Crucified with Christ

The world measures success by assessing how aggressive a person is. The world’s assessment is based on that person’s smartness, education, financial background, or his high-level status. People follow such smart ones and want to be friends with them. They make them as models and imitate them and try best to be like them. But a peculiar group of people in this world who are called Christians, have a different way of thinking. They follow someone who was a complete failure in world’s eyes. He has become the precious savior for this group of people. They follow someone who was called a liar, friend of tax collectors and sinners, rejected by men, labelled guilty, mocked, insulted, and finally crucified on a cross. He is Jesus Christ, God’s incarnation into the world.

2000 years ago, He came to the world and changed history. When he was on earth, many people followed him to enjoy a meal, to get well, to see his miracles and even to hear the words coming out of his mouth. But none of them even his own disciples could stand with him when he was humiliated, beaten up and murdered on a cross. For the leaders and the people of that time it was the getting rid of a problem maker. But for God it was the pouring out of judgment of sin of human race upon His son. Even God forsook him. It was the demonstration of God’s judgment on sin and through that the expression of His love towards mankind. Both met at the cross and a new group of people was formed. The world called them “Christians”. The followers of Christ. They are God’s gift to His son that was promised before the foundation of the World, “The Church, His precious bride”.

God demonstrated victory over sin through the greatest failure in man’s eyes. He demolished the power of the devil through His Son, Jesus Christ and made His called ones victorious over sin. His Son’s incarnation as a mere human being itself was beyond men’s understanding. Though he was born in a manger, the news of his birth spread fear in the minds of the people and even the kings of that time (recorded Mathew 2). When the wise men came to Herod’s palace, we read “vs 3 “when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. When the wise men after visiting Jesus returned without reporting to Herod. “Herod was extremely angry and ordered a mass murder to eliminate Him. Thousands of children were killed by the soldiers of Herod. Think about it, He was just a baby at that time. His parents took him and ran away from Herod’s ruling area. His place of escape was not to the safest one on earth. It was to Egypt where His ancestors were tormented for 430 years.

When his parents heard the death of Herod, they brought Him back.

The Power of Sin and the curse

In Romans 5:12 we read “Therefore just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”. In Genesis 3, because of the sinful disobedience of Adam and Eve, God cursed the entire creation including Adam and Eve and even the ground they were taken from. To Eve God said (Gen 3:16) “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children, your desire shall be for your husband. And he shall rule over you. What a tragic thing! Multiplied sorrows in life, the agony and pain of life, the struggle in life and the pain of childbearing and the birth pain. The ground they were taken from was cursed on Adam’s sake. The fruit of his toil was thorns and thistles. (Gen 3:19) In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground for out of it you were taken, for dust you are an to dust you shall return”. What a pathetic situation! What man lost in the garden of Eden was not just the physical death /decay but also the permanent separation from God. But the real enemy of God was still out there. Satan came to Eve as a snake and deceived her and Adam. In Genesis 1:27 we read “So God created man in His own image in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the flesh of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth”. This was the blessing given to man and woman at the time of creation. But now after sin entered, the curse overtaken the blessings. Yes, the physical blessings are still there but ended up paying great price, pain, suffering and death. Many things are attainable by men, but he cannot enjoy. King Solomon, the richest and wisest one ever lived, said all are ‘vanity”.

God cursed the serpent (devil). Gen 3:14-15 we read “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field, on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life (vs 15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His feet”. Pronouncement of this curse was important. The origin of all pride, evil and disobedience is the leader of the fallen angel, lucifer the devil. He must be punished; humanity must understand it. God had to communicate it to man. The fact of the matter is when God judges, he does it with justice, absolute justice. God established enmity between the woman and the serpent and their seed. It has become an ongoing battle. In the first 3 chapters of Romans Paul establishes the power of Sin in mankind. No one can stand before God’s law …Law condemns everybody. Chapter 2:12 “for as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law”. In Chapter 3: 9- 11 “for we have previously charged both Jew and Greek that they are all under sin” As it is written. There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. … they have together become unprofitable”.

