Our Identification with Christ

As Christians we find our identification in Jesus Christ.

He said 2,000 years ago, and He was. Were you there when they crucified our Lord? You were there, and you died there on that cross because His death was for you. Christ died for us. We are spiritually united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. As a result, we are also united with Jesus in His victory.

He became as we are that we might become as He is. The Bible also proclaims that our identification with Christ is very present and practical. If you have your Bible, turn now to 1 John chapter 4 verse 17 as Adrian Rogers shares more about our identification with Christ. Now listen to 1 John chapter 4 verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.

The last part of that verse is what I'm bearing down on. As He is, as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Now that is the doctrine of the identification with Jesus Christ. In a Christian, Jesus lives, walks, talks, breathes, and acts in the flesh.

As He is, so are we. Now this could be called union with Christ, but if you understand it, you'll have Christmas and Easter and Pentecost 365 days a year. Now, the first thing I want to lay on your heart is this, that identification with Christ is a powerful truth. Now you see, Christianity is this, that Jesus Christ identified Himself with us. First of all, look, if you will, in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. Here's what it says, for He, that is God the Father, hath made Him, that is Jesus, to be sin for us.

That is, He is becoming like we are. He hath made Him to be sin for us. He didn't make Him a sinner, He was not a sinner, but He made Him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Now there are two little phrases there, for us, in Him. He hath made Him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He, for us, we, in Him. That's called identification with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now let me show you how that works out. For example, we are identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death. This time, turn to Romans chapter 5 verse 8. For God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That is, He died as our substitute.

That is, His death had my name on it. When Jesus died, He died for me, therefore I died with Him. He became the Son of Man that we might become sons of God. He took our sins that we might take His innocence. He became guilty that we might be acquitted. He took our despair that we might be filled with joy.

He took our shame that we might have His glory. He endured the pangs of hell that we might know the joys of heaven. We are identified with Him in death, but number two, we are identified with Him in His resurrection.

Now you're in Romans chapter 6, look in verse 4. Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that's His 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. Jesus Christ had a life that the grave could not hold. I'm not merely with Jesus on the cross.

I have walked out of that empty tomb with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there is a supernatural life for every believer because we are identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in His resurrection. That means if Jesus was raised for you, you're buried with Him, you're raised with Him, you have now resurrection life.

You're not waiting the resurrection, only you have resurrection life now. Number three, you are united with Jesus Christ in His death. You're united, identified with Jesus Christ in His burial and resurrection. And you're also therefore ipso facto united with Jesus, identified with Jesus in His victory. This time go back to 1 John chapter 4 and look in verse 4. John is talking about the victorious resurrection life that you and I should live and he says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them.

Who is the them, the malevolent wicked forces of Satan, and have overcome them? For greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world. Now when Jesus died on that cross, He won a victory. He said, Now is the prince of this world cast out.

Now is the judgment of this world. Now His victory is my victory. If Jesus has victory, I have victory.

Because He has won, I have won. Now I've said identification with Christ is a very powerful truth. It's a very powerful truth. But now secondly, listen, identification with Christ, and we're going to get practical now, is a very present and practical truth. What does it mean to you?

That as He is, so are we in this world. What does that mean to you tomorrow when you go to work? What does that mean to you after a prayer meeting?

If you go out to a restaurant or go home? Well let me tell you some things that are true about Jesus, and therefore are true about you. Remember again, 1 John 4.17, As He is, so are we, now listen to this next phrase, in this world. Now many of us say, Well I'm going to heaven, and then when I get to heaven, I'm going to be like Jesus. But that isn't what a verse says. A verse says, As He is, so are we in this world.

May I say in Memphis, Tennessee? May I say you, if you're saved, are to be identified with Jesus in this world here and now. Let's see how that works out. For example, His wisdom is our wisdom. Put down 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom. Who of God is made unto us wisdom? Most of us say we need wisdom. Well if you have Jesus, you don't need wisdom, you have wisdom.

You say, Well if I have it, how come I don't have it? Because you have not laid hold on that which is your birthright, Jesus is made unto you wisdom. Does He have wisdom? As He is, so are we in this world. That seems almost too good to be true, and so we want to fall back on our own wisdom, rather than with the apostle James claiming the wisdom that God has unqualifiedly promised to those of us who love Him and trust Him. There are times when we think we know more than the Heavenly Father, I believe also. And we fail to come to God and ask God for the wisdom that He has given.

As He is, so are we in this world. Jesus Christ will give you wisdom. I have prayed for wisdom over and over again, not praying because I thought that God would not give it, but because I know God will give wisdom. Mark, you know how many times we meet in prayer together.

And we'll bow our heads and pray, Oh God, give us wisdom to know what to do, and thank God for the wisdom that He gives. But not only is His wisdom our wisdom, ladies and gentlemen, His joy is our joy. Now you need joy, you already have it. You say, if I have it, why don't I have it?

Because you haven't realized what you have. Listen to John 15 and verse 11, These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. As He is, He is the Christ of abounding joy. Do you have joy? If you don't have joy, you're living beneath your privileges. For the Bible commands us, Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, Rejoice.

How can I do that? Because as He is, so am I in this world. His joy is my joy. Now it's joy that transcends whatever happens. It's not mere happiness. Happiness depends, as you've heard me say, upon happenstance.

But joy doesn't depend upon happenstance. It's rooted in the Lord Jesus. As He is, so are we in this world.

Now I want to say something else. Not only is His wisdom our wisdom, not only is His joy our joy, but friend, His sorrow is our sorrow. Now, the Christian life is not a giddy life.

