risen WITH Christ?
Right smack in the middle of the exhortation that we call Colossians, Paul makes this statement, “If ye then be risen with Christ, see those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” That’s quite a statement. “IF”, starting out with the conditional clause “if” sure does add some emphasis on the following statement doesn’t it. Just think about the teenager saying to his parents, “IF you love me, you’ll get me a cell phone like everyone else.” Now, don’t let the absurdity of that statement throw you from the emphasis for which the “if” is used. Paul used it too, just like a pre-teen would, but with proper motives I assure you.
So then, “IF” what? Well, “IF ye then be RISEN WITH CHRIST.” Yet another HUGE statement. “RISEN WITH CHRIST”, could he have made a scribal error? Surely he didn’t mean that we are actually risen with Christ. I mean, those people reading his letter may not have even been alive when Christ resurrected, little on those of us reading today. So, how is someone RISEN WITH CHRIST? It seems to be the exchanged life theory that he introduced in Gal 2.20. Although we live, we do not, He does. And even though He lives, we still live somehow. If we read a little further He clarifies. As he continues to write the epistle, he stops to make an aside comment… in verse 3 he is talking about Christ and pauses to add the parenthesise, “who is our life…” Quite a statement. Christ IS OUR LIFE. Now, I know many of you have heard that before, but I doubt Paul meant it in the overly devotional lovey way that you probably heard it. He meant it literally. Christ…IS…OUR…LIFE…He is the actual life we life.
Remember, when we were redeemed, we were reconciled to God. That’s because we needed reconciliation. There was a problem at hand, and God was the one with the problem. (I don’t know where we get the idea that we are the ones with the problem and God has gone out of his way to help us with our problems. No, God had the problem with us! And then being the sovereign glory seeking God he is, he redeemed us to himself because there was no way we were going to do that ourselves. ) So, when we were brought back to God, how was that possible. We know that flesh and blood cannot enter into the presence of God (I Cor 15.50). So how are we “seated in heavenly places” at this time???(Eph 2.6 – note the tense of this verse is past) It’s because we have become one with Christ. He is our righteousness, he is our identity, we took his name, his identity, and became one with him just as a bride always does with her groom.
So, with this new-found identity, what are we doing with it??? IF WE ARE RISEN WITH CHRIST…how are we seeking things that are opposing him? I cannot be a devoted Marine, Soldier, or Sailor and pursue those things which come against my country. I cannot be a Father and seek those things that oppose my family. I cannot be Aaron Farley and seek those things that fight against the very existence of Aaron Farley. So if I am “with Christ” and “in Christ” how could I seek those things of the earth (where moth and dust doth corrupt – Matt 6.19). I can’t.
Let’s not forget, that friendship with the world is truly ENMITY with God. (James 4.4)
Looking Forward to Wednesday with You Guys.
Meditations on Hebrews 4 – a call to "rest"
Scripture never ceases to amaze me. It is almost as if there is a running account somewhere of the things I need in my life, and then God is just inserting those things into His Word daily. The really intimidating thing is that He did, but it was ‘before the foundation of the world’, so to say.
Today I’m reading Hebrews 4. I’ve read this passage plenty of times before. Today, things are striking a new area of my heart, one that is quite tender I must admit. The tense of some of these words are so amazing! Check out the tenses in verse three, “For we which have believed do enter into rest…” In talking about the place of rest God describes in the OT, He says that some didn’t enter because of “unbelief” (4.6). The writer then reminds the reader, although there is still work to be done, there is an ultimate rest coming: “There remaineth therefore a rest” (4.9). But now the crazy part enters into the picture. It’s one of those exchanged life situations that I am still struggling to wrap my mind around. He adds, “For he that is entered into his [God's] rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”(4.10) Now there’s the jaw dropper of the passage. The writer says the one who is already entered [note the present - past tense combo there, it notes a one time action that is still continuing] has ceased from his own works. This teaching leaves us needing to draw some conclusions.
- First, does the writer mean that one who has entered into the rest of God will not continue to work the works according to their own way and self interests?
- Second, does the writer mean to say the one who is in the rest of God will leave off from working altogether? Does the believer have the comission to sit still and watch others labor?
- Third, [and this is what I believe is the implication he is making] is the writer saying for the believer to cease from earning their salvation because of their works? We should note the comparision just before this passage. What was it that caused the OT saints to miss out ont he rest of God? Unbelief. So, what would be the reasoning behind sharing that just before this teaching about the relationship between our works and rest? Likely, it is to say there is no work that is good enough. There is no path reliable, and no righteousness attainable for the man seeking to come to God. However, God has a way. That way is for us to relax [rest] and let Him do those works [the cross, his Son, the Spirit, regeneration, sanctification, etc.] which bring man to Him.
Oftentimes I get overwhelmed with the responsibilities that I face daily. I am a young man; inexperienced to say the least. Yet I have all this responsibility and seemingly no ongoing training that I am not seeking for myself. So, I get down at times with the reality of what is on my shoulders. It begins to crush me. Some nights I lay in bed and let the tears welt in my eyes just to try and ease out some of the pressure building inside. When those days come, it seems as if it is always just a matter of time before God reminds me of this truth from Heb 4. This is not my load. I am just resting underneath the one who’s load it is. The only thing crushing me are my own nightmares, reality is – no monsters in the closet. Last time I was struggling in this way, God used this verse to speak to me. I pray this will speak to others as well:
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” [Col 2.6]
How did we receive him? Faith. Without reservation. Wholly relying. So why do we walk so differently?