The Plan of God

The most fascinating thing about the Word of God is that it was not just written as guideline for Adam and his descendants to follow when he was created in the garden of Eden. It was written by 40 different authors during a span of 1400 years. It contains biographies of men who lived on earth. It contains the life stories of morally good people as well as immoral people. Every book of the Bible demonstrates God’s sovereignty and the total depravity of man. It reveals the power of sin and its curse on mankind; it shows the sweat of men who work hard on an earth that won’t produce its yield. It shows man’s lifelong labor on an earth which is cursed and produces thrones and thistles. It has the story of men who recognized God and truly worshipped Him as well as those who knew there is a creator but rejected their creator. It pictures the unsatisfied, greedy hearts of sinful human beings. As this book reveals man’s depravity in its highest level, it also demanded the need for its resolution. We read in Romans 5:12 “wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, and so death passed upon all man, for that all have sinned”.

We read in the scriptures that God planned the cure for sin before the foundation of the world. A sinful human being cannot pay for the sins of the world, neither through sacrifice of animals. A sinless person must be the one who could pay back for the iniquity of man. The curse on satan that was proclaimed by God in the garden of Eden (you will bruise His heel “) was partially fulfilled in the presence of the world by crucifying God’s son on the cross. When Christ was in the world, satan tried many times to claim victory, but Jesus Christ with his obedience to the father and his ultimate dependance and love to the word of His Father, won the victory. This unsolvable issue of SIN and the satisfaction of its penalty was taken care of by Jesus when was crucified on the cross. Isiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And by His stripes we are healed “vs 6 b) and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all’. Vs 10. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief. When you make His soul and offering for sin’. He who knew no sin was made sin for us”. The wrath and fury of God on SIN and its judgement was put on top of His son. God made him a curse. In Deuteronomy 21:23 we read “for he who hanged is accursed of God”. “In Numbers 21:19 we see Moses raising serpent in the wilderness as a remedy for the people who were bitten by the fiery serpent. In John 3:14 Jesus said “Just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so the son of Man was needed to be lifted up. Isaiah 53 the entire chapter shows vivid demonstrations of His upcoming agony. David made very graphic presentation of the suffering and death of the messiah on the cross in Psalm 22.

For us to have the ‘good news’ God’s son had to bear the punishment. His only begotten son (sinless one) had to be on a cross to bear the consequences of SIN to demonstrate God’s justice and His outpouring towards mankind. Both met at the cross where the history of the world was divided in to two, BC and AD. 1^st Peter 1:19-20 says “you are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you”. God planned the sacrifice of this special lamb before the foundation of the world for a specific time in the history of the world. Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son made of a woman, made under the law”.

The Punishment on the cross (Crucifixion)

Crucifixion was first introduced by Assyrians and Babylonians in 6^th century BC. Alexander the great brought it to Greece in the 4^th century BC. It was then adopted by Romans through Phoenicians. Josephus said, “to be crucified was to die a thousand death”. There was no other harder way of punishment ever invented by men. The guilty will go through the worst and inhuman way of agony and death. The word ‘excruciating” was invented to describe the pain of it means ‘out of the cross’.

The Roman historian Cicero said “There is no fitting word that can possibly describe so horrible a deed as crucifixion and the very word ‘cross’ should be far removed not only from the person of a Roman citizen, but from his thoughts, eyes and his ears”

There were 2 criminals crucified with Christ. One on the left and one on the right. The crowd, religious leaders, soldiers all were mocking Jesus with many words thinking that Jesus was a con man and a complete failure. They said’ you saved others and you cannot save yourself’ come out of the cross, then we will believe. Mathew recorded ‘the robbers who were crucified with him reviled Him with the same thing “

But Luke recorded that one of the criminals took a 180 degree turn from his previous position and started rebuking the criminal who was mocking Christ. We read in Luke, “But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:40, ESV). It was the most important miracles happened during the crucifixion of Jesus. There is no way this man could have made up himself a statement like that. He was certainly powered by God. Sometimes, I felt it was me yes or each one of us were ‘Crucified with Christ “at the time of our regeneration. Jesus said to him ‘today this day, you will be with me in paradise”.

When we got this new life in us, he made us sit immediately in the heavenly places. He gave us that eternal promise.

Let’s look at the testimony of this criminal. He rebuked the other criminal saying.

Do you not fear God? – this was our reaction also when we were convicted
We are sinners – (Realization of the sinful nature)
We receive the due reward for our deeds (Accepting we are guilty)
This man has done nothing wrong – Christ is the Substitution
Calling him Jesus “means – savior
Remember me when you come into your kingdom – Our hope and assurance.