We're not to be going around like uproar's back-slapping morons all the time with never a serious thought. If you live in this world, if you are as Jesus is, you'll know a broken heart. That's not antithetical to joy. As a matter of fact, the joy that we have doesn't take away the pain.

Sometimes it helps us to bear the pain. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 10, that I may know Him. This is the prayer of the apostle Paul. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Have you ever prayed for sufferings?

Paul did. Paul said, Jesus, I want to know the fellowship, the richest, purest, deepest fellowship perhaps a person can have, and that is to suffer with you. Did you know that when you're walking in the Spirit, that His sorrow will be your sorrow? Do you know that what breaks the heart of Jesus will break your heart? Someone described the modern church as a dry-eyed church in a hell-bent world. Many times we get our entertainment from that which breaks His heart.

Watching frivolous, foolish, and sinful things and laughing at them. As He is, so are we in this world. And I can tell you that the heart of our Savior is broken over the sins of this world.

Do you have a broken heart? His joy is our joy. His sorrow is our sorrow. I want to say something else. As He is, so are we in this world.

His friends are our friends. Now listen. Matthew 25, verse 40. Matthew 25, verse 40.

Write it down if you don't want to turn to it. And the king shall answer and say unto them, and the king here represents Jesus, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. When you do something for one of the brothers of Jesus, it's just like you have done it unto Jesus, because His friends are our friends. If you love Jesus, you're going to love what Jesus loves.

And if you don't love the brethren, certain conclusions are in order. The late, great Vance Havner. Many of you don't know who Vance Havner was. He was a Baptist preacher from North Carolina, full of wisdom.

Here's what he said. When I see a bird that looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, paddles like a duck, and prefers the company of ducks, I conclude it must be a duck. When you see people who live like the world, dress like the world, act like the world, and prefer the company of the world rather than the company of God's people, they are the world. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to love what Jesus loves, and Jesus loves the church. He loves the brethren. His friends are our friends. As He is, so are we in this world.

I'll tell you something else. His enemies are our enemies. There's no way that you can be a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and not make some enemies. Let me give you the scripture.

Put it down, John chapter 15, verses 18 through 20. Jesus said, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you? The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. Next, listen carefully. As He is, so are we in this world. His purpose is our purpose. His purpose is our purpose. Look, if you will, in the Gospel of John chapter 20 and verse 21, or at least jot it down on your paper.

Listen to it. Then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so sent I you. His purpose is our purpose. You're going to have a heartbeat for missions and for soul winning, because He said, As my Father hath sent me, so sent I you.

And why was He sent? Luke 19, 10, For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. His purpose must be our purpose. You say, But Pastor Rogers, I don't have what it takes. What I'm trying to tell you is you do have what it takes, because not only is His purpose our purpose, His authority is our authority.

That's what the Great Commission is all about. Look at Matthew chapter 28. You know that by heart. Beginning in verse 18, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power, that is, all authority, that's what the word literally means, is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore. Now catch the therefore. See, I have all this authority. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I have commanded you and do it all by yourself.

No. And lo, I am with you. I am with you, the one who has this authority.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age of the world. Did Jesus have authority over the devil? Then do you have authority over the devil? Yes.

That's the whole thing. Greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world. Remember when I told you by the introduction that his death had my name on it? When he died, I died with him. His resurrection had my name on it. When he rose, I rose with him. His victory had my name on it.

When he won the victory, so do I. Therefore, his authority is given to us. And Jesus said to the seventy when he sent them out, I give you authority over all the power of the enemy. The devil hopes that we never learn this truth. We don't have to be beat up by the devil.

We don't have to take it. Greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world. You say, what about when a Christian gets killed, murdered, murdered? That doesn't mean the devil has won. It means the devil has lost.

That's his blunder. They overcame him, the devil, by the blood of the lamb, by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. Satan is not winning.

He's losing. We have authority over all the power of the devil. His authority is our authority.

Not only is his authority our authority, but his future is our future. As he is, so are we in this world. Colossians 3 and verse 4, when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Think about it. Can you imagine being with Jesus in glory?

I mean, is that true or not true? How many of you believe it's true? I hope you believe it. But how many of us has that dawned on us? Now, Jesus can come at any moment. He's going to appear in glory. And there we are, appearing with Jesus in glory. When Jesus who is our life shall appear, then shall ye appear with him in glory. Praise God, when we took Jesus as a heavenly bridegroom, it was not till death do us part. Amen? He came to a cradle and a cross. He's coming to a coronation. He became one with us that we might become one with him.

We are identified with him. Now, this all begins when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. But it only continues as you believe it.

Trust him for it and act on it. And today, if you would like to do that, if you would like to fully put your faith and trust and belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior, act on that right now. Praise something like this from your heart.

Oh, God in heaven, I come to the end of myself. I cannot do what I need to do to get to you, which is be holy and righteous. But Jesus did that for me. And so now I depend not on myself or my own ability, but on what Jesus did for me on the cross.

I believe he paid my sin debt and he rose again to new life. Come in. I surrender all right now. Come into my heart and life.

Change me from the inside out. Be my savior. I claim Jesus as Lord today. In his name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed a prayer of surrender like that, let us celebrate you. Go to our website. We have a Find God's Love page where you can find answers that you might need about your newfound faith. Simply go to LWF.org slash radio and click the tab that says Find God's Love. Welcome to God's forever family.

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You can also order online at LWF.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Do you find your identification in Christ? Dwell on the passages that were shared today and ask the Holy Spirit to confirm this truth in your heart. And then join us next time for more timeless truth from Adrian Rogers right here on Love Worth Finding. Thank you for listening and supporting this broadcast and for encouraging us.

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