feel or reckon?

One of the truths that runs, like a red thread, through Paul’s letters is our identification with Christ. Paul writes about that in the Roman-, the Corinthian-, the Galatian-, the Ephesian-, the Colossian letter, etcetera. Christ died – we died with Him. Christ was buried – we were buried with Him. Christ was raised – we were raised with Him. Christ is seated in heaven – we are seated with Him in heaven. This is as God reckons: He sees us identified with his Son. Christ died for us, not substitutionally, but rather that we died with Him.

… judging this, that, if One died for the sake of all, consequently all died. -2Cor.5:14-

Our identification with Christ is completely separate from our experience. We do not feel this and we do not see this, either. But God reckons this to be so. And with good reason, because He already sees what we will eventually be (on the basis of Christ’s resurrection) and He knows how to value this in truth. Our inability to see this does not subtract anything from this. Our identification with Christ is not merely a matter of “so to speak” as if, in reality, we still live on earth. No, Paul returns this around! He writes in Galatians 2:20:

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me…

I am crucified – I no longer live. So reckons God and that is the reality that counts. As far as I am still alive in the flesh that is only because Christ lives in me. The rest “doesn’t count” and is irrelevant.

10 for in that He died, He died to Sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God. 11 Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to Sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. -Rom.6-

The word “reckoning” (Greek: logizomai), does not have anything to do with our mood, how much we struggle, how pious we feel, nor with any of our successes or failures. No, not at all.  God sees the rolled-away-stone in the garden of Arimathea and in that light He sees us: dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus! Why should we point out to each other our faltering efforts, if God has, “once for all time”, placed a period behind it? Get real: you live for God in Christ Jesus!

Delen: