We will Live with Jesus

“For faithful is the Word, for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.” (2Timothy 2:11)

In other translations this verse begins “It is a faithful saying.” The Greek word that was translated faithful means trustworthy, trustful, sure and true. It is a sure thing. It is a true thing that if we died with Jesus, we would live with Him.

The key phrase begins with the word “if.” Paul is reiterating something that he more than likely repeated many times. Timothy spent lots of time with Paul. Paul was his mentor. And he was eventually sent to Ephesus to lead the church there. Paul writes to Timothy and instructs him how to deal with the Jewish Christians, false teachers and false doctrine that had arisen. In this verse Paul again wrote what seemed to him an essential concept. We died with Christ. “For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin. For he who died has been justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that when Christ was raised from the dead, He dies no more; death no longer has dominion over Him.” (Romans 6:5-9)

“...knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him...” It is essential for the old man to die. One cannot be born again if the old man is alive. The sinful man dies and the new creation is born again of God. Our world is so dependent on time; the past, present, future. But in God’s world, the past, present and future is known at the same time. “Remember former things from forever; for I am God, and no other is God, even none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from the past things which were not done, saying, My purpose shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my purpose from a far country. Yes, I have spoken, I will also cause it to come; I have formed; yes, I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11) So even if we believe on Jesus in the twentieth first century, the old man was at the cross and died with Jesus. And when we surrender to Jesus we are born again. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being born again. “Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) So then, the old man must have died at the cross. And the new creation is born again at our surrender to Jesus. “So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17) We were at the cross and the old man died there, although we were living as the old man before we surrendered to Jesus. We remember that the past, present and future is together in God’s world. But on earth, the new creation is not born again until we surrender to Jesus.

Our death with Jesus identifies us with the death of Jesus. The sin nature in us has died. We are born again of God. Anything coming from God is not sinful, but pure and holy. That is our new nature that we receive from the Lord. This is the born-again creation, pure, holy and sinless before God.

Jesus didn’t stay dead. He rose from among the dead. Paul wrote to the Romans that “... we shall also live with Him...” We are identified with His death. And we are identified with His resurrection. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “... we shall also live with Him.” It follows that we also will be resurrected. Jesus spoke to Martha when she told Him that if He’d been there, her brother wouldn’t have died. “Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.” (John 11:25) This statement is glossed over. This is big!  Although our bodies die, we will live. We will be alive. People have spent lots of time and money trying to find the fountain of youth and strive to care for their bodies so they will live longer or even forever by scientific means. But Jesus has revealed the secret of living forever. Yet sinful man doesn’t believe Him. Paul wrote to Timothy that he could believe it because it is true and sure. “So also the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1Corinthians 15:42-44) We will be raised with a body that can stand before God. Our earthly bodies would be consumed by God’s glory because it is of this sinful world.

Briefly, God’s Word reveals a Truth that to us on this finite world can’t understand. But we can believe God’s Word. It is true and sure. We died with Jesus, and we are raised with Him to live forever with Him.

Let us pray:

Father God, Your Word is a wonder to me. The things that Jesus spoke about are sometimes so unbelievable, but I believe because I know that the things that pertain to You are too wonderful for my finite earthly mind to understand. But I believe Your Word Lord because I know the miracle that You worked and are still working in me. I know that You are faithful and Your word is faithful. I believe Your Word. I trust in Your Word. Thank You for Your Word my Lord because it gives me hope. What the world fears, I can’t wait to see. I look forward to be in Your holy eternal Presence because I will be in Your glory. I may not understand what that may be like, but it will be more wonderful than I can imagine. Help me to continue to find revelations of Your glory in Your Word. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.