Dying With Christ

…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death… 

Philippians 3:10 

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

Philippians 1:21 

What does it mean ‘to be made conformable’ to Christ’s death? Paul understood the thoroughgoing nature of living Christ. That involves identifying with Christ in every way. It means imitating Him in the foregoing of rights; in the undertaking of the servant role; in the discounting of personal pedigree, and in the loss of all things in exchange for the knowledge of Him. It means the justification that can only occur by the imputation of His righteousness, that is the righteousness which is of God by faith. Also it involves a sanctification process which is, ‘the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.’ What this entails is a series of experiences in life which enable us to identify with Christ. Our experiences of life, rightly understood, occur to give us the greater opportunity to see as He sees, feel as He feels, and think as He thinks, even to the point of dying as He died. While this does not look exactly the same in every person’s experience, the end purpose of identifying with Christ is the same. Thus, the Holy Spirit renews us in the whole person after the image of Christ including, ‘being made conformable to His death.’ 

Our Great God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have endured all things for the sake of Your people. 
We praise You, that as You conform us to Your Image, 
You enable us to follow in Your steps. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning