Fellowship with Christ in His Death

(#86)

Read Luke 23:27-49.

"The place called Calvary."  Have you been there?  What comes into your mind when you say Calvary?  Do you think of those who "stood afar off"?  Or do you think Calvary covers it all? 

The fact of fellowship with Christ in His death.

Passages such as Rom. 6:1-8 and Gal. 2:20 make it clear that the Christian's position is that of having died with Christ.

w   This position is never subject to human experience.

w   This position is never subject to feeling.

w   Satan can never change it (though he sometimes hinders the blessing that comes from this position.)

The meaning of fellowship with Christ in His death.

    1.  The believer is reconciled, 1 Peter 2:24; Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:14; Col. 1:20-22.  Sin's penalty has been met, he now has a relationship with God.

    2.  The sinner is crucified, Rom. 6:6; Gal. 5:24; 6:14.  When the old nature asserts itself in the life of the believer it defeats the purpose of the new birth.  The result is a "teeter-totter" life as seen in Rom. 7.  Is deliverance possible?  Yes! through the death of Christ.  It is not through suppressions of the old nature nor by reformation of the old nature but by the believer's moment-by-moment wielding of the cross.

    3.  The overthrow of Satan, Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:14-15.  Satan is defeated through the cross.

    4.  A fruitful life is produced, John 12:24; 15:8.  As in John 12, the death of the seed is required for there to be fruit.  So the believer's death opens the way for a fruitful life.

Satan hates the cross.  He did not want Christ to go there.  Nor does he want believers to go to the cross.