LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Included in Christ (1)
One of the most glorious truths of the gospel, but also one of the most challenging to the human mind, is that we were included in Christ before we were born, so that Christ's lot was also ours.
At what point were we included in Christ? Not when Jesus was performing miracles, not when he was preaching on the mountains of Galilee, but at the most crucial moment of his ministry: his death. Paul solemnly says: "Or do you not know that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death" (Rom. 6:3). To baptize means to immerse, to immerse, to introduce. It was when Jesus died on the cross that the Father included us in him. This is a great and wonderful mystery, discovered through faith.
Since his death on the cross-and our death with him-Christ's lot is ours as well. So when he was buried, we were buried too: "For we are buried with him through baptism into death" (Rom. 6:4). And when he was raised, we were raised too: "And he raised us up with him (Christ Jesus)" (Eph. 2:6). But not only that. Scripture abounds in even greater detail, for it tells us that when the Lord was exalted to the right hand of the Father, we were also in him, "and he made us sit together with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places" (Eph. 2:6).
The series of glorious events lived by the Lord Jesus from His death on the cross, He lived them, so to speak, with us on His shoulders, which triggered a series of spiritual events on our behalf, waiting to be seen, believed and enjoyed by believers of all ages.
These are facts contrary to human logic, impossible for the natural man to believe. Even for many Christians, they can be understood and even accepted mentally, but not always believed and translated into experience. The death, burial, resurrection and exaltation of Christ "with us", that is, our death, burial, resurrection and exaltation with him, are the most crucial experiences of the Christian life.
This goes beyond the first experience of the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ. The experience of forgiveness has to do with our sins, but not with us directly. It has to do with our deeds, but not with ourselves. Therefore, these experiences associated with Christ are more profound and radical, because they have to do with our person, identity and life.
We urgently need a renewal of our understanding, not to adapt ourselves to the world's way of thinking, but to keep alive in our hearts the seed of truth, so that it may bear abundant fruit (Rom. 12:2). Therefore, the word of God must dwell in our hearts abundantly (Col. 3:16), because this is a blessed foolishness that needs to be transformed into the Christian logic par excellence.