I've been reading through the series on License to Sin, which has been helpful. Somewhere in the section on Balance you talk about how we died to sin, but who can remember when they did that. This is a brief summary. My question is, I think, did everyone die to sin when Christ hung on the cross, and so it is coming to that revealed knowledge of it that saves a person. Or, did He die for those who He reveals this to? This is not a trick question, brother, I guess I am just trying to come to grips with seeing how this is true in my life when I just do not seem to be very conscious of this. Does this make any sense? Tim

It makes very much sense. :)

In his death, he took humanity itself along with him into that death, for he is the firstborn of all creation. It is not selective. Until one comes to life he is in a state of a dead man walking. Being raised in him is a resurrection to new life, his life, and the life that we now live is unto God. It is miraculous.

The truth of new life is being witnessed in the world around us, we can see it everywhere. However, as long as we try to fit this out-of-time, out-of-realm, out-of-natural-existence, out-of-old-mind reality into the same old consciousness we will only be hit with contradictions and confusion. We try to remember when in time it happened, but the most we will come up with is a doctrinal stance that says it happened at such a date ... or that it happened at the resurrection of Christ. While there may be validity to either or both the truth is that it has taken place outside the realm of the temporal world. For consider how after his resurrection Christ simply stepped between realms so that he was here and then gone and then somewhere else! :) As soon as we think we have it figured out the whole reality just moves from one place to another and then gone again. haha!

Jim

Thanks, Jim. You wrote, "until one comes to life..., but, how does one come to life? How and when is one raise in Him. Again, no attempt to trick or trap, I just want to experience it. Tim

The wind blows where it wills ... but you already know this, for you have already come to him. Don't you know that you have already passed from death into life?

Jim, Then, are you saying the the wind, or Spirit, blows only on some, the ones who pass from death to life, but not on others? Do the others then remain in this death? Would this not be selective? Tim

Actually, my comment about the selective part had to do with all dying in Christ. Then again, "all in Christ" is rather inclusive. It doesn't sound like it when we're trying to rationalize the all dead with the all alive. As to selection, scripture has much to say about God's elect. :)

Jim