I died with Christ last night. What a thing to say, right? But it's true. Only not maybe how you think. Christ didn't die last night, He died in 33AD so how could I have died with him last night? Christ doesn't die over and over endlessly that's just not realistic in any way to believe. Christ had this to say about His death.
Luk 22:14-20 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Christ said to partake of this symbolic ritual to remember Him. He said 'This is my body which is given for you.' And, 'This is the cup of the new testament in my blood which is shed for you'.
Christ wanted us to remember Him through His sacrificial death. He didn't die for himself, He gave His body and shed His blood for us. His death is so overwhelmingly important that we have to remember He died and who He died for. So, how does this figure into my dying with Him last night. Let's read a bit more.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We can say with Paul, the Apostle, that WE are crucified with Christ. Don't skip ahead just yet to the 'nevertheless I live'. Let's think about this fact, we are crucified with Christ.
To be crucified with Christ means we die with Christ, because being crucified is a death sentence.
Paul wasn't crucified with Christ literally, any more than I or Christ died last night literally. What happened for me last night was that I followed Christ's instructions and took the symbols of His death on the cross in 33AD, and I ate a bit of cracker I specifically set aside for this purpose, and I drank some grape juice, again specifically set aside for this remembrance ritual. When I did that, when I symbolically, outwardly, made a show of following the instructions of my Savior to remember that He gave His body and blood for me in death, the whys of His death were remembered. Christ died so I could LIVE in eternity with Him! He died because He wanted to take the penalty of my sins which is a death sentence, upon Himself! He paid the price for my sinning! He stepped in and died in my place! This is what He wants me to remember. He wants me to live in eternity with Him and the only way that could be possible at all, is if my death sentence was commuted, if I were pardon completely, if I no longer warranted death for my sins. He took my sins upon Himself when He died upon that cross.
He died for me, I died with Him. He rose for me, I rose with Him. The me of the flesh warranting death for my sins… I let die with Christ so He could raise me up spiritually free from my spiritual death sentence.
1,950 years later after He died on the cross, I chose to symbolically die with Him on that cross through baptism, another ritual Christ wants us to partake in.
Col 2:12,13 Buried with him in baptism…
I was buried with Him. I died with Him! I was crucified with Christ!
When we choose to partake in the ritual of remembrance of Christ's death, we are choosing to remember all it stood and still stands for, it's something we can't forget, not ever!
Christ died. And when we remember His death we ALSO remember something else, the two go hand in hand. Christ ROSE from the dead! The grave couldn't keep Him as it kept all the others it took, aside from the chosen few raised when He died, and a few before then. Christ overcame the GRAVE.
If we DIE with CHRIST symbolically, we also symbolically LIVE with Christ we are raised with Him. We are raised into new life! A life forgiven, a life redeemed. We are raised, and from that moment on we are to SEEK the things that are above!
We don't physically go to live forever with Christ, being risen with Him after we are baptized, millions and billions throughout the years could attest to that fact. He tells us when we will literally go with Him-- when He returns, at His coming we will rise to meet Him in the air!
1Th 4:16, 17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Col 3:1-4 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
If we are dead, crucified with Christ…. our LIFE is HID WITH CHRIST in GOD. When Christ, who is our LIFE, APPEARS, then we will also appear with Him in glory!
We die with Christ, He took that death that was OURS, and in so doing our LIFE is HID with Christ in God!
When I say I died with Christ last night, I mean I symbolically recognized Christ's death and my death with Him. He rose and I rise with Him. He will return for me to take me to the eternal life we will have. I live a life now that is HIS, I belong to HIM.
There is nothing in me worthy, only Jesus! Christ in me, He is my only hope!
Col_1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Joh_6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
I DO THIS! Symbolically just as Christ instructed, I do this! He said if I do this, I dwell in HIM and HE dwells in ME!
Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
We can do NOTHING without Christ- nothing of any true worth whatsoever.
We must recognize Christ's death and resurrection constantly, not just occasionally. We must recognize we choose to be crucified with Christ. We have to dwell in HIM after this recognition, and He has to dwell in us. We die with Him, we live with Him. We may have to stay in this world with all its horrors of temporary life, physically, but spiritually we live these temporary lives hidden in Him. Our true life, the life we are meant to live as creations of our awesome Creators, is hid with Christ in God, all by mercy, grace, and overwhelming love we can scarcely comprehend, this is possible!
