In the last article on this subject, we looked at some of the testimony, given by the Holy Spirit in Scripture, as to the believer having been quickened together with Christ. By the passages then cited we found ourselves more especially led to consider the act and moment of the Christ’s taking His life again as the act and moment in the which the birth place (as it were) of that life which we, believers, have, in and from Christ, is marked out for us. Indeed, the wording of those passages does, in measure, limit the thoughts of the mind to the taking-up of the life. But there are other passages which refer to that same life, passages in which there is no limitation of thought to the taking-up of the life – passages in which reference is made rather to the possession of the life itself, than to the taking of it up.
What I mean will appear, at once, to the most simple minds, if the difference of the two verbs in Greek, συζωοποιεω and συζαω, which are correctly rendered in English by their equivalents “to quicken (or make alive) together with,” and “to live together with,” be considered.
God quickened us (or made us alive) together with Christ, is what we saw in Eph. 2:33Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3) and Col. 2:13: God was the gracious actor; His Christ, the one in whom it was formally wrought for us, when He took His life again. Such was the teaching of our last article. We do possess life already in Christ and shall shortly be manifested as ourselves possessing that life when He is manifested in life; such is the teaching of the passages to which we now turn. Not only quickened together with Him, but also so manifestly partakers of His life now, that we know that when He is made manifest in life to all, and when He reigns over all, then we also shall be made manifest in life together with Him (for we do already partake His life, and know that we do) and shall reign with Him. To these passages, less restricted than those of our last article, we now turn, viz.:
The doctrine of baptism, Christian baptism, is that God has provided a burial-place for the old man in us; He can reckon the old man of them that believe, to be crucified, dead and buried together with Christ. The act of Christian baptism is the individual believer’s setting to his own seal to the truth of this divine doctrine – his declaration, that he reckons, through grace, that the sepulture which God proposes altogether suffices. For the believer can trust God, who, having raised His Son from the dead, gave Him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God. He, therefore, counts or reckons upon that being buried together with Christ, by baptism, into His death (Rom. 6:1-141What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:1‑14)). But if faith can reckon that the old man died together with Christ, because God says, that He so reckons it, faith is occupied also with another life, “We believe that we shall also live together with Him.” The first great point to mark is, that there is another life besides the life of Adam the first. If all that we were, or had of our own, from the first Adam, is reckoned to have died with Christ, we are not without life, for, secondly, Christ’s life, taken by Him in resurrection, is given, freely given, to us, as the whole chapter (Rom. 6) shows. Observe, the question is not merely about our future existence in another world than this – that is true, indeed – but that is not the great point here; but rather our present possession of a life, now together with Christ-the life which He took when He arose from the grave, a life upon the certainty of our present possession of which the apostle could rest our obligation to live to God, that is his subject. And, let the reader mark here, thirdly, some of the essential characteristics of it, as named in this context. It is “eternal life” (Rom. 5:2121That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:21)); it is that by means of which we can “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)); it secures to us “the likeness of his resurrection” (Rom. 6:55For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (Romans 6:5)); it is life “together with Christ” (Rom. 6:88Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (Romans 6:8)); a life over which “death path no dominion” (Rom. 6:99Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)); a life by the which we are “alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)); “alive from the dead,” and our “members instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:1313Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13)); “under grace” (Rom. 6:1414For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)).
We see, then, first, that if grace puts its sentence upon the life of nature in us, upon the life of Adam the first, it gives us, at once, another spring. Second, that this new life in us is the life of Christ, the Christ that rose from the grave; and, third, that it is to be judged of and thought of according to its fountain-head and source – the Christ who is in God. It is eternal life – has a new path for itself according to the glory of the risen One, for it is a life of fellowship with Him, a life beyond the power of death, a life unto God from amid the dead, a life of practical godliness under grace.
