The Cross is the means through which this is accomplished. The Cross is the key that unlocks the door to every provision and remedy available in Christ.
In the Cross we know that God laid on Jesus “the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6b). He was made to suffer the penalty for our sins. In other words, Jesus identified with fallen man in His crucifixion. He was accounted as sinful, though He had done no wrong. That is the principle of identification.
Identification was necessary to accomplish the work of redemption. As glorious as this is, the opposite is equally true: that just as He was identified with us in our sins, so we were identified with Him in His righteousness. Thus, the identification is complete. We are now joined together, made one in Christ through His Cross.
This explains some most peculiar language in the New Testament concerning the Lord Jesus and our relationship to Him. The early believers were not just taught that Jesus died for them, but in addition, they learned that they died with Jesus. This is certainly a mystery, but when one traces it through the Scriptures it becomes increasingly clear. “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit,” and just as the husband and wife are joined together and “the two shall become one” (Eph. 5:31,32) so it is with the Lord and His people.
Once we see this we understand why the words of Jesus take on an increasing urgency as He moves towards the Cross: “Abide in Me” (Jn 15:4). That is, “Continue to dwell in Me, live in Me, stay in union with Me. Even as I go to the Cross – especially now more than ever! – remain in Me.” Disciples of
Jesus are the crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated branches of a crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated Vine.
In Him there is Life, Light, Love, spiritual fruitfulness and steady growth. But outside of Him, apart from Him, it is a different story. To be outside of Him is to experience Death, Darkness, Fear, spiritual unfruitfulness and lack of growth. In the language of the Vine, Jesus says those who do not abide in Him are “withered” and eventually “burned” (Jn. 15:6).
But how is this union accomplished? How does God make us to be one spirit with Christ? We cannot say how it is done, but we can say with all confidence that it is so. Where and when does this happen? That we do know: it happens in the Cross. This is why the Cross is not only the necessary prerequisite for following Jesus, it is the absolutely essential component of our daily walk together with Him. For the disciple, the Cross must be a continuous, constant, consistent state of being in, relating to, and identifying with the crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and seated Christ. This is what it means to take up the Cross – not as a teaching or a philosophy, but as a matter of spiritual life and death.
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Today I listened to a morning service broadcast from a much loved and ancient cathedral….much of it was information giving about how up to date services at the cathedral were these days….once they even had a clown tight rope walking between two pillars….imagine! Then there were the curry nights the art exhibitions, all raising image of what church life was like…how it was a place for everyone. This was the place the vicar said he’d preached some of his most controversial sermons, (I’ll bet!) To end a few references were made to the spiritual side of things…in a nutshell ‘be more committed’. Yuk, ghastly stuff , which this morning only served to make me realise how far I’d come. I was so grateful to God and more so when I read this simple but powerful blog, which led me to the right place once again…to the cross to Christ Himself. I can only thank you yet again Chip, for you consistency ….and for everything you do to help keep us on track…bless you .
Paula,
After reading Chips message to us today and then reading your response, I was wondering what brought you to listen to a service on the radio? Did you since that God was trying to show you something? Since I have left Babylon or what I refer to as Egypt, the man made temple, I find the man made system has to grieve the Lord. What is so sad is those that are still there see nothing wrong with it all and if they do, they don’t say anything. The system today does not teach the cross of Christ like Chip does. The gospel they teach is all about work’s and what are we doing for the system so it can keep functioning. Dying on the cross with Christ is something I have never thought of before. This really makes Christ and His cross even more powerful and personal for us. I can get in the habit of not personalizing the cross as much as I should, and do we really know what it is to bare the cross? I think of Christ suffering, that a sinless man bore our sin and placed them on Himself for our redemption, do we sit and ponder this awesome miracle? When I think of His awesome power and the ability to do such a thing for us, it’s His power that helps us with our own cross and dying to self. Without Him we can do nothing. This really should take a burden off us, knowing He’s already done what He came to do and all we have to do is believe Him at His word and stay very close to Him and the cross and He will help us carry it. I’m thinking of Peter when he was walking on water and he took his eyes off Christ and fell in the sea. If we take our eye’s off Him we will fall.
Thank you Chip for being faithful to Christ by testifying of Christ and His goodness. Thank you for helping us to stay focused as we grow to spiritual maturity. I’m thankful to Him for calling you to minister to those of us who have left Babylon and to those who the Lord is still calling out of her. For along time I thought I was all alone with my leaving her, but I didn’t want to be unfaithful in a harlot system. I know more now why the Lord is calling His people out. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers and opening my eye’s to see the truth, ” Your Truth “
I left the OC six years ago along with several friends, coming out of a abusive apostolic environment. Most of my friends have dropped God along with OC . I find having little or no fellowship with other believers who want continue in Christ to be the only long-term drag about leaving. The area I live in is so entrenched in tradition, even the lost think not attending church is bad. That’s almost funny