He got assurance in his heart that Jesus will be resurrected, and Jesus will become a king. He will have the opportunity to see him. That was indeed a heavenly revelation

When a criminal is condemned and lead to the cross, there is no chance for turning back, it is a guaranteed death, and the excruciating pain and agony of it can continue for a day or two. It is the most horrible punishment and death. Who wouldn’t want to escape death? The thief on the cross didn’t ask Christ for an escape from death. He knew he deserve death for his crimes. He knew he is going to die. But he realized that there is a life after death and the ones who received forgiveness from sin can have that eternal life. The one who is resurrection and life is hanging with him on a cross. What a marvelous revelation. What a glorious opportunity. He was the one and only lucky human being to get this opportunity. He heard the words of Christ on the cross saying

“Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. Who else other than God’s son who only can forgive sins can make such a request? Just like that criminal, the recognition of our guilt which was originated from the fear of God and the realization of the power of the sin in us and the due judgement deserved for it is indeed a revelation from God by hearing the true word of God. As God planted this fear of judgment in us by the power of His word (the two-edged sword) and by the power of the Holy Spirit it will cut thru our hearts, and we cry for mercy. Oh yes, we repented and believed, not only received Jesus as our savior but also as our Lord and King. That criminal got space in heaven with Christ. When the Lord said “today, this day you will be with me in paradise”, the criminal become a saint instantaneously. All his sins were forgiven and there is no condemnation because he was in Christ. He was dead but was seated with Christ the same day. Similarly, we were also crucified, dead and resurrected and seated in the heavenlies with Christ (Spiritually).

Gal 2:20 “Paul wrote – “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The partakers of God’s plan- Identified with Christ (crucified, dead, buried and resurrected)

We are the children of God so; it is required of us to know what really happed in us by this new birth. Romans 6 gives us detailed information on how we are spiritually identified with Christ and how the reality of this truth realized in us

Romans 6:6-11

‘Knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slave of sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life that he lives He lives to God. Likewise, you also reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord’.

It is talking about believer’s full understanding of the substitutionary attornment of Christ and establish the truth and realize /reckon it.

He became my substitute. He died for me, and God identified me to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. He took residence in me. He is the author and finisher of my faith. My life become the resurrected life of Christ by the power of Faith not by the will of the flesh. My life has become a life of faith. not a life of flesh

How Christ’s atonement validated on us?

(Colossians 2:11-15) “in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised from the dead. And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions. Having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, He also has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.

Know the truth -vs 6-6 (Have the knowledge of the truth) – This understanding comes only after we are born again. Only a believer is entitled to know these truth

Vs 6 a)-Know this that our old man ‘was crucified “with him. It is past tense (Was). Here Paul is not talking about daily crucifying. Death was happed already. Our old man is dead with Christ.

-Vs 6 b) (Know that )“The body of sin might be done away with – Death of the body of sin (Romans 6:2- being dead to sin, 6:8 dead with Christ, 6:6 crucified with him, Romans 7:4 dead to the law)- by this, the body of sin was brought to nothing. For us death is a past act and when we were born again, we are a new creation

-Vs 6 c) (Know that) “We should no longer be slave to sin- This is the next level of understanding (Law exposes sin and its slavery. we are free). The purpose of the crucifixion of the body of sin is that ‘we should no longer be slave to sin”

-Vs 7) (Know that) “He who has died has been free (justified. other translations) from sin- (Romans 7:1-6) woman is free when husband is dead. We also are become dead to the law. A saved person is no longer under the curse of the law.

-Vs 8 a) (Know this that), “If we died with Christ, we Believe that we shall also live with him- (Christ’s resurrection applied to us only If we are dead with him)- Know the death and getting rid of the body of sin and by that knowledge we believe that we shall also live. Believe in something that going to happen in future

Resurrection is not an event; it is the power of Christ. Resurrection is a person. It is Christ himself . Jesus spoke to Martha when he came after Lazarus’s death. John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life” He who believes in me though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Christ is our resurrection. Each one of us, by the power of faith, which is given by God, we know that we are dead and alive in Christ as he is in us and shall never die (have eternal life)

-Vs 9 a) (Knowing that) Christ having been raised (past tense) from the dead, die no more

In vs 6 we learned ‘knowing this that our old man in crucified with Christ, here in Vs 9, we read ‘knowing that Christ having been raised from dead. It is a progressive understanding. If we do not know about our identity with his death, we will not know our resurrection either. (1^st Corinthians 15:20-23- Christ is the first fruit)- Christ conquered death and its power. So, we shall also conquer Vs 9 b) Also Know, ‘that death no longer has dominion over him – 2^nd Timothy 1:10

If death no longer has dominion over Christ, then we also have the same advantage with our union with Him.