The first of these passages refers the glory of the life which is to be given to us, to the Son as the Word; and its context refers every other glory of God which has ever been displayed to the Son, as the Word of God; the second asserts, that this life was in the man Jesus, who was crucified; the third presents us with a risen and ascended Christ, Son of Man and Son of God, now in glory, as the one in whom this life is now presented to us. It is important to mark this distinction on many accounts. For instance, by the observing it, we are guarded, on the one hand, from supposing that our fellowship is association with the Son of God in His character of the Word; from the folly of expecting to sit upon the throne of God; to be clothed with Deity; to be omniscient, omnipresent, and such like absurdities; and, secondly, we are kept from the thought that our association with Him is according to what He was while He was upon, Jewish grounds, and had not as yet made atonement, which leads into bondage and legality of spirit; and, thirdly, we are shut up by it to the truth of association with a risen and ascended man in heaven, who is in heaven and not upon earth, sits as Son of Man upon the Father’s throne, and sits there as the one who is past the judgment which he bore for our sakes, and is not only Head of His body the Church, but, also, is the One in whom our life is. Unless this point be clearly apprehended, I do not think the Christian will be free from what he ought to be free from, or free for and to that, to and for which he ought to be free. I shall, therefore, rest upon this a little, and call attention to it by citing a few verses which show what is the position and what the placing of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He is spoken of, in Scripture, as our life.
First. The doctrine as taught by the Lord: John 14:19-20: “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me: because I live ye shall live also, at that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me and I in you.”
Second. The realization of this by the apostles and early Christians: 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 we also appear with Him in glory.”
The whole Epistle to the Ephesians, also, looks at the Church as being in Christ, and having its life there, in Him, in heaven (read Ephesians 1, 2, 3).
Third. We may remark the same thing, where the Spirit of God is arguing out God’s way of blessing to be only in and through Christ, in Rom. 5 and 6. Take, for instance, these verses: Rom. 5:10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life;” and (Rom. 5:1717For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (Romans 5:17)) “shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4). “We are buried with Him (Christ) by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Rom. 6:23: “The wages of sin is death; kit the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Take, again, the very form of the gospel as made known to Saul – of Christ, as the Savior and salvation of Paul.
We can truly cite “I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me” (Rom. 10:2020But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. (Romans 10:20)). It was the ascended and the glorified Christ, who said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me,” etc. (Acts 9) And one end of this we find named in 1 Tim. 1:16,16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Timothy 1:16) “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.”
Take, again, the gospel as formally stated by Paul. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:3-63But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3‑6)).
With this position of Christ clearly, 2 Tim. 1:11Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, (2 Timothy 1:1) and 10 must be connected, and also 1 John 1:2; 5:11-122(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) (1 John 1:2)
11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:11‑12); and not with Him when on the earth previous to His suffering.
I now turn to my second text.
Some of the essential characteristics of the life we have from, and with, the Christ, were noticed above, as found in Rom. 5 and 6. That it is “eternal;” gives power “to walk with God;” secures to us the similitude of Christ’s resurrection; is a life over which death has no dominion, is life together with Christ; a life unto God from among the dead, etc. In the portion in which it is found in the Epistle to the Romans the how we are saved, is the subject under consideration. In Paul’s Epistle to Timothy, the walk here below, which becomes such a life is rather the topic; and accordingly the force of this context seems to me to be just this: you must make up your mind, if the life of Christ is indeed your portion, to have experiences here below, similar to those which He had. Paul’s effort was to tighten the girdle of Timothy a little unto patience in suffering: so it seems to me. “Be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ” (ver. 1); “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (ver. 3); “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life;” “be a soldier” (ver. 4); “Strive for masteries... lawfully” (ver. 5); are all of them expressions which mark the servant’s position and portion. And then he adds, “Consider what I say: and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my Gospel. Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:7-137Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 8Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:7‑13)).
If Christ was raised from the dead; if Paul also preached the Gospel of Christ raised FROM THE DEAD (that is, of a Christ who had suffered unto death) what had Timothy, what have we to expect, here below, if made one with Christ (He the Head, and we members, and hereafter to be displayed as such, alive and reigning with Him), what have we to expect, in and from this world, save suffering?
