Page 26 - lifeandgrace
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Now we have been born anew by virtue of our faith in the blood of Jesus that was shed for our
redemption on the cross of Calvary. (John 3:3 RSV) "Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."" Rom 5:1 (RSV) "Therefore, since we are
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom 5:18-19 (RSV) "Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act
of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. 19For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous."
Let us look at what happened on the cross. First, we know that Jesus shed His blood for the
forgiveness of our sins. This shedding of blood took care of all my sins that we would ever commit - past,
present and future - all sins. But the shedding of blood did not take care of our primary problem: The sin
nature we had inherited from our forefather Adam. Adam’s sin nature was passed on to all his children
(Jesus’ Father was God so He did not inherit this nature of Adam). As long as we have this sin nature
dwelling within us, we will surely sin. Yes, they are covered by the blood of Jesus, but what we would
like is to not have to sin anymore. So the first half of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that all our sins are
forgiven by virtue of His shedding His blood on the cross.
Now we come to the body side of the cross. Jesus did not just shed His blood; His body died. And
when He died something else happened: We died with him! Rom 6:3-7 (RSV) "Do you not know that all
of us who have been baptized into [immersed into**] Christ Jesus were baptized into [immersed into**]
his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into [being placed into His**] death, so that as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if
we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection
like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed,
and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For he who has died is freed from sin." [**Notes inserted by
author.] What is this “sinful body” that is destroyed? It is the sin nature we inherited from Adam. We
normally think about water when we see the word baptism but the Greek word “baptizo” first means
“immersed”. Thus we can be immersed into Jesus. Water baptism is a picture or representation of what
has happened spiritually to us when we were immersed (placed into or baptized into) Jesus. Water
baptism represents physically what the Holy Spirit did spiritually in placing us into Christ Jesus. In the
same way, we were also baptized into the body of Christ spiritually as in 1Cor 12:13 (RSV) “For by one
Spirit we were all baptized [immersed**] into one body [not in water but in the body of Christ**] -- Jews
or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
The key issue is this: The “old man” or “old self” of Romans 6:6 which is the sin nature we inherited
from our forefather Adam died when Jesus died on the cross. Eph 2:3 (NNAS) "Among them we too all
formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath [sin nature**], even as the rest."
Since we were “in Christ” then whatever happened to Jesus happened to us also. When he died, we
died. The “old man” with the nature of sin died on the cross with Jesus. Rom 6:8 (RSV) "But if we have
died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Col 3:3 (RSV) "For you have died, and
your life is hid with Christ in God." Since we are obviously alive today, many look at this, and say it is
“positional truth” (whatever positional truth is!). Here is my question: Do we believe the bible or do we
not believe? If we believe the bible, then something of me died when Jesus died.
Since I was not there in body, it could not be this body I live in. No, it was something that happened
in the eternal (or spiritual) realm where there is no time. (This the realm where God dwells.) In the
eternal realm I can easily die on the cross. If I am in Christ, whatever happens to Him happens to me
also. So something happened in the eternal realm.
redemption on the cross of Calvary. (John 3:3 RSV) "Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."" Rom 5:1 (RSV) "Therefore, since we are
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom 5:18-19 (RSV) "Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act
of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. 19For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous."
Let us look at what happened on the cross. First, we know that Jesus shed His blood for the
forgiveness of our sins. This shedding of blood took care of all my sins that we would ever commit - past,
present and future - all sins. But the shedding of blood did not take care of our primary problem: The sin
nature we had inherited from our forefather Adam. Adam’s sin nature was passed on to all his children
(Jesus’ Father was God so He did not inherit this nature of Adam). As long as we have this sin nature
dwelling within us, we will surely sin. Yes, they are covered by the blood of Jesus, but what we would
like is to not have to sin anymore. So the first half of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that all our sins are
forgiven by virtue of His shedding His blood on the cross.
Now we come to the body side of the cross. Jesus did not just shed His blood; His body died. And
when He died something else happened: We died with him! Rom 6:3-7 (RSV) "Do you not know that all
of us who have been baptized into [immersed into**] Christ Jesus were baptized into [immersed into**]
his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into [being placed into His**] death, so that as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if
we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection
like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed,
and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For he who has died is freed from sin." [**Notes inserted by
author.] What is this “sinful body” that is destroyed? It is the sin nature we inherited from Adam. We
normally think about water when we see the word baptism but the Greek word “baptizo” first means
“immersed”. Thus we can be immersed into Jesus. Water baptism is a picture or representation of what
has happened spiritually to us when we were immersed (placed into or baptized into) Jesus. Water
baptism represents physically what the Holy Spirit did spiritually in placing us into Christ Jesus. In the
same way, we were also baptized into the body of Christ spiritually as in 1Cor 12:13 (RSV) “For by one
Spirit we were all baptized [immersed**] into one body [not in water but in the body of Christ**] -- Jews
or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
The key issue is this: The “old man” or “old self” of Romans 6:6 which is the sin nature we inherited
from our forefather Adam died when Jesus died on the cross. Eph 2:3 (NNAS) "Among them we too all
formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath [sin nature**], even as the rest."
Since we were “in Christ” then whatever happened to Jesus happened to us also. When he died, we
died. The “old man” with the nature of sin died on the cross with Jesus. Rom 6:8 (RSV) "But if we have
died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Col 3:3 (RSV) "For you have died, and
your life is hid with Christ in God." Since we are obviously alive today, many look at this, and say it is
“positional truth” (whatever positional truth is!). Here is my question: Do we believe the bible or do we
not believe? If we believe the bible, then something of me died when Jesus died.
Since I was not there in body, it could not be this body I live in. No, it was something that happened
in the eternal (or spiritual) realm where there is no time. (This the realm where God dwells.) In the
eternal realm I can easily die on the cross. If I am in Christ, whatever happens to Him happens to me
also. So something happened in the eternal realm.