“But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”. -Romans 1:4 Who was declared the Son of God with power be the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord

-Vs 10 a) –(also know)‘that the death that he died he died to sin once for all

(1^st peter 3:18- For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.

Hebrews 7:27 unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament. he did once for all when he offered up himself)

-Vs 10 b) (Also know) ‘that the life that He lives he lives to God

(Romans 8:34 ‘who is the wo condemn, it is Christ wo died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God “

Ephesians 1:20 “Which he worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places

Colossians 3:1 “where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God

Hebrews 1:3.” He had by Himself purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High”.

Psalm 110:1 “The Lord says to my Lord, “sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” (Luke 20:43).

Hebrews 10:13 “from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool”.

Christ’s present high priestly ministry is also part of His living to God. (Big subject. no time to discuss)

Reckon the truth– Rom. 6:11 (other translations say. even so consider yourselves) The reckoning/Considering comes after the true knowledge of what is discussed in vs 6-10 – Now we reckon all these in us.

it is an accounting term. Reckon means “establish by counting or calculation”

Settle account, to make a calculation. It is not estimation or an idea. It is like dealing with real numbers and getting settled. It is not ‘what we think or feel, it is about facts and convinced by facts”.

A believer must reckon in him that he is “indeed dead to sin and alive to God”

Vs 11 a) Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin–

(In Gal 2:19-20 Paul states “For I through the Law died to the law that I might live to God, I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This is a monumental statement! True Christianity is hanging on this very statement. Here Paul writes few paradoxical statements.

Here we read “I have been crucified with Christ and dead (also) I am alive –Dead and alive?

But it is not me who is alive (not the old me). Christ lives in me (I used to live by the power of the flesh before -but now my life is by the power of Christ who is in me (I live, and Christ lives).

You see I have a life that I live in flesh, just like everybody else, but mine is different – I live by the power of faith in the Son of God. My life’s energy is faith. Not flesh (though I have a physical life in flesh) It is the same faith God granted me to have this new life and I live by the same faith. It is not a faith that I produced. It is the same faith he granted to me (2^nd Peter vs 1, we read “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained “a faith of equal standing with ours “by the righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ. It is so personal, and Paul here uses 2 personal pronouns ‘I” & “me” 9 times. The law makes me die. In vs 16 of Gal 2, Paul writes ‘no man is justified by the works of the law but by the faith in Jesus Christ”. Jesus was punished on the cross under the Law on behalf of a sinner who has repented so that the sinner can live to God. A sinner is identified with Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. The water baptism is a symbolic expression of it. But here we are talking about the Spiritual and it is very personal for each one of us. We have a resurrected life of Christ within us. This reckoning is a personal reckoning. Not a group reckoning. I cannot do it for my family members. I must do it for myself. Each believer must reckon.

Vs 11 b) (Reckon yourselves) “You are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Gal 2:19 -For I through the law died to the Law that I might live to God) To reckon this within ourselves and to have full joy of it, we need to have trust in the ‘truth of the word of God” and its promises.

We must believe its entirety. At the time of our salvation, probably we do not understand the full depth of it. But by the working of the Spirit of God and continuous reading and meditation of the word of God, the nutritious pure milk, by filling our hearts with the truth, the depth, height, and breadth will be revealed to us. We are not bound by the law anymore. I through the law died to the law. that I may live to God.’. We need that reckoning in our hearts so that we can approach God without fear. He has granted us the Spirit of sonship to call him Abba Father,

Now we are standing on the firm ground of faith guided by the Spirit of God. We have been given the freedom from the law and sin.

Romans 8:1-4 “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk according to the Spirit , For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit “ In Colossians 3:3 we read “ For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”.

Gal 3:11 “the righteous shall live by faith “Habakkuk 2:4 ‘the righteous shall live by faith’ Hebrews 10:38 “the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him”. Romans 1:17 “For in it (in the Gospel of Christ) the rigorousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written; the just shall live by faith “. A believer is dead with Christ, the resurrected Christ dwells in him, a believer is positionally righteous in the sight of God and is alive in Christ. As lives in the flesh, he needs to live by faith in Christ not bound by the law and works of the law.

