Focus: Eternally Joined!

Text: Rom.8:17

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs WITH Christ; if so be that we suffer WITH him, that we may be also glorified together."

When Leah gave birth to her third child, she said, "Now this time will my husband be JOINED unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi" (Gen.29:34). Leah earnestly and desperately wanted to become one with Jacob her husband, and in the birth of Levi she felt that her heart's desire was being realized. Levi comes from a Hebrew verb that means to join, to connect, to attach, to unite, to integrate, or to be bound together as one.

This oneness that Leah sought to have with Jacob is what exists between Christ and the believer in Christ. We see the reality of it in the story of Saul as he traveled to Damascus to persecute Christians. Then Christ appeared to him and said to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul then asked, "Who are you, Lord?" Jesus Christ replied, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest…" The Lord Jesus Christ made Saul understand that persecution against the Church was indeed persecution against Himself. Christ and His church are one - eternally joined together as one.

Our text says that we are joint-heirs with Christ. It says further that if we suffer with Christ, then we shall be glorified together with Him. 

Everything belonging to Christ equally belongs to us because of the eternal bond that we share with Him.

*We are dead with Christ

Paul says, "I am crucified WITH Christ…" Our oneness started with the crucifixion of Christ. His death was ours too. When He died, we also died. He did not only die for us; He also died with us. Paul says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified WITH him…" (Rom.6:6). Again he says, "Now if we be dead WITH Christ, we believe that we shall also live WITH him" (Rom.6:8).

*We are buried with Christ

Paul says, "Therefore we are BURIED WITH him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom.6:4). Again he says, "BURIED WITH him in baptism, wherein also ye are RISEN WITH him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Col.2:12).

*We have risen with Christ

Paul says, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath QUICKENED us together WITH Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Eph.2:5). We have risen from the dead together with Christ. Again Paul says, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he QUICKENED TOGETHER WITH him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Col.2:13). In the next chapter, he says, "If ye then be RISEN WITH Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col.3:1). We have experienced His resurrection power and possess His resurrection life in us. In the same chapter, he says, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid WITH Christ in God" (Col.3:3). 

Our life is hidden with Christ in God. We are eternally secure because of our union with Christ.

*We live and reign with Christ

Paul says, "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead WITH him, we shall also live WITH him: If we suffer, we shall also REIGN WITH him: if we deny him, he also will deny us" (2Tim.2:11,12). We died with Him. We were buried with Him. We are risen with Him from the dead. His resurrection is ours too! We have ascended into heaven with Him, and we are sitting together with Him there. Paul says, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph.2:6). We live in Him. He lives in us. We live with Him. We live together with Him by the power of God. Paul says, "For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live WITH him by the power of God toward you" (2Cor.13:4). 

Living God's kind of life requires God's ability to do so. The resurrection power of Christ works in us.

Paul tells us, "Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should LIVE together WITH him" (1Thes.5:10). In this life and in the one to come, we shall live together with Christ. Not only shall we live with Christ, but also reign with Him. We live and reign with Christ. Christ says to us, "Because I live, ye shall live also" (Jh.14:19).

*We work with him

Paul says, "We then, as workers together WITH him…" (2Cor.6:1). We live and work together with Christ. We are laborers together with Christ. What He does, we do.

*We shall appear with Christ

Paul declares, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear WITH him in glory" (Col.3:4). We will, in the future, experience a glorious appearance with Christ. John says, "We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1Jh.3:2). That day of manifestation is fast approaching. We eagerly wait for it.

We are forever connected with Christ. We belong together. We share all things in common. We are joint-heirs with Him. We rule together with Him. John says, "Because as he is, so are we in this world" (1Jh.4:17). We are eternally joined with Christ. Nothing can destroy our eternal union and security.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter