I believe we have to learn death in two ways: in the first, is judicially under it, but judicially delivered from it before God, through Christ, and therefore in Him, with God. He reckons us dead, and therefore exempted from the judgment entailed on us as children of Adam, for if we were not dead in His sight we could not be free from His claim on us as men in the flesh, and therefore our enjoyment of our new position, in Christ, is checked and compromised by feebleness of apprehension of His imputed death. In Christ’s death I find I am reckoned dead, but alive from the dead in His life. If judgment and death is entered for me there is an end of judgment, because death is the utmost penalty, so that, as touching judgment, there is nothing to trouble me; “The sting of death is sin,” and that has been met in death, I take the place of death in Christ, while I have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. If I see not this death, I fail in seeing my true and happy place before God.
But there is another death that I am called practically to pass through, which has no connection in the way of promoting the other. I mean that the death in ‘which God reckons me is not promoted by my attainment in practical, moral death, simply for this reason, that God, reckoning me dead, is the fruit of Christ’s work and of His grace to me; whereas practical death is learned in my walk down here. Now, at baptism we have been baptized unto the death of Christ; and at the Lord’s Supper we go still farther—we feed upon Him in His death—we have communion with His blood. Now the expression of both the one and the other is in consonance with the place of death grace reckons us in hence, if we were morally dead, all would go smoothly with us, and it is plain that to be so is simply in accordance with our profession, as well as natural to our true position. Some take their normal place, and die easily, but yet we see they had to die. Paul died more easily than Peter; Abraham than Jacob, but we see that each had to die, and no doubt each of them felt the pains of death—I mean that they felt they must yield. I believe the aptly Abraham felt going up Mount Moriah is not to be told or understood, unless by one who has traveled some part of the road. Who can tell how much Paul endured in seeing Jerusalem cut off, and seeing, as his life closed, how much of his work was unavailing? John tastes of moral death in Patmos. There can be no practical entrance—for residence as in one’s country—into Canaan, unless through Jordan. There is no abiding or assured portion for our souls in Heaven, but as we have died here, there may be a fluctuation, like the two and a half tribes, but that is a painful, profitless interest and acquaintance with our heavenly treasures. We are always touched where we feel most, simply because then there is more tie or link through nature to that which for our blessing is judged, and which, as judged, we profess to be dead to, but not being dead to it, if we become not so by seeing our position through grace, we must learn it, and then, mark me, we must take the place where actual death would place us. Paul must not object to the prison, nor John to Patmos, nor Abraham to Mount Moriah, nor—Jacob to, “as for me, Rachel died by me in the way.” They are in the place of death, and submit to it thoroughly; if they had not, they were not dead.
Fellowship with the sufferings of Christ must necessarily be ours, as we walk with. Him down here; but our old man through, grace is crucified with Him, and therefore, if we do not die to it, through the self-same grace, it is provided, that it must die to us, and thus occurs the difference in our experience at different junctures.
When we die of ourselves we die privately, but not with less pain; but when we are put to death, it is more visible, and we are longer in learning to take our place as dead. There is no deep, real possession of our portion above with Christ, but in proportion to our death here. I realize the one in the ratio that I have learned the other; but remember, we are not dead when we feel we are dying!