If We Have Died with Him

“The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:11-13 ESV)

This is critical that we understand this, for we don’t live with Christ by a mere profession of faith in him. We must die with him to sin and live to his righteousness. We must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Thus we are no longer to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life (1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Ephesians 4:17-24; Titus 2:11-14).

So first we must die with Christ to sin in order to live with him for eternity. And then we must endure in our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord until the very end if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. For the Scriptures teach salvation as something which is progressive and which will not be complete until our Lord returns for his faithful ones and he takes us to be with him for eternity. For if our faith is genuine God-persuaded faith, we are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when Jesus returns, but provided that we continue steadfast in obedience to him and that sin is not our practice.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Then we must not be those who deny our Lord, and denying Christ is not just with our lips, but with our actions. It is the same as receiving him and accepting him as our Lord and Savior, which is not with lip service only but with our actions. For we can give all kinds of lip service to the Lord but then deny him by how we live, by ignoring his commandments, and by continuing in deliberate and habitual sin, and by going our own way and not the way of righteousness and of holiness and of obedience to our Lord. And if that is what we do, he will deny us when he returns for his faithful bride.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 15:7-9; Luke 9:23-26; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:4]

Now, lastly this says that if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, but not faithful to those who are faithless, but to who he is as God, for he cannot deny himself. And he will be faithful to his word where he teaches us that if we walk in sin, if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, that we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what faith we profess in him with our lips. For his word says that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one doing the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).

Video Talk

https://vimeo.com/921633101

To Be Like Him  

An Original Work / March 16, 2014  

Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly. 

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

https://vimeo.com/89237609