All glory, all power, all honor, all thanksgiving, all worship unto our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to our Father God, now and forever! AMEN!
Luk 22:14-20 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Christ said to partake of this symbolic ritual to remember Him. He said 'This is my body which is given for you.' And, 'This is the cup of the new testament in my blood which is shed for you'.
Christ wanted us to remember Him through His sacrificial death. He didn't die for himself, He gave His body and shed His blood for us. His death is so overwhelmingly important that we have to remember He died and who He died for. So, how does this figure into my dying with Him last night. Let's read a bit more.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We can say with Paul, the Apostle, that WE are crucified with Christ. Don't skip ahead just yet to the 'nevertheless I live'. Let's think about this fact, we are crucified with Christ.
To be crucified with Christ means we die with Christ, because being crucified is a death sentence.
Paul wasn't crucified with Christ literally, any more than I or Christ died last night literally. What happened for me last night was that I followed Christ's instructions and took the symbols of His death on the cross in 33AD, and I ate a bit of cracker I specifically set aside for this purpose, and I drank some grape juice, again specifically set aside for this remembrance ritual. When I did that, when I symbolically, outwardly, made a show of following the instructions of my Savior to remember that He gave His body and blood for me in death, the whys of His death were remembered. Christ died so I could LIVE in eternity with Him! He died because He wanted to take the penalty of my sins which is a death sentence, upon Himself! He paid the price for my sinning! He stepped in and died in my place! This is what He wants me to remember. He wants me to live in eternity with Him and the only way that could be possible at all, is if my death sentence was commuted, if I were pardon completely, if I no longer warranted death for my sins. He took my sins upon Himself when He died upon that cross.
He died for me, I died with Him. He rose for me, I rose with Him. The me of the flesh warranting death for my sins… I let die with Christ so He could raise me up spiritually free from my spiritual death sentence.
1,950 years later after He died on the cross, I chose to symbolically die with Him on that cross through baptism, another ritual Christ wants us to partake in.
Col 2:12,13 Buried with him in baptism…
I was buried with Him. I died with Him! I was crucified with Christ!
When we choose to partake in the ritual of remembrance of Christ's death, we are choosing to remember all it stood and still stands for, it's something we can't forget, not ever!
Christ died. And when we remember His death we ALSO remember something else, the two go hand in hand. Christ ROSE from the dead! The grave couldn't keep Him as it kept all the others it took, aside from the chosen few raised when He died, and a few before then. Christ overcame the GRAVE.
If we DIE with CHRIST symbolically, we also symbolically LIVE with Christ we are raised with Him. We are raised into new life! A life forgiven, a life redeemed. We are raised, and from that moment on we are to SEEK the things that are above!
We don't physically go to live forever with Christ, being risen with Him after we are baptized, millions and billions throughout the years could attest to that fact. He tells us when we will literally go with Him-- when He returns, at His coming we will rise to meet Him in the air!
1Th 4:16, 17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Col 3:1-4 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
If we are dead, crucified with Christ…. our LIFE is HID WITH CHRIST in GOD. When Christ, who is our LIFE, APPEARS, then we will also appear with Him in glory!
We die with Christ, He took that death that was OURS, and in so doing our LIFE is HID with Christ in God!
When I say I died with Christ last night, I mean I symbolically recognized Christ's death and my death with Him. He rose and I rise with Him. He will return for me to take me to the eternal life we will have. I live a life now that is HIS, I belong to HIM.
There is nothing in me worthy, only Jesus! Christ in me, He is my only hope!
Col_1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Joh_6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
I DO THIS! Symbolically just as Christ instructed, I do this! He said if I do this, I dwell in HIM and HE dwells in ME!
Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
We can do NOTHING without Christ- nothing of any true worth whatsoever.
We must recognize Christ's death and resurrection constantly, not just occasionally. We must recognize we choose to be crucified with Christ. We have to dwell in HIM after this recognition, and He has to dwell in us. We die with Him, we live with Him. We may have to stay in this world with all its horrors of temporary life, physically, but spiritually we live these temporary lives hidden in Him. Our true life, the life we are meant to live as creations of our awesome Creators, is hid with Christ in God, all by mercy, grace, and overwhelming love we can scarcely comprehend, this is possible!
All glory, all power, all honor, all thanksgiving, all worship unto our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to our Father God, now and forever! AMEN!