Identification #2

By Oscar M. Baker

1. Crucified with Christ. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loveth me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Paul's life is entwined with that of Christ. This is identification.

2. Dead with Him. "For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him"
(2 Tim. 2:11). If we are ever to live with Christ, we must be identified with Him in death, being dead to the world and to sin. One not identified with Christ is as the beast of the field (Ps. 49).

3. Baptism. "But with Him in baptism" (Col. 2:12). Here death is spoken of as a baptism. And baptism means identification. And of course burial follows death. These great truths of identification are so far above water baptism, that we cannot take time to explain, except to say that water baptism was a ritual, a cleansing in connection with worship, and rituals have no place in the dispensation of the mystery.

4. Quickened together with Christ. "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ" (Eph. 2:5). In verse 1 we see that those who were dead to trespasses and sins were filled with the fulness of God (1:23). These are the ones quickened or made alive at His call. They will hear His voice. But this is all reckoned as being a reality now.

5. Raised with Christ. "And hath raised us up together" (Eph. 2:6). Although the root meaning of raised is roused, yet on being roused, one raises up. And here the reckoning is that we have been roused and raised to heavenly places. This may take some word study, but we have the gist of the matter. The emphasis is that we were roused or raised together with Christ. Some would use the word ascension in this place, and no doubt that is included.

6. Made to sit together. "And made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). We have been enthroned with Him. This is the implication. This is reckoned as being true right now (de juro) and fulfilled later in resurrection (de facto). Those dead in Christ, Abraham for example, are considered as alive here and now. These are certainties.

7. Manifested with Him in glory. "When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4). Appear means manifest, the shining forth in glory in the place called glory. "God was manifest in the flesh ... received up into glory" (1 Tim. 3:16). This answers the question where.

With this article, this makes 14 steps of reckoning as true, things that are mostly beyond our complete comprehension. But they are a comfort and a shield against the darts of the evil one. We can rest assured that we are objects of His care, that He is at hand, at our side (Ph'p 4:5).

(Reprinted from Truth For Today, Vol. 37, No. 9)