Die with Me

Die with Me

Have you died yet?  What am I talking about “died yet”?  If you’re reading this how can you possibly be dead?  Well…..I don’t mean physical death nor “near death” experiences.  I’m talking about spiritual death with Jesus Christ.  If you’ve been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, then you have died.  Sounds kind of funny when I say that right?  Consider the following:

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3 KJV)

“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:” (II Timothy 2:11 KJV)

Our death in Christ is a death to the old self or the sinful life.  When Jesus died on the cross on Calvary, he represented us.  In fact, Jesus so completely represented us on the cross that when he died, it is said that we died.

The true essence of being a Christian is taking up our crosses daily and following Jesus.  When we are baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost, we are born again.  This is also known as salvation.  If we are to keep our personal salvation, we are to continue dying to self as part of the lifelong sanctification process.

Jesus made it clear that if we are to follow him, then we must deny ourselves, which means giving up our sinful lives.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 KJV)

“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27 KJV)

The act of baptism represents dying to the old self and being reborn into a new life in Christ.  Being fully immersed in water symbolizes death and burial in Jesus.  Coming out of water symbolizes the resurrection of 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 6:4 KJV)