It is Easter, and our thoughts turn toward Calvary once more.
As you meditate on the wonder of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus, consider this: the Word clearly teaches that we were crucified with Him!
What!?!
Paul states in Galatians 2:20 that "I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me."
Romans 6:6 confirms this: "...knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin."
These are wonderful quantum verses. 2000 years ago, we were crucified with Christ! And not just crucified...buried with Him in baptism [Colossians 2:12] and raised up with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus! [Ephesians 2:6]
Ephesians 2:9-14 tells the story.
'For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by 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 Him from the dead.
'When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.'Yes, it's true. We were crucified with Him, buried and raised up together with and seated with Him in heavenly places!
He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and I think that means us, too! Romans 8:29 says 'For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren." God knew us...that we would choose Him, and be born as the brethren of Jesus...before the foundation of the world!
'Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.' [Ephesians 1:4]It is spiritual reality: as we are positionally in two places—here on the earth and seated with Him in heavenly places—we were born 2000 years after an event that we participated in! The crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!
Talk about Quantum Physics!
Think about this...were we also in Him during the period between His death and resurrection, when He was disarming rulers and authorities? [Colossians 2"15] He did give us authority over all the power of the enemy...[Luke 10:19] Wow! Just the possibility is mind-bending!
Resurrection Power
'But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.' [Romans 8:11]If you read up a few verses in that chapter, you'll see that '...those who are in the flesh cannot please God.'
Now, this verse is usually used to condemn and admonish...if you're not holy enough, you aren't going to please God, period. Christians have spent their lives worrying whether they're holy enough.Thousands of sermons have been preached, beating us over the head and telling us that we are not pleasing to God because of [fill in the sin of the week].
But read on! Verse 9 says 'However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.' Being 'in the Spirit' is not some temporary state of ecstatic prayer [although I think it can mean that, as well] but the permanent state of the reborn man or woman! And the Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in you!
Saint or Sinner? Habitation of God?
Remember the definition of the Greek word for saint, hagios. It is translated in the New Testament as holy—Holy of Holies, holy one, holy place, most holy, sanctuary!
We are His most holy ones, His holy place, His sanctuary. In fact, God no longer dwells in the Holy of Holies made by human hands, but in us...we are His Holy of Holies! And it has nothing to do with our behavior; rather it is who we become when we are reborn...we have this treasure in earthen vessels! [2 Corinthians 4:7]
Psalm 26:8 says that His habitation is the place where His glory dwells!
'How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts!' [Psalm 84:1] Not only holy, but full of glory...and lovely, too!
'...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.' [1 Peter 1:8]We are new creatures, new creations. [2 Corinthians 5:17] The race of the sons and daughters of God! And not some new age, nebulous family of man, either. Real, true sons and daughters of the God Who was and is and is to come!
'"And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me," says the Lord Almighty.' [2 Corinthians 6:18]1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19 confirm that we are indeed the temple of God...the Holy of Holies!
Righteous
2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that 'He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.'
Ephesians 4:24 confirms '...and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.' We're created in His likeness, in righteousness and holiness!
So, most holy ones, remember during this Easter season that you were crucified with Him, buried and raised up together with Him and seated with Him in heavenly place. You're seated with Him now in heavenly places, and you got there 2000 years ago. You may have even been there before the foundation of the world...
As He IS, so also are we IN THIS WORLD. [1 John 4:17]
How is He, right now? He is the resurrected Jesus, seated at the right hand of God the Father. And we are seated with Him, there, and as He is here in this world.
In Conclusion
Romans 6:4 states it succinctly:
'Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.'You are His most holy one: beloved, beautiful, the habitation of the Most High God. You are seated with Him in heavenly places, having been crucified, buried and raised up together with Him 2000 years ago…or was it before the foundation of the world?
Ponder that and rejoice!
Related posts: Exact Representation of His Nature, One Spirit with the Lord, What Exactly is a Saint, Anyway?, Thoughts on the New Birth.
