IN CHRIST.

 THE OLD SPIRITUAL ASKS,, " WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD? THE ANSWER IT EXPECTS IS, "YES I WAS THERE. 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 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 EXPERIENCED 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 MAY LIVE A NEW LIFE.
THE APOSTLE USES SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ELSEWHERE IN THIS CHAPTER.  " FOR SINCE WE HAVE BECOME ONE WITH HIM BY DYING AS HE DID, IN THE SAME WAY WE SHALL BE ONE WITH HIM BY BEING RAISED TO LIFE AS HE WAS,' 6:5). ( FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN PLANTED TOGETHER IN LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, WE SHALL BE ALSO IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION).  SINCE WE HAVE DIED WITH CHRIST, WE BELIEVE  THAT WE SHALL LIVE WITH HIM. (6:8). WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED, GOD MADE US SHARE IN ALL THAT CHRIST WAS, SUFFERED AND ACCOMPLISHED. BY VIRTUE OF PHYSICAL BIRTH, BEING BORN IN SIN, WE SHARE WITH "ADAM.".
BY VIRTUE OF OUR SECOND BIRTH IN BAPTISM, WE SHARE IN CHRIST, ( 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 FOR HUMAN SIN, WE SHARED THAT DEATH WITH HIM. WHEN CHRIST WAS PLACED 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 THAT 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  SAVING MINISTRY AND MISSION. NOW: ARE YOU READY TO BECOME ""WHAT YOU ARE. IN CHRIST, GOD HAS DECLARED US TO BE "HOLY" "(1 CORINTHIANS 1:2). IN OUR BAPTISM, HE GAVE US CHRIST SINLESS LIFE AS A SET OF CREDENTIALS TO POSSESS AS OUR VERY OWN. WHEN FINALLY 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 GREAT DAY. " HIS APPEAL IS: SEEK TO MAKE THE CREDENTIALS I HAVE GIVEN YOU IN GRACE DESCRIBE YOU PERSONALLY MORE AND MORE SEEK TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. " BECOME WHAT YOU ARE!" TO GRASP THE MEANING OF THIS IS TO POSSESS A KEY THAT UNLOCKS MUCH OF SCRIPTURES. WHILE WE WAIT TO CROSS OVER 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 WHEN WE MAKE THAT "FINAL CROSSING,"  ALL IS WELL. THE HYMN WRITER PUT IT THIS WAY':
           WHEN I TREAD THE VERGE OF JORDAN,
            BID MY ANXIOUS FEARS SUBSIDE;
           DEATH OF DEATH AND HELL'S DESTRUCTION,
           LAND ME SAFE ON CANAAN'S SIDE.
           SONGS OF PRAISES.
           I WILL EVER GIVE TO THEE.          LH 347, V.3.