you and I to go out and try to become good enough to get into heaven.  It is not an exhortation for us saints to become Holy through self effort or zeal.  Paul here is encouraging us to focus ourselves and our eternal life strategies on working out the reality of Christ within us, rather than focusing on "self."  It is in essence instructions for us to pursue a life of "Christ-realization" instead of a life of "self-realization."  We are not saved through or by "self," but through and by Christ.   Philippians 2:13 makes it very clear that our salvation is entirely of Christ and that He is the author of our desire to do what is right and holy as well as the means by which it will happen. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for Hi good pleasure."

The hard work for us as Christians today is not in learning how to live a sin free or perfect life (for although we all confess that this is impossible-we spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to do just that), but in learning to allow the life of Christ to exhibit Himself through us. Our work is to know Him through His written word (Bible) and the revelation of the Holy Spirt. Hebrews 11:6.... for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  The secret to "Christ-realization" is for us to begin a life of diligently seeking Christ through His word.

Sitting together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

Once a person has received the revelation of salvation (meaning that the Holy Spirit has revealed and confirmed in them), the certainty that Jesus Christ has died on the cross for their sins; their natural inclination will be to accept this "gift" of eternal life made available to them "by grace, through faith."  This of course is the main focus of many Christians today and it's significance cannot be overstated. However there is still further revelation to complete the reality of this great act of love by God through His Son.  We have a clue to this further revelation  in the following verses from Ephesians 2:4-6:
 "But God who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses (sin), made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

In addition we have this verse from Colossians to further give us revelation in regards to our salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:27 "To them (the saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

It is Christ in us which produces holiness to His glory.  "He is holy and therefore we are holy."  By what right might we make this claim?  It is by His sanctification that we are justified and reconciled back to God.  The fact that He lives in us is the only reason that you and I are saved and sanctified. As a result we "sit together in heavenly places (not with Jesus), but "in Christ Jesus." We dwell with God today at the right hand of the Father because of His life in us.  Hallelujah!! We are told that not only does Christ dwell in us, but that we dwell in Him.

John 14:20  "At that day you will know that I am in My Father and you in Me and I in you."

Why We Are Saved

Many of us know how we are saved as Christians. "By grace we have been saved through faith.. (Eph 2:8). We are further told in Eph 1:7 "In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace." So then Jesus is the mechanism by which you and I are saved by grace, through faith. But I wonder how many of us has thought about why we are saved?

We are saved so that we would be restored individually and as a body of Christ back to our right standing with God.  Our salvation re-establishes the relationship with God that mankind had from the beginning of creation.  That relationship was temporarily altered by the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden. Now that we by grace through faith are restored-we can now be and do that for which we and all mankind were created. We can now through the Holy Spirit allow Christ to live out His life through us.  Christ did not die on the cross so that you and I could live a life of self effort, self righteousness, religious zealousness or judgemental attitudes.  He died so that we would become "many sons" through His Spirit.  We are simply to allow the Holy Spirit to produce the life of God in us. I want to share scripture which speaks to this Eternal Purpose that God has for you and I.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Paul addresses this "Eternal Purpose" as a "mystery" in Ephesians. The following is Paul's brief description of this purpose in Ephesians 3:9-11.
"....and to make all see what is the fellowship of te mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He acomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:19-21  "For the earnest expectation of the creation (mankind) eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility (reference to Genesis 3:17-19), not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption (death through our mortal bodies) into the glorious liberty of the children  of God.

Romans 8:29 For whom He forknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might e the firstborn among many bretheren.

Summary:  We have been saved to become children (sons and daughters of the living God) so that He would live through us having fellowship and mutual love.  That is God's Eternal Purpose for mankind.  We are told in Ephesians 2:10 that we are to walk in His purpose for us.