Death and Heavenly Realms

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be raised to life as He was. – Romans 6:4-5

We, that is, believing Christians, were buried as Christ was.  Who we are as a human, borne with a sinful nature, have died to being ruled by those sins.  Just as Christ died and rose again, we also can live a new life as a person no longer ruled by our sinful nature.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Too often I see Christians who are in a terrible battle of trust.  They don’t know if they can trust the new nature completely.  The old nature is pulling so hard and it is at least comfortable, even if it caused so much pain.  Everyone I know has some aspect of this battle within them.  They are struggling with some small or large area of their active or thought life.  Can they submit all to God and trust Him completely?  Will he take those things they love away?  So much risk is assumed.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus – Ephesians 2:6

But what a reward!  Christ willingly takes our sin, the weight of all we’ve done wrong upon Himself.  And still we have doubts!  And, He raises us up with Christ to be with Him in the heavenly realms.  We are never left to ourselves.  He takes us with Him to be with Him.  He comes to us, cleans us up, then takes our hand to be with us.  There is no risk.  He can be trusted with all that we are and we can confidently know that there is nothing we value that is of any importance by comparison to this heavenly reward of companionship with our Messiah, our Savior. 

Allow yourself to mentally go through your Baptism again today.  Die to your sins by giving them willfully to Jesus.  He has already died and rose again to defeat the purpose of sin.  Rise with Him to His heavenly places by letting His Spirit dominate your heart today.