Romans 6:8

‘But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,'

For as we have already seen (Romans 6:3) Christ did not just die. He rose again from the dead. And therefore if we have died with Christ, we know and believe that we will also ‘live with Him', we will share in His resurrection life both now, enjoying newness of life (Romans 6:4), and in eternity. Having been conjoined with Him in His death, we are, and also will be, conjoined with Him in His resurrection (Romans 6:5), both now (Romans 8:10; John 5:24; Galatians 2:20) and in eternity (Romans 8:11; John 5:28).

Note On ‘We Shall Also Live With Him.'

For a fuller outworking of the idea of ‘living with Him' as the Risen One in the present age see Ephesians 2:1 where Paul reveals to us something of life in the spiritual realm. There we learn that God, having raised Jesus up with an act of mighty power (Ephesians 1:19 onwards), has in the riches of His grace also made us alive in Him and has raised us up and seated us with Him in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 2:4). There we share His throne (as He also shares His Father's throne - Revelation 3:21). Thus we learn from this that in our spirits we are already seated with Christ in heavenly places, operating there with Him, simply awaiting our resurrection body (Ephesians 2:6). This description is, of course, using physical ideas in order to convey spiritual reality.

It brings home to us that as Christians we live in two realms. We live in our bodies in this material world, but we also live in our spirits, as transformed by the Holy Spirit because we are ‘in Christ' (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:1), as those who are thrust out into a spiritual world. Whilst our spirits do not operate beyond our physical bodies in the material world, they do reach out ‘outside' our physical bodies into the spiritual realm as we pray (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:18), and stand fast against the assaults of the Evil One by using the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10).

‘Living with Him' we are therefore to live as citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20) in partnership with Him (Romans 6:4; Romans 6:11; John 14:23; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:17; Hebrews 2:10) as we await His coming (Philippians 3:20), because we have been transferred under the Kingly Rule of God's beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). We are to recognise that we are partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12). For whilst what has been described with regard to dying with Christ in Romans 6:3 has been largely ‘positional', although including within it the conception of the ‘death' of our old life, it has been reinforced as regards our rising with Christ by the life of the Spirit. It has in mind not only future resurrection, but our present life in the Spirit.

End of note.

Our having died with Him means that we need no longer live in the bondage of sin. Through His death and resurrection He has delivered us from ‘the house of bondage', and from the slavery of sin, as we are accounted righteous and then share His resurrection life. He has by the latter lifted us up into the spiritual realm. And thus, having been freed from the condemnation of sin by our being ‘accounted as righteous', sin has lost its hold on us. In consequence, by positively reckoning on the fact that we have died with Him, we can now be free from sin's grip and power. It need no longer have dominion over us (Romans 6:14). And we can live in newness of life (Romans 6:4; Romans 6:11).

But from where can we obtain the power to have this victory over sin? It is by recognising that we can rise over sin by His risen power, by us ‘living with Him'. The life which we now live in the flesh we can live by faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20). With Christ dwelling within us (Ephesians 3:17; John 14:23; Colossians 1:27), we must allow Him in His risen power to live out His life through us in this earth, whilst we also enjoy our experiences in the spiritual realm. That is the glory of our new life in Christ. That is what ‘living with Him' means while on earth.