Our identification with Christ

I have been memorizing and meditating on Romans 6:5 this week which says, "If we have been united with him in a death like this, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." This verse speaks of my identification with Christ as a believer. This is what theologians call positional truth. For those who are repenting of their sin and trusting in Christ, we are in Christ. When he died, we died. When he rose again, we rose again with him.

Pastor Kent Hughes comments on Romans 6,

The specific emphasis of verses 3–5 is that we are so profoundly identified with Christ’s death and resurrection that we actually did die with him and truly were raised with him, so that we now share in his resurrection life. Again the Scriptures attest to this. Galatians 2:20 tells us: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 6:14 says: “… the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Just as we died with him, we were also resurrected with him. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). Whereas before we had only a solidarity with Adam’s sin, now that has been broken and we have a solidarity with Christ, the Second Adam, in his death and resurrection. We need to know and count on this if we are to experience victory over sin.--Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans : Righteousness from heaven. Preaching the Word (124). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

The practical outworking of this is what Paul develops in the next few verses which we will look at next week. But first we must know these truths before we can live them. And when we do know them they will have a profound impact on overcoming sin and temptation.