5 steps identification to what Jesus accomplished on the cross
There are things Jesus accomplished on the cross for everyone. If we must live a successful Christian life, there is need to understand what Jesus had accomplished for us from Gethsemane through Golgotha to calvary. It was indeed a process and there are alot Jesus paid for. Many issues were settled at any point in time. Jesus paid for any matter one after the other. On the cross He boldly declared that ‘It is finished’. Nothing was left that was not settled.
10 – “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 – He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 – But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 – Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John chapter 1 verses 10 to 13)
1. We died with Him
We received the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross, we actually died with Him. He did not died His death. He died our death. He died in the place of humanity. That is why whenever the movie of the passion of Christ is displayed, people cried when they start seeing the horrible moments Jesus went through for the salvation of mankind. Because He was crucified, we are not going to be crucified. We were set completely free at His crucification.
“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colosians chapter 3 verses 3)
When Jesus died on the cross that was the very moment we died with Him. On His way to calvary He went for us. He died to set us free. If we died with Him, we shall also raise in newness of life with Him.
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:” (2Timothy chapter 2 verses 11)
We need to understand that His death was our death. But to enter into salvation with Christ Jesus, the sinner, through faith, has to complete the identification. It is in your power to identify with Him. You need to say, “I accept the fact that when Jesus died on the cross, I died with Him. His death was my death. My old man died in Him when He died. Being dead with Him, I must follow Him: from death to burial, and from burial into resurrection.”
2. We were buried with Him
It is not just enough to identify to His death on the cross but also to know that we were buried with Him. Christ’s death was followed by His burial. How are we identified with Him in burial? By baptism in water. That is why water baptism is so important. It is the identification with His death is inward, but our identification with Him in burial is outward. It is a visible identification with the Lord. It is a public declaration of our union with Christ Jesus.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6 verses 4)
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” (Colosians 2 verse 12)
Water baptism is a principle Jesus left for the disciples at the end of His ministry. He told them there is need for anyone who has received Him into his or her life to be baptised. That is the only way one is made known his or her identification with Christ and also his or her burial in Christ and the raising of newness in Christ.
18 – “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Mathew chapter 28 verses 18 to 19)
3. We were made alive with Him:
4 – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 – Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 – And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 to 6)
Notice that the word together occurs three times. Jesus did not come out of the tomb dead. He was made alive before He came out of the tomb. Thus, we are made alive with Christ. Then we are resurrected with Christ. But we do not stop there. We are also made to sit together with Him in heavenly places. Jesus is sitting on a throne in heaven and right there we are enthroned together with Christ.
4. God’s Purpose:
7 – “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians chapter 2 verses 7 to 8)
The cross is the highest level of God demonstration of grace. It did not end there. The burial, he resurrection and the ascension of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ made the whole difference in the journey of christianity. The purpose of God Almighty is to extend His grace to the dieing world and the reflect His glory through as many as who will embrace the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross and His resurrection.
Without any controversy we are to be the demonstration of the riches of the God’s grace who first believe and then for the whole universe! God wants to reveal His glory through us.Whenever God wants to show any created being the extent of His grace, He will say, in effect, “Look at these people. See how they are close to Me, worshiping Me? They are My children! They were sinners, rebels, cast out, unprofitable, useless, enemies of Mine. Yet I so much care about them that I brought them near to Me for all eternity!” I hope you are prepared for that. I hope you realize that forever you are going to be the demonstration of God’s grace.
5. We are to be made His masterpiece.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians chapter 2 verses 10)
God designed it in a way that we are not only going to demonstrate His grace but we are made to be His masterpiece. We are God’s masterpiece, to show the whole universe the full extent of God’s grace through deflecting His glory. Humanity was nothing to write home about but God took mold us into His masterpiece. What a priviledge and honour to be the masterpiece of the One that made the whole universe.
In conclusion
If you are not excited about salvation, I do not know how much of God’s salvation you have really experienced. People say we are fanatical if we jump up and down and clap our hands. I have issues I was battling with before I became a Christian, and I have to say that such excitement is the deepest response to the revelation of Scripture. Just to sit and say, “That’s good!”