Hebrews 11:1 -Is the only definition of faith in the bible – Darby translates it as “Faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen “

In Ephesians 1:15-20 “Therefore, I also after I heard of your faith in the lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for your, making mention of you in my prayers , that the God of the Lord Jesus Christ , the father of Glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling , what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places “…

Dearly beloved, this new life in us is not a remodeled old life, it is not a renovated life, it is Christ in us, His resurrected power is in us. We haven’t done anything to have this life in us. It is God’s gift. By that power, we yielded to His will. We have that knowledge and we have reckoned it in us. That knowledge is intimate knowledge. not because of something we heard from others, but because we died with him / crucified with him. His death, burial and resurrection become our own. We are raised with him, and he made us seated with him in the heavenly places. May this knowledge and reckoning be filled in our heart every moment of our lives.

In Romans 6:5 we read, if we have been united with the likeness of His death, we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection

Earlier we briefly discussed about the thief on the cross. Basically, he was the only one literally crucified with Christ and still live with Christ. He was punished for his own sin/wrongdoings. He deserved death and got the just punishment. But the fact of the matter is he was crucified with Christ. That changed everything and he was divinely made to confess his sins to Christ, and he recognized Jesus as his savior, and he confessed his sins. Christ’s death was imputed to this thief, therefore God declared him as righteous (All issues were written off). But in his case literally he got instant access to God as Christ declared “today, this day you will be with me in paradise”.

But our case is different. We are spiritually declared righteous through Christ’s righteousness. Now, we are left in this world ‘with a new life in us” (but we live in the same physical body) for the fulfillment of God plan that were already established by God.

So, we must live in the heavenly minds in this rotten physical flesh. It is a very difficult job. Paul wrote to Corinthians in 2^nd Corinthians 4:16 “therefore we do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction, which is but for a moment which is working for us for a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Romans 7:4-6 “Therefore my brethren you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another to Him who has raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh the sinful passions arose by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter

-Law was our husband and is dead

-We are married to Christ, who is raised from the dead

-We should bear fruit to God.

-We were producing fruit to death (through the law)

-now we are delivered from the curse of the law – We have been crucified with Christ.

-now we should serve the newness of the Spirit, not in the oldness of the letter

In 2^nd Corinthians 3:6 we read, “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit: for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. God made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant. In Vs 7-11 we see the ministry of Spirit is more glorious than the ministry of condemnation. We are moved from the ministry of condemnation to ministry of righteousness. We also read there that this ministry of Sprit lives forever.

Now we have the intimate knowledge and reckoning of all that we were, and all that we are, now we need to behave like our father in heaven. In 2^nd Peter 1:3 we read “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. We possess all the needed arms and ammunitions to live on this earth as true children of God.

We have been given ‘precious faith “

We have the “Spirit of God in us”

We have the word of God

We have the liberty and freedom to worship God

We are declared righteous

We know, Salvation is a 100 % act of God – we have no part in it (Even faith is given by God) –

We know, Sanctification, (Positional 100% God) but we have active participation because we are alive in our flesh. And the driving factor for our active participation in sanctification while we live in the flesh is our hope for Glorification

Glorification is a 100% act of God – (positionally we are glorified) we have a future glory as well by God.

The Perfecting of the Partakers -the work of sanctification

We read in 2^nd Corinthians 4:2 “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. vs 6- we are bondservants of Jesus Christ, for it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

Mortification

Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immortality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idiolatry”. Sanctification is only applicable for a believer. An unbeliever has nothing to do with sanctification. He is dead in Sins and trespasses and live according to the world. But a believer on the other hand is a new creation ‘Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom he foreknew he predestined to be conformed the image of His son, in order that he might be the first born among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called and justified, and those whom he justified, and those whom he justified he also Glorified”. All of these are positional and past tense and are done deal. This is the security of our salvation. A non-believer has none of these in his life and no benefit of the ‘knowledge’ and reckoning of these facts

Now let’s come to Romans 6:12 “Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of rigorousness to God. For SIN shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Believer lives in a fleshly body. That is a truth and reality, and no one can deny it. 1^st John 1:8 we read “If we say that we have no sin, and the truth is not in us”. An unsaved person will not recognize sin in him because he is enslaved sin.

Ephesians 2: 1 Paul talks about our past condition as “dead in trespasses and sin”. There is no way a dead person understands God’s law. We know what sin is. No one needs to convince us about it because we have done a lot in the past. In 1^st Corinthians 6:9-11 Paul gave full list of unrighteousness of the believers before conversion “fornicators, idolators, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners etc. and then in vs 11 he says “And such were some of you, but you were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Apostle Paul, who is appointed to be the Apostle of the Gentiles, who even said to ‘imitate me”. Recognized the issue of the battle present in him between the new man and the flesh. Paul wrote in Romans 7:21-25 “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members waring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me ‘from this body of death”? I thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Now I must deal with my ‘flesh”. We read in vs 7:23 ‘But I see another law in my members waring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God -through Jesus Christ our Lord. To understand the “life which I now live in the flesh “, Paul states here “Bringing me captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Who will free me from this ‘body of death”? What is this body of death? Paul must be thinking about, in ancient times, murderers used to get punishment by strapping their victim’s dead body on them. Ultimately the rotting body of the victim will rot the body of the murderer. What a terrible punishment. Here Paul felt himself like that. Who will deliver me from this captivity? Of the ‘body of death’ on me. But Paul took comfort in Jesus Christ.

Sin is still a reality in us, but we need to learn to deal with it. We must strive for the complete rejection of our fleshly desires.

This war is for the sake of the upward call to the hope of the Glory. As we read in Ephesians 2:4-6- we understand we are positionally raised and seated with Christ in heavenly places. Philippines 3:14 – Paul states, ‘press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus “…”. (Believer must set their mind on heavenly things). Phil 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the savior the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body’. This vision must be in every believer. With the vision of the upward call, Paul forgot everything on earth and press on to the upward call. The realization of our upward call gives us the motivation for our rejection of the flesh and the things of this world. Col 3:1-17 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1, ESV)

So, for a child of God, even though he is living on earth, he must live up to the heavenly standards.

We are raised with Christ. -Died, buried, and resurrected with Christ. Therefore, seek the things above – Before we used to think about earthly things. We did not recognized carnality in us. Now we are a new creation, so we can recognize that fact that we were guided by carnality and earthly things. Now since we can discern it, we should put our efforts on irradicating carnality from us. Search through the scriptures, meditate it, the Spirit of God will reveal the things of above to us. Understand the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true pattern of the things above – He is the true tabernacle made without hand (Hebrews 9:11). We read in the scriptures that Moses was instructed to make the tabernacle based on the model God himself showed him in the mountain. A believer must imitate Christ who is the true tabernacle. Set your mind on things that are above – col 3:1-4

We read in Ephesians 4:20-24 “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on a new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Beloved, our conversion means, it is a new creation, and created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. This awareness is very important. Our position (as members of the body of Christ), I say it ‘on an individual basis” not as a group, the group comes from individuals.

So, understand that each one of us are individual tabernacles erected by God on earth as His dwelling place. If this doesn’t give us the pressure in us to drive for true righteousness and holiness, then understand that we are not truly repented.

-Col 3:1-4 “Not on things that are on earth” -what are the things on earth?

-Ephesians 4:17-19 Paul wrote “ This I say , therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk , in the futility of their mind , having their understanding darkened , being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart , who being past feeling, have given themselves to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Sounds like who?? Each one of us before our conversion. Sounds like Romans 1 and Romans 3:10-18

-Col #:1-4 “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God Ephesians 2:5-6 “even when we were dead in trespasses, 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. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory: (Col 3:1-4

The measure of this knowledge and this hope is fully depended on our unwavering ‘Faith and Love’ towards our Lord. “Christ who is our life”! that is from an intimate love. Those who know him intimately will ‘appear with him in glory”.

Col 3:5 -Put to death your members which are on the earth ‘fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry – those are the habits of sons of disobedience. – We are to be fully obedient (These are in us, and these must be killed) Col 3: 8 Put off all these – These are the results of the encouragement of the flesh- anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, out of your mouth- These will reflect from us and will affect the people around us – these are dangerous habits that are not good for a saved person Col 3:9-10 “do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. Our inward man ‘created in God’s image must always be over taking the flesh and it desires. 2^nd Cor 5:15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. – We no longer live for ourselves; we live for whom who died for us. Gal 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

The practice of the partakers -Live in the world as not of the world

2^nd Corinthians 6:14-18 and 7:1 “Do not be unequally yoked to unbelievers – no fellowship with righteousness to lawlessness – light to darkness- Christ to belayal believers to unbelievers – temple of God to idols –You are the temple of the living God –In Vs 16- we read, I will dwell in them and walk among them, I will be their God and they shall be my people. Vs 17- come out of them and separate. Vs 18 I will be your father and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord almighty. Chapter 7:1 ‘Therefore, having these premises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

King Saul was instructed to Kill all the Amalekites, (1Samuel 15:8-9) We read King Saul and the people spared their king Agag, the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. Samuel had to come and cut Agag in pieces.

And we learn from the book of Esther that God had to appoint a godly woman Esther to cleanup Naaman the last root of Agagites – See, it is the devil who wants to devour us- he will continue to hang around like Naaman looking to cleanup all God’s children.

Therefore, be fully aware of God’s commandments and utterly destroy all our sinful passions that enslave us.

In Nehemiah 13: When Eli sahib the priest let Thobia make a room for himself in the temple (that used to be a storage for grain offerings) and Tobias defile the temple, When Nehemiah learned about it and came and throw away everything out of the room. He brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offerings and frankincense. A believer cannot defile the temple of the living God by inviting the world in it and give a large room for Tobias of this world. We are the temple of God and are a royal priesthood. We have much higher responsibility in that regard. We are forgiven much. So, we owe much

God established all circumstances around us to make sure we will live in obedience, have the fear of God, have Hope, have Perseverance, have love, and have holiness. The book of Ephesians is the book about all we possess as children of God ‘which is of course “all given by God. Even making us part of God’s hidden mystery which is reveled and as the Church who is given the great ministry of reveling the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. So, the believers have this task reveling the Wisdom of God to the unseen world “the principalities and powers” and it is a serious profession.

And how to do is properly addressed by Paul in the last 3 chapters of Ephesians. There we see how we must conduct our life.

I am not talking about Vanity show or vain eye service. It is about the proper conduct of the believers – We discussed chapter 4 earlier in connection with the work of sanctification of our own individual lives. Ephesians 5 start with ‘Therefore, be imitators of God as dear Children”. Chapter 5 and packed with instructions and guidance for our conduct. Walk in love – How and why. There are 2 commandments and in them consist of all other laws and commandments – a) Love your God with all your heart, might and strength 2) Love your neighbor. 5:21-Submitting to one another in the fear of God.

The driving factor for our proper conduct is ‘the fear of God”. Regardless of what the situation is, all of them should be dealt ‘in the fear of God”. The liberty that we received in Christ is not for us to conduct our live by our own ideas or in whichever manner we like. God doesn’t need anybody’s ideas for his work. God wants his servant to fear Him. Ephesians 5 gives us all the needed instructions. To everyone in any stage or status of their lives- How the wives should submit to their husbands – with the fear of God, understanding that Husband is the head of the wife. Modern generation can come up with any excuses. It is not going to work. Believe me God will not respect any other ways or excuses or arguments. Give reverence (This is God’s established system)

Now, how husbands to conduct – Love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. They must love their wives as their own bodies. There is great responsibility on the husbands. Act just as Christ did for the Church – protect her, just as Christ did, assist her in sanctification by the word of God, she is your own body as church is of Christ. This life pattern is established by Christ. Not by men. Now to the children – Obey your parents in the Lord, for it is right. That is the right thing. That is the first commandment attached with a promise. This fear and obedience to parents is unconditional. Again, I am talking about believers Children. Do not bring up arguments like what if the parents provoke or make you angry. That is not an excuse for Children. You don’t have to get involved in it. God will deal with the father who is unwise. I can guarantee that any child who is rebellious, disobedient, will suffer its consequences. A child’s higher education, or knowledge or even the parent illiteracy has no excuse in this. A child must obey his parents. Because God said it – ‘for it is right”. Who are you child to say or do against what God said is right? Now come to fathers – Do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them in the training and admonition in the Lord. It is a commandment that not to provoke to wrath. Understand them and give them the right training and admonition. It is a serious job. Fathers, you better do it right. Every discussion with them must be “in the Lord”. Now- to bond servants and masters (remember God is the rewarder). And the masters to bond servants (you have a master in heaven)

