It strikes me that in order to participate in “abundant Life” (John 10) and experience the “same power that raised Christ from the dead” (Eph 1:17-23), we have to be spectators at our own funeral.
This has to be visceral, raw, and real for it to carry an impact to our hearts. But wait . . . what do you mean, my funeral? I’m not dead yet! I’m walking around, living and breathing, with hopefully several decades left before I worry about that stuff! What on earth are you saying, that I need to be a spectator at my own funeral? Are you playing mind games with me?!?
No, this isn’t a mind game. Yes, we are talking about your own funeral.
How? Because you died 2000 years ago on a Roman cross in 1st century Israel.
Your funeral actually happened when Christ died. Your obituary is recorded in several places: Romans 6, Galatians 2, Ephesians 2, Colossians 2, and many more. There is absolutely no value in trying to keep the “old man” alive and attempt to create a better version of our Adamic selves over the course of our existence. That’s man-made religion, and it’s a lifelong quest for a dangling carrot, a futile insanity.
Rather, His Word compels us to recognize our old selves as dead, which allows Christ to live out His new life in and through us. We are IN Christ, and He is IN us – He has deposited His Very Life and Love on the inside of us!!! This is almost too good to be true when we see it in all its Radical Beauty and Ridiculous Splendor. . . but THIS is the REALITY of the GOSPEL. You died with Christ, you were buried with Christ, you were raised with Christ, and you were seated in heavenly places with Christ. Let it sink in. Let it sink you to the floor in awe.
We are Brand New Creations in Christ, Hallelujah!!! You are far more than you ever believed yourself to be . . . there is a Truth that can set you Free to be fully yourself.
Your Obituary:
Romans 6 – For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. . . We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ . . . For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. . . give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Galatians 2 – My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Ephesians 2 – For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus . . . For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Colossians 2 – Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead . . . You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world.
Here’s the thing, though. We have to let this Reality get on the INSIDE of us, and not remain on the drawer at home where we can stare at it and appreciate it from many angles. Sometimes, we have faith in an insight, or faith in the scriptures about an insight, or faith in the way we can explain an insight in great detail . . . but that’s never to be the object of our faith. JESUS is the object (and the source) of our faith! I like to think that faith is an inner astonishment to what Christ has done . . . which gives us open access to draw from Christ and make what’s true of Him, true of us. What is God’s by nature is given to us as a gift by His Grace. Again . . . Hallelujah!!!
Let’s Agree in Prayer Together:
Father, in the Glorious Name of Your Son, by the power of Your Spirit, take this Reality and bring it to life on the INSIDE of us. Show us the Truth that we were there 2000 years ago when Your Son died on that horrible, beautiful cross. We died with Christ and were raised with Him as a New Creation!!! Don’t just let us appreciate this as an insight . . . make it real, make it raw, make it beautiful inside us and cause it to change the way we think about ourselves when we see our reflection in the mirror of Your Word. Replace our “insights” with the revelation of Your very life within us. Jesus, You are altogether Beautiful. We adore You and magnify Your Great Name today!! Amen, and Amen!!!