United with Christ in Death and Life

The apostle Paul was constantly misunderstood and falsely accused for preaching justification by faith by preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many speculations and lofty imaginations were raised up against the knowledge of God and His gospel. Paul's ministry was one of persuasion where he used the Word of God to destroy speculations and persuade men of the truth.

The constant attack against the gospel and against Paul's preaching was that he was giving a license to sin and was preaching against the Law if the gospel was true. However, nothing could be farther from the truth! So the speculation was reared by the legalistic Jews and it was rejected by the apostle Paul and then refuted by Paul.

The speculation reared against the Gospel of God (Romans 6:1) – Justification is so free and easy that it appears as that which will give a license to sin – it especially looks that way to the legalist. So the legalist rears up the speculation against the Gospel of God and accuses the Gospel of that which gives a license to sin.

The speculation rejected by the apostle Paul (Romans 6:2) – “May it never be!” Justification is not that which gives a license to sin and therefore there is no way that justification is against the Law – justification, the legal and actual declaration of righteousness in Christ, never fails to issue in sanctification – “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

The speculation refuted by the explanation of the Gospel pictured in baptism (Romans 6:2-11).

First, baptism pictures that we died to sin (Romans 6:2-7). In what sense have we died to sin? We have become united to Him. By God’s doing we are in Christ Jesus – God establishes a union between us and Christ so that His death is our death. This is in direct correlation to how we were united to Adam so that his disobedience is our disobedience and his condemnation is our condemnation. Those who are in Christ Jesus through faith in Him died with Him on the cross – His death was our death and God sees it as such and so do we (Romans 6:3); those who are in Christ Jesus were buried with Him – His burial was our burial (Romans 6:4); those who are in Christ Jesus have become united with Him in the likeness of His death (Romans 6:5); and those who are in Christ have been crucified with Him and are no longer to be slaves to sin (Romans 6:6-7).

So the outcome of being united to Christ through faith is that we have a new relationship to sin. You can’t go on living in sin because you have died to sin because Christ died to sin and when He died we died with Him. This is based on union through imputation. Anyone who claims to have a new relationship to God through Jesus should ask himself this question: does my professed relationship with Jesus give me a new relationship to sin? Have I died to sin?

It is an impossibility to be united to Christ without becoming a brand new person (2 Corinthians 5:17) because of now having a different relationship to sin – instead of living in it we have died to it. Justification never fails to issue in a person’s death to sin. Before we were saved we all formerly lived in and walked in the lusts of our flesh and indulged in the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Ephesians 2:3). But that is past tense! We were dead [to God] in our trespasses and sins, in which we formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived…(Ephesians 2:1-3).

Since justification never fails to issue in a person’s death to sin it also never fails to issue in sanctification which is a person’s life to God - “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). So not only does our union with Christ provide the foundation for our justification; it also provides the foundation for our sanctification. This brings us to our second picture in baptism.

Second, baptism pictures that we are alive to God (Romans 6:8-11). A dead man needs more than anything else a new life principle. This is precisely the purpose of God in the Gospel as He puts us to death to sin in Christ and then raises us up with a new life principle under the Lordship of Christ (Romans 6:4). Here is where our journey of sanctification begins and it contradicts the fallacy that justification through faith gives a license to sin. So perfection is not yet and will not be arrived at in this life.

However, perfection is guaranteed in the future when we see Jesus (Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15:49; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2). But that is called glorification and here we are dealing with sanctification.

Baptism not only pictures justification – dying to sin – it also pictures sanctification – living to God – so that we see clearly that baptism contradicts the false notion of easy-believism.

Since baptism pictures that we have died to sin and are alive to God (Romans 6:8-11) then anyone who has been baptized but doesn’t have a new relationship to sin (no longer obeying it and its lusts) also doesn’t have a new relationship to God (obeying Him because we love Him) and his baptism is a sham, he doesn’t know what baptism means, and he doesn’t understand the Gospel.

Do you have a new relationship to God that is proven by your new relationship to sin? Have you died to sin and are you alive to God?

Faith not Circumcision or Baptism!

The Old Testament from the life of Abraham proves that justification is by faith and not by works. The apostle Paul was referring to this truth in Romans 4:1-8 showing how Abraham didn’t work for his justification and how God justifies the ungodly through faith by crediting faith as righteousness. Abraham was justified because he believed God’s promise not because he worked to earn it. But from the life of Abraham the Old Testament also proves that justification is by faith and not by circumcision (which would also be a work).

This also has huge implications in our day for those who teach that justification is through baptism. Circumcision and baptism have a correlation in that circumcision was to serve as a sign and a seal of justification just as baptism is to serve as a sign and seal of justification. So in this study the truth will be established that justification is by faith and not by circumcision or baptism.

In Romans 4:9-12 the apostle Paul will prove that Abraham was justified long before he was circumcised showing that circumcision has nothing to do with justification and therefore even the Gentiles can be justified on the same basis that Abraham was justified – by faith and not by circumcision.

In Romans 4:1-8 the apostle Paul spoke of the blessings of justification on the basis of faith and not of works. Now in Romans 4:9 he moved into whether or not circumcision had anything at all to do with Abraham’s justification. If justification is based on circumcision then Abraham would have had to been circumcised before he was justified and the logical conclusion would be then that any man at any time would have to be circumcised in order to be justified. If this were true then the Gentiles would be excluded from justification apart from becoming a Jew through circumcision.

So Paul asked, “Is this blessing [of justification] then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness’” (Romans 4:9). In order to answer Paul’s question and establish the truth that his ministry as the apostle to the Gentiles was legitimate then the account of Abraham’s justification would have to be inspected in respect to his circumcision and see which came first. If circumcision came first then Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was illegitimate. If justification came first then Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was legitimate. So Paul went to the justification of Abraham as the prototype of all true believers and established the truth that justification is by faith and not by circumcision.

Abraham received the blessing of justification by imputation while he was uncircumcised (Romans 4:10). The account of Abraham’s justification occurs in Genesis 15:6 but he wasn’t circumcised until Genesis 17:23-27. There was at least fourteen years after Abraham was justified before he was circumcised. He was eighty-six (Genesis 16:15) when Hagar bore Ishmael to him (which was after he was justified) and he was ninety-nine when he was circumcised. Abraham was justified before he ever took matters into his own hands and conceived Ishmael with Hagar. There would have been a nine month gestation period before the birth of Ishmael so we can easily conclude that there was at least fourteen years between Abraham’s justification and his circumcision. The conclusion is more than obvious: Abraham’s circumcision had nothing whatsoever to do with his justification.

Circumcision was a sign and a seal of the justification which Abraham had while uncircumcised (Romans 4:11). Circumcision didn’t save or justify Abraham and it is not what Abraham did to cause God to show favor to him. Is anyone saved because he is circumcised? Absolutely not! Circumcision was to be a sign (symbol) of the removal of the flesh and a seal (stamp) of living by faith, pointing to two realities that had already taken place.

Is anyone saved by baptism? Absolutely not! Baptism is to be a sign (symbol) of the death and burial of the flesh and a seal (stamp) of living by faith by being raised up to walk in newness of life under the Lordship of Christ. To be justified either by circumcision or baptism is not to have righteousness credited but would be to earn righteousness through a work – perish the thought.

The faith of Abraham (believing God about the Christ – see Galatians 3:16) is what both the circumcised and the uncircumcised must possess to be saved (Romans 4:12). We are justified by faith and not by circumcision or baptism. “Even so Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. ‘Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.’ The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham the believer” (Galatians 3:6-9).

The Purpose of the Baptism of Jesus

The biblical purpose of the incarnation was to make possible penal substitution. The incarnation was the Lord’s identification with fallen man by taking on the form of a man in order that He might make propitiation for the sins of the people. “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendent of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18).

So if the incarnation was the Lord’s identification with fallen man, then what was the purpose of the baptism of Jesus?

You, like me, have probably heard or read that the baptism of Jesus was His identification with fallen man – but that simply is not a true and correct interpretation of that event. And since the baptism that John (the Baptist) was performing was a baptism of repentance, surely, Jesus’ baptism was for another reason because He had no sin and no need to repent. So again I ask, what was the purpose of the baptism of Jesus?

The baptism of Jesus was for the purpose of His identification with His Father’s perfect and good will in the matter of salvation, redemption, penal substitution. In essence the Lord was illustrating the Father’s plan of redemption – death, burial, and resurrection of His sinless Son – and His willing obedience to His Father’s plan. This is of utmost importance for us to grasp because it gives us a clearer and deeper understanding of the work of the Lord Jesus in securing our salvation through living His life perfectly by faith under the loving Lordship of His Father.

Contrary to what many believe and teach, the Lord Jesus did not strategize by leaning on His own understanding and did not utilize His equality with God in His ministry but rather trusted the Father with all His heart and therefore He is the author and perfecter of faith (see Hebrews 12:2).

As to the Lord not strategizing by leaning on His own understanding and not utilizing His equality with God we read, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19). We also read this about the Lord, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (literally utilized or asserted)” (Philippians 2:5-6).

It was after the baptism of Jesus which was His public identification of His willing obedience to His Father’s will that the Lord was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. Those temptations were designed by the devil to get the Lord to take matters into His own hands rather than trusting His Father with all His heart; to get Him to utilize His equality with God by exerting His own power; and to get Him to strategize by leaning on His own understanding. The temptations were designed to divert the Lord from His willing obedience to His Father’s plan of redemption in which the Lord identified and illustrated in His baptism – and with this the Father was well-pleased (Matthew 3:17).