Such, I take it, is the thought of the apostle. Clearly we who, through grace, died together with Him, have already a life in and from Him. Its manifestation, hereafter, will be in glory; for in heaven, and before God, what, but that which is Christ’s will shine, and how brightly will every expression of His life then shine! But now that same life which, hereafter, in God’s presence, will tell itself out in bright glory; now, in the presence of a godless world, and before the flesh and Satan tells itself out, as did Christ’s, in suffering.
I speak not of his sufferings on the cross, when making atonement for us, but of His sufferings as the Son and servant of God in His life on earth. Conflict with Satan; opposition to the world; a course of holy walk; testimony for God; sympathy with His disciples, and compassion towards a world dead in trespasses and sins, could give but sorrow and suffering to such a One as the Christ of God. We have life in and from Him; and, therefore, in whatever measure His life be developed and manifested in us, that life which is to be fully displayed in us when we reign with Him, in that same measure will there be, without an effort on our parts, approximation to, and a tasting of, His portion, who was the “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” all His life through, from the cradle to the cross; that cross where He was altogether alone, and none with Him; sorrow was His portion – perfect sorrow – sorrow to a degree, such as there is none to be likened to it. In our measure (oh how small a one it is, yet, in our measure, because we have His life, and are in the same world He was, a world, too, now declared to be enmity against God) we have sorrow and suffering. May we gird up the loins of our minds and be sober, enduring unto the end.
Life in the Son as the word; a life lived by Him upon the very earth we are upon; a life given as a ransom for us, and now taken by Him again, and displaying itself in Him to faith; made ours for entire liberty, privilege and service, now and as the power of fellowship, with Him in all His sufferings (save that of atonement, in which He alone suffered, and we are freely make partakers of what He did for us) have just been briefly looked at. May the saints ponder these things. That life we shall hereafter have to look at, as it is to be displayed in glory; but the two thoughts which have here been more particularly rested upon, are the essential qualities of His life, as His and (through grace) ours, and the necessary consequence of this, while we are on the earth, of suffering.
The importance which attaches to this part of our subject, will unfold as we proceed. But, clearly, if our gospel is the gospel of life, eternal life in the Son, the life of which we have been speaking is of all-absorbing interest: and so, also, in handling the subject of “Fellowship with Christ,” what immense place must the life in which we participate have! the life which is, in us, the power of fellowship with Himself first, and then with Him in the portion into which, through grace, He brings us. To a simple mind, this would suffice; but (so little simple are we when we are occupied with the things of God and of heaven, and not with the things of ourselves and earth, that) I shall venture to present a thought, or two, which may help some minds.
First, look back into the times which Genesis 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) reveals to us, and see the infinite God in action, calling into existence what He wills, with almighty power and wisdom and goodness; look, now, into Eden, as revealed in Gen. 2 The circumstances – the Being, and attributes and Actions of the infinite God. How different is this from the circumstances – the being, attributes and actions of the finite creature in Genesis 2. Fitness for the enjoyment of the possession of Eden, supposed the possession of a being, heart and mind similar to Adam’s. So that when he first looked around Eden, he saw there was no help meet for him. Eve was the complement of Adam in this respect; complement to himself for himself, and for the then scene of blessing: and mark, too, how infinite the distance was between the infinite God and His creatures. From the highest created angel, down to the lowest creature, there may be gradational steps, for all I know. From man, lord of creation, down to the lowest creature, there seems to have been a string of creatures gradually decreasing in power; and no break so mighty in the many-linked chain, as that between human reason, with its power to own God as the giver, and the very lowest instinct, or (lower still) lowest proof of life in any sense. But that break is not infinite. But the distance between infinite and finite, is infinite; or the infinite God would not be infinite, and man finite. Now mark the strange prospect which is before us: the Son of God is heir of all things, but He is to take the inheritance as Son of man (Heb. 1:2,2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2) and 8). Now, if Son of man possessing, at God’s hand, heaven and earth, and see Him in the new Jerusalem above, in heaven, with the Church His bride, I can see somewhat of the sort of life, mind, heart, habits, those must have who are really to enjoy such a position, and such a scene, with Him, and for Him, and for His glory. The life of God would not have done for Adam in the garden of Eden; he had been made to fill a scene fitted for a living soul; the life of Adam would not do for the new Jerusalem. Fitness for fellowship with Christ, there to be His joy, as well as to find all our joy in God and the Lamb there, supposes participation by us, fellowship with Him, according to the life which He will then and there display in glory; and (mark it) it is not creation, but redemption glory; and in heaven, not upon earth. The infinitely blessed God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit; heaven (as well as earth) re-arranged and arranged according to a new order; and the Son of God, as son of man, the center of the whole scene of glory, the church with Him, object of His love, sharer of the glory then, as she even already is of the life of her exalted Head; and, therefore, now of His suffering.
