SPECTATORS OR PARTAKERS?

 THE OLD SPIRITUAL ASKS, " WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?"
 THE ANSWER IT EXPECTS IS "YES I WAS. I SAW IT HAPPEN" NO DOUBT THE WRITER HAD IN MIND BEING THERE IN MEMORY RATHER THAN FACT. HIS QUESTION MAKES A STRONG APPEAL TO TAKE THE EVENTS OF THE CRUCIFIXION PERSONALLY AND SERIOUSLY.
THE NEW TESTAMENT ASSURES US THAT AS BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS WE WERE NOT MERELY SPECTATORS OF THE CRUCIFIXION. WE WERE PARTAKERS OF THE EVENT. WE DID NOT MERELY WITNESS THE CRUCIFIXION. WE EXPRIENCED IT. [ROMANS : 6: 3,4  ST PAUL  WRITES:] 
 "FOR SURELY YOU KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED INTO UNION WITH CHRIST JESUS, WE WERE BAPTIZED INTO UNION WITH HIS DEATH.. BY OUR BAPTISM, THEN, WE WERE  BURIED WITH HIM AND SHARED HIS DEATH, IN ORDER THAT, JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM DEATH BY THE GLORIOUS POWER OF THE FATHER, SO ALSO WE MIGHT LIVE A NEW LIFE. [COL 2:12 JUST]  [GAL,6:15]. THE APOSTLE USES SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ELSEWHERE IN THIS CHAPTER:" FOR AS CHRISTIANS WE MUST CONTINUE TO GROW IN HIS WORD. SINCE WE HAVE DIED WITH CHRIST,... [6:8:]
WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED GOD MADE US TO SHARE IN ALL THAT WAS, SUFFERED AND ACCOMPLISHED. BY VIRTUE OF OUR PHYISCAL BIRTH, WE SHARE IN "ADAM"
[BORN IN SIN]. BY OUR VIRTUE OF SECOND BIRTH [BAPTISM IN THE BODY OF CHRIST]. TO ETERNAL LIFE. WHEN CHRIST LED A SINLESS LIFE , WE BY VIRTUE OF OUR BAPTISM, LED IT WITH HIM. WHEN CHRIST WAS PUT TO DEATH TO SUFFER THE PUNISHMENT FOE HUMAN SIN, WE SHARED THAT DEATH WITH HIM. WHEN CHRIST WAS PLACE IN THE GRAVE WHICH SIN BRINGS, WE WENT INTO THE TOMB WITH HIM. WHEN HE ROSE VICTORIOUS FROM THE TOMB, WE ROSE WITH HIM [EPHESIANS 2: 5,6].  IN CHRIST GOD GATHERED THE HUMAN RACE INTO ONE PERSON. HE LET ONE PERSON BE WHAT HE INTENDED THE HUMAN RACE TO BE AND SUFFER WHAT THE HUMAN RACE DESERVES TO SUFFER IN OUR BAPTISM. GOD MADE US SHARERS IN ALL THAT ONE PERSON WAS, SUFFERED, ENDURED AND CONQUERED. HE "INCORPORATED" US INTO CHRIST'S SAVING MINISTRY AND MISSION. JESUS WANTS US TO BECOME WHAT WE ARE.
IN CHRIST, GOD DECLARED US TO BE HOLY, [1 CORINTHIANS 1:2:]. IN OUR BAPTISM, HE GAVES US CHRIST'S SINLESS LIFE AS A SET OF CREDENTIALS TO POSSESS AS OUR VERY OWN. FINALLY WHEN WE STAND BEFORE HIM ON THE LAST DAY OF HISTORY, WE SHALL SHOW HIM CHRIST'S CREDENTIALS, NOT OUR OWN. HE WILL WELCOME US HOME, NOT ON THE BASIS OF WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED  BUT WHAT CHRIST ACHIEVED. WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE LAST DAY, " HE APPEAL IS [ SEEK TO MAKE THE CREDENTIALS I HAVE GIVEN YOU IN GRACE TO DESCRIBE YOU PERSONALLY MORE AND MORE. SEE TO DEMOSTRATE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. " BE WHAT YOU ARE!" TO GRASP THE MEANING OF THIS IS TO POSSESS A KEY TO UNLOCKS MUCH OF SCRIPTURE. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THROUGH BAPTISM REFLECTS THE EVENTS OF THE EXODUS,WILDERNESS WANDERINGS AND ENTRY INTO THE PROMISED LAND. BY VIRTUE OF OUR PHYSICAL BIRTH, WE ARE IN "ADAM," AND THEREFORE HELD CAPTIVE TO THE POWER  OF SIN, CONDEMNED BY THE LAW WHICH WE CANNOT KEEP, AND SUBJECT TO DEATH. OUR GRACIOUS LORD SAW OUR PLIGHT AND RESCUED US FROM ITS POWER AND CONSEQUENCES [EPHESIANS 2:4,5].
 GOD ACCOMPLISHED THIS THROUGH THE WATERS OF OUR "BAPTISMAL EXODUS EXPERIENCE."  THE HOLY SPIRIT, WORKING THROUGH THE WATERS OF BAPTISM, LET US OUT OF BONDAGE TO SIN, DEATH, AND SATAN, INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST. AS GOD CREATED OLD ISRAEL AND GATHERED THEM AROUND HIMSELF AT SINAI, SO HE MADE US MEMBERS OF HIS NEW PEOPLE THROUGH HOLY BAPTISM., AND GATHERED US INTO THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRIST'S COMMUNITY. AS GOD DWELT AMONG HIS OLD ISRAEL, AND GUIDED THEM THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, SO THE RISEN JESUS DWELLS AMONG US TODAY.  AND GUIDES US ON OUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS OF LIFE., [1 PETER 1: 6-8]. GOD FINALLY LED OLD ISRAEL TO THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE JORDAN RIVER, OPENED A WAY THROUGH THE WATERS FOR THEM AND GAVE THEM THE PROMISED LAND.  HE HAD PROMISED IT TO ABRAHAM LONG BEFORE.
SIMILARLY TODAY, WE LIVE ON EARTH AS "STRANGERS, EXILES AND PILGRIMS, " [1PETER 2: 11]. WE ALREADY POSSES A PROMISED LAND, "AN INHERTIANCE WHICH IS IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED, AND UNFADING, KEPT IN HEAVEN FOR YOU," [1PETER 4,5. WE MERELY WAIT TO ENTER IT. WHILE WE TO CROSS THAT " FINAL JORDAN" AT DEATH, WE TRY TO LIVE AS THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY CITIZENS OF THEIR ETERNAL PROMISED LAND, [1 PETER 2:9,10]. WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE MAKE THAT "FINAL CROSSING" ALL WILL BE WELL, THE HYMN WRITER PUT IT THIS WAY:
 WHEN II TREAD THE VERGE OF JORDAN
 BID MY ANXIOUS FEARS SUBSIDE;
DEATH OF DEATH AND HELL'S DESTRUCTION,
LAND ME SAFE ON CANAAN' SIDE
 SONGS OF PRAISES.
 I WILL EVER GIVE TO THEE.
                                                                   LH 347, V3.