Having in our previous posts (which please see) now an understanding of what it means to be “IN Christ Jesus”, the next question naturally would be,
How does one get “IN Christ Jesus” in the first place?
How do we get into the body of Christ?
The Apostle answers that we were baptized into it, and hence are now counted as members of our Lord, members under him as our Head, members of “the Church which is his body.”
“But let us inquire particularly what was the process by which we came into membership IN Christ Jesus. The Apostle answers the question in his next statement, “So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death.” Not a word about being baptized into Him by being baptized into water. No, no! How evident it is that if we were baptized a thousand times in water it would not bring us into membership in the body of Christ! But, accepting the Apostle’s statement, we realize that our union with Christ, our membership in His Church or Ecclesia, whose names are written in heaven, dated from the time that we were baptized into the death.
But when and how were we baptized into the Lord’s death?
We Answer--that this baptism into death with the Lord, this overwhelming or burial of ourselves, our flesh, which resulted in our incorporation by Him as members of His body, as new creatures, took place at the moment when we made the full surrender of our wills to him consecrating our all, to follow and obey him, even unto death.
The will represents the entire person and all that he possesses. The will has control of the body, hands, feet, mouth, eyes and brain. It has control, too, of the pocket, the bank account, and any possessions we might have. It controls our time, our talent, our influence. There is not a thing of value that we possess which does not properly come under control of the will, and, hence, when we surrender our wills to the Lord or, as the Scriptures sometimes represent it, our “hearts” we give Him our all; and this burial of our human wills into the will of Christ is our death as human beings, our baptism into death the burial of self.
“Ye are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col 3:3) This death (the death of the will), this burial, is our baptism into His death. Henceforth, from the divine standpoint, we are not to count ourselves as human beings, of human nature, of the earth, earthy, and as having earthly aims, objects, and hopes, but as new creatures in Christ Jesus.” (F435-436)
What specifically does it mean to wholly consecrate ourselves to the Lord?
It might help if we first determine what the meaning of the word “consecration” is.
Consecration means to be “set apart”, sanctified or dedicated (covenant) to a specific purpose or work. It implies “a complete turning away from sin and the world; a thorough turning of every sentiment, hope, ambition and desire ‘unto the Lord,’ and into harmony with his will, his divine plan.” Thus it involves the complete surrender (sacrifice) of our own wills to that of our Fathers.
In order to be fully or wholly consecrated the personal or individual “will” MUST be dead, fully “crucified”.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him DENY HIMSELF (his own will), and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matt 16:24
“Thus the conditions therefore upon which we become probationary or trial members in the body of Christ, are that we covenant, or solemnly consecrate ourselves and all our interests as human beings, to the Lord's will and service. “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by SACRIFICE.” Psa 50:5
This the probationary member symbolizes by baptism into water. His immersion into water is a figure of his death to all earthly things, chief among which and representative of all, is his HUMAN WILL. It must be buried in order that the consecrated one may be reckoned a fellow-member in that will-less body, whose will is the will of the head only.
"Therefore are we buried by baptism INTO CHRIST" into membership in that "body of Christ;" “for as many of you as were baptized into JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death”, "Crucified with Christ" to earthly hopes, etc., and risen by faith to heavenly hopes, plans, etc., under his direction, to which we shall attain if we faint not, but continue firm unto the end…unto death, keeping our wills fully subject to the will of Christ, and our bodies as much so as possible”.
In our next post we should like to elaborate a bit more on this “covenant by sacrifice” as alluded to in Psa 50:5
How does one get “IN Christ Jesus” in the first place?
How do we get into the body of Christ?
The Apostle answers that we were baptized into it, and hence are now counted as members of our Lord, members under him as our Head, members of “the Church which is his body.”
“But let us inquire particularly what was the process by which we came into membership IN Christ Jesus. The Apostle answers the question in his next statement, “So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death.” Not a word about being baptized into Him by being baptized into water. No, no! How evident it is that if we were baptized a thousand times in water it would not bring us into membership in the body of Christ! But, accepting the Apostle’s statement, we realize that our union with Christ, our membership in His Church or Ecclesia, whose names are written in heaven, dated from the time that we were baptized into the death.
But when and how were we baptized into the Lord’s death?
We Answer--that this baptism into death with the Lord, this overwhelming or burial of ourselves, our flesh, which resulted in our incorporation by Him as members of His body, as new creatures, took place at the moment when we made the full surrender of our wills to him consecrating our all, to follow and obey him, even unto death.
The will represents the entire person and all that he possesses. The will has control of the body, hands, feet, mouth, eyes and brain. It has control, too, of the pocket, the bank account, and any possessions we might have. It controls our time, our talent, our influence. There is not a thing of value that we possess which does not properly come under control of the will, and, hence, when we surrender our wills to the Lord or, as the Scriptures sometimes represent it, our “hearts” we give Him our all; and this burial of our human wills into the will of Christ is our death as human beings, our baptism into death the burial of self.
“Ye are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col 3:3) This death (the death of the will), this burial, is our baptism into His death. Henceforth, from the divine standpoint, we are not to count ourselves as human beings, of human nature, of the earth, earthy, and as having earthly aims, objects, and hopes, but as new creatures in Christ Jesus.” (F435-436)
What specifically does it mean to wholly consecrate ourselves to the Lord?
It might help if we first determine what the meaning of the word “consecration” is.
Consecration means to be “set apart”, sanctified or dedicated (covenant) to a specific purpose or work. It implies “a complete turning away from sin and the world; a thorough turning of every sentiment, hope, ambition and desire ‘unto the Lord,’ and into harmony with his will, his divine plan.” Thus it involves the complete surrender (sacrifice) of our own wills to that of our Fathers.
In order to be fully or wholly consecrated the personal or individual “will” MUST be dead, fully “crucified”.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him DENY HIMSELF (his own will), and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matt 16:24
“Thus the conditions therefore upon which we become probationary or trial members in the body of Christ, are that we covenant, or solemnly consecrate ourselves and all our interests as human beings, to the Lord's will and service. “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by SACRIFICE.” Psa 50:5
This the probationary member symbolizes by baptism into water. His immersion into water is a figure of his death to all earthly things, chief among which and representative of all, is his HUMAN WILL. It must be buried in order that the consecrated one may be reckoned a fellow-member in that will-less body, whose will is the will of the head only.
"Therefore are we buried by baptism INTO CHRIST" into membership in that "body of Christ;" “for as many of you as were baptized into JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death”, "Crucified with Christ" to earthly hopes, etc., and risen by faith to heavenly hopes, plans, etc., under his direction, to which we shall attain if we faint not, but continue firm unto the end…unto death, keeping our wills fully subject to the will of Christ, and our bodies as much so as possible”.
In our next post we should like to elaborate a bit more on this “covenant by sacrifice” as alluded to in Psa 50:5