The living-soul life of Creation’s fairest scene would not do for participation in The Almighty Quickener’s higher scene, divine and heavenly as it is, of His redemption-glory. The second Adam, therefore, is a life-giving spirit; and we have eternal life in Him, and derived from Him, that we may be able to taste, and share, and enjoy, and do honor to heavenly courts above.
“Skin for skin; yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life” (Job 2:44And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. (Job 2:4)), was the estimate which Satan formed of man; yea, and that if thou “but put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, he will curse thee to thy face.” Man, in his own power, cannot stand – human purpose will go but a little way in following Christ. “Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice” (John 13:3838Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. (John 13:38)). But Paul’s strength was not in the flesh, but in the spirit; and the power on which he counted, when he thus wrote, was that of which our Lord spake to Peter. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake He, signifying by what death He should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He saith unto him, Follow me” (John 21:18-1918Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:18‑19)).
The point, however, which I more especially wished to notice, was the difference between Paul’s willingness to die and to live with the Corinthians, according to the life of his own body, and his being dead with Christ, and living together with Him in the spirit. In the former case, he had a life which he was willing and ready to lay down, to pour out, to make a libation of to God, if the life which the disciples had, needed it in any way. He would that his life should be preserved or sacrificed, according as the preservation or the sacrifice of life seemed most expedient. In the second case, Christ had penally died, because he, Paul, was morally dead; he was counted dead; counted himself so: but He had life in common with Christ, who was risen from the grave; and this life was eternal life; a life which he, Paul, never could lay aside, which never could see death; the power and worth of which would only come out the more, if he had to lay down his bodily life, and to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord.)
Napoleon (the first) spent his life in efforts to throw down all that belonged not to him, and to gather it up again for himself. Wellington’s public course, as soldier, was not marked thus, by selfish lawlessness, but as a servant of the king, under whom God’s providence had cast his lot. He labored, as a servant, to counterwork the enemies of his king and country. In their service his mortal life was carried in his hand, ever ready, for their benefit, to be laid down. Paul, in the power of a new eternal life given to him, held his mortal life as ever ready to be laid down, if the Christ, whom he served, could be served thereby, even in the needs and wants of His feeblest members here below. But the new life was the medium through which his object was seen and sought after. Jesus, in heaven above, the Lord of all, Himself the center and end of all the divine counsels, was He in whom the Spirit had revealed to Paul, what the fountain-spring of his new life was. Christian you have to live here below, as being yourself, already, an integral part of that glory, which has yet to be revealed to mortal eyes, though known now to faith: as being yourself, already, one connected with, and knowing yourself to be connected with, that same Jesus, Lord of all, who sits in heaven, center and end of all God’s counsels, thoughts, desires, and plans. Have you realized this? Are you living in the power of such a life at this present time? The eternal life, which will be displayed in glory hereafter, is now connected, now connects itself, has now (properly) no connection with anything looked at as apart from, and not a subject of interest to, Jesus, sitting as Lord, at the right hand of the Father.