All these interpersonal relationships of the believers are based on God’s established plan and patterns. Not by our own ideas. When those who obey God, based on what is commanded above come as group in the Church, that gathering will be beautiful, meaningful, and purposeful. Not like people who jumped on the Jesus wagon and conduct whatever manner pleasing to their sight. Ephesians 5:18-21- be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in you hear to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to the father in the name of our lord Jesus Christ – Our lifestyle is different than the lifestyle of the Old Testament saints. We see those faithful ones in Hebrews 12 as a great could of witness surrounded us. we are not instructed to look at them. There is a race set “before us”. Much different than the race they ran. We are instructed to look at our savior the one whose righteousness become the fulfillment of all the requirements, and we must look at him and follow Him. In Hebrews 12: 1 b) we read “let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” – He endured the cross and despised the shame. For the joy set before him. We were the joy set before him. He endured all things for fulfilling his father’s will and, we were in His mind and thoughts when he endured. We must follow his path and in this race. There is discipline, chastening all involved in our race that brings to us ‘endurance ‘just like Christ had. In vs. 11 we read “now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present but painful, nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Well, our race is painful. The instruction is to Heb 12:3 “consider Him” who endured Also, in Vs 4 we read “you have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against Sin.” We must not forget the chastening of the father as we are his children It is for our profit that we may be partakers for His holiness. The key is to have endurance in us and through that we Yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness”.

Beloved, we have been given much and we have a responsibility based on that higher calling. In 2^nd Corinthians 4:1-15 Paul wrote: “This treasure is placed in earthen vessels and excellence of the power is of God not of ours. Always carry out in our body the dying of the lord Jesus that the life of Jesus may be magnified in our body.” Paul says ‘we are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh – so then death is working in us and but life in you

The preoccupation of the partakers

Each one of us (people of this Grace Age) were also in God’s plan to be born in this specific time of His dispensation. It is God who called us individually and put us in His plan and purpose. As we were born in this church age of God’s dispensation, we have specific functions, and that knowledge must be in our hearts. I sometimes think some Christians are still living in Old Testament times. They think they are Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Joseph, Sarah, Rachel, Hanna, or any other biblical character when they encounter with challenges in their lives. They try to react on issues like the Old Testament people did. They group themselves like people of Israel. Still wandering in the wilderness grieving and complaining.

But the fact of the matter is, the dispensation of the Church age is different than the Old Testament times as was established by the redemptive work on the cross, His resurrection, ascension, and arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The Church is the precious gift that God promised to His son. And it is now in operation in this world. A New Testament believer must recognize this truth. They are called out of the world at this specific time with a different plan of God which is reveled in the New Testament through His son and reviled by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and now we are part of the full revelation of this mystery of God. Our life perspective must be different and must be in tune with what the Apostles have established by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:20-21 “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building is fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”

We are called, separated, and spiritually sanctified by the finished work on the cross. To understand our role, we need to know the Lord intimately. Eph 2;10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, Which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. The track for our journey is already planned by God. By Understanding God’s word, we get to know his will. Our sanctification is God’s will. He has sanctified us and made us His own. But when we live in our flesh, it is our opportunity to behave like our father in Heaven. God wants us to imitate him. Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma”.

Law has no effect on us because Jesus Christ (The son of God /The son of man) has fulfilled all the righteous requirement of the law in Him. Sacrifice, redemption, justification, sanctification, forgiveness, freedom all is done. ONLY his true church can worship HIM in truth and spirit/ without evil conscience without the reminder of sin. Now we can draw near him, unlike the Old Testament saints^”.When apostle Paul was writing to the believers in Corinth, he wrote, ‘For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. And he continues……., the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”’ (1 Corinthians 1:18-29, ESV)

Hebrews 11 brings to us the snapshot of all the faithful servants of the Old Testament and when it comes to

Hebrews 12:1-2 we read “ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and us. He gave his life and purchased us. We have been crucified with Him, buried with Him and alive with Him. His beloved Church. His most precious asset. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. We are to look unto Him. Not to the cloud of witnesses. We need to live by faith, and we can because we are declared just by Christ in the presence of God. What a transformation from death to life! We are running the race that was set by God before us. He has begun a good work in us, and he will fulfil it

The writer of Hebrews also says. We have not come to a terrifying place like the people of Israel had to deal with in the wilderness.

We have come to mount Zion the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of angels to the General assembly of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. We are those who are registered to receive a Kingdom that cannot be shaken –

we need to have grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

Again, the writer concludes like this in Hebrews 13:20 “Now the God of peace who brought up Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do HIS will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. AMEN