If you’ve read much of the Bible, you’ve probably run
across the story of Saul in the book of Acts. Saul was a Pharisee, a Jewish man
zealous for the law of Moses. In Acts 7, as Stephen is being stoned, Luke
mentions that Saul is there giving approval to what’s happening. Not only that,
but he would enter Christian homes and dragged men and women to prison for
believing in Christ!
In Acts 9 everything changes for Saul. He encounters Jesus
Christ. I won’t go in to all of the details, but Saul, one of the greatest persecutors
of the church, becomes Paul, the man who wrote much of the New Testament. Jesus Christ transformed him. What I want to focus on is what Jesus says during
their meeting on the road to Damascus.
Christ and His Church are One
Saul is knocked to the ground by a light shining from
heaven. And then he hears a voice:
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he [Saul]
said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
(Acts 9:4-5) Wait, what?! What did Jesus say? Didn’t He mean to say, “Saul,
why are you persecuting my church?” Evidently He didn’t, because He reiterates
it again: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” I’m sure Saul had no idea of
what he was doing! He wasn’t just persecuting the church, or any belonging to
the Way, as they were known. He was persecuting Jesus Christ Himself!
This idea of the church being indistinguishably identified
with Jesus Christ is borne out throughout the New Testament, particularly in
the writings of Paul. He learned well the truth of the identity of the believer
with Jesus Christ. Here are three of them...
1. Paul knew first and foremost that the death of Jesus
Christ on the cross in our place for our sin(s). He said in Romans that, in
essence, it wasn’t only Jesus on the cross: “We know that our old self was
crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing,
so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Rom 6:6) As believers we have partaken in the death of Jesus
Christ, and the blood that He shed now covers our sins AND serves as the cure
for sin itself. When God looks at us, He sees not our sin, but the sinless
blood of Jesus.
Not only that, but we have been raised to new life in
Christ. Paul also writes: “For if we have been united with him in a death like
his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Rom 6:5) Life in Christ held two meanings for Paul. Here he speaks
of the resurrection of the dead. Just as Jesus was raised on the third day, so
too will we be raised with Him on the last day.
2. Paul also experienced the life of Christ while he was
alive. An older, more mature Paul wrote these words to the Philippian church: “I
have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who
lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) In his own life Paul saw Himself as inseparable from the
life of Christ in Him. In a very practical way he was inseparable from the person
of Jesus.
3. Paul also knew that our union with Christ is not only individual,
but corporate. In one of his letters to
the Corinthians Paul spoke eloquently of the church as the very body of Jesus
Christ: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members
of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Cor 12:12) Paul understood Jesus Christ not as one body with one
member (Himself), but instead as one body with many members. We are those
members! We are the body of Jesus Christ! We are truly united with Him!
The reality of our corporate identity with Christ has
radical implications in our day. Just what are those implications? Check back
on Friday to find out! That’s what we refer to in the business as ‘a tease’…. :)
One with Christ,
Ryan
-----------
Other posts in this series:
Great thoughts. I think that the reference in Rom 6:5 is not to the resurrection in the last day at Christ return but to the resurrection from the baptismal waters where the newbirth has just taken place because of us joining Jesus in His death and raised to walk in a new life. Another Pauline example of the power and beauty of an obedient faith is what happens when one is baptized because of believing the gospel is found in Col. 2:11-12. There is actually something working through our faith to wash us and God coming to us in Spirit when we are baptized. New Testament baptisms were not done to declare to the world that we believe in Christ, or because we have already been made clean. Peter says it is an appeal to God for a clean conscience. 1 Pet. 3:21. That is a common misconception by most religious people.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Bob! I take Romans 6:5 as referring to a future resurrection because Paul speaks of it in the future tense (...we SHALL certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.) He speak of being united with Him in His death in the past, and I think He would have referred to the resurrection in the past as well if it was in reference to walking in new life. Regardless, the thrust of this part of Romans 6 is our union with Christ, that we are one with Him.
ReplyDelete