‘Like as Christ’

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

This time of year, there is a traditional holiday called ‘Halloween’ where those who celebrate this time of year by wearing costumes to ‘put on’ another identity, and ‘be’ someone else during that time. But we are given by our Father an ‘identity’ to “adorn,” and to ‘be.’ Adam was created to “be’ in His image, and after His likeness, and even though Adam adorned this identity for a short time, God did not intend for Man to “put off’ godliness. And in the “depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God,” our Father has provided our Lord as our identity. We oftentimes only see the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour who saved us from the body of sin against us. But after we become justified unto eternal life, we given to know beginning in Romans chapter 6 that the only way the Saint will “continue” his sanctified life the way God intended is to be “as Christ.” Notice the identity that we are given by our Father through the likeness of our Lord in the verses above.

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 

Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 

Rom 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 

Furthermore, as we can see in Romans chapter 6, not only are we baptized “into Jesus Christ,” we also are baptized “into his death.” This is who we actually are “in Christ,” and then Paul says in verse 4, “therefore.” In other words; because you are “in Him,” now “walk IN Him.” And notice Paul says, “like as Christ,” and “even so we ALSO,” and in verse 5 he says that we have been “planted together,” but the key here is understanding that we are “also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Jesus Christ rose again and lived, we too are to “live” AS CHRIST, and this is by the Living Word of God. And as John chapter 1 says, the Word became flesh, we are taught to “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,” we can “put on” what God intended for Man to “be” in the garden. This identity of godliness is given throughout His Word, and in Romans 15 we see the ‘likeness’ of our Lord given unto them who “are strong” in the faith. Notice Paul says, “for even Christ,” Paul gives the doctrine of a selfless Bible teacher unto the ones who are “weak in the faith.” And he ‘compares’ Christ’s selflessness for us, and the strong in the faith ought to “bear the infirmities of the weak” because ‘like as Christ would, so do you.’

Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 

Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Rom 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 

And so, the strong in the faith is taught he too ought to “bear” the doctrinal “infirmities” of the weak, because this is an identity of the Lord as ‘a Minister,’ this is why Paul mentions that “that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers” in verse 8. And he later says that he is a “minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15 teaches the identity of a Bible teacher who is strong in the faith, to minister unto the weak in the faith based upon selfless love. And this is the “mind of Christ,” notice Paul says in verse 5, God ‘grants us’ to BE “likeminded one toward another,” but notice the likeness at the end of the verse; “according to Christ Jesus.”

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Therefore, our thoughts ought to be “according to Christ Jesus,” and notice the selfless ensample given in Romans 15:7, Paul says, “receive ye one another, as Christ ALSO  received us.” We see Paul teaching the selfless identity we ought to “adorn,” and that identity is Christ’s thinking, Christ’s selfless love, and we must remember also that the Word became Flesh, this is putting on Christ. And notice in the verses above, Paul says again, “walk in love, as Christ ALSO,” and then he teaches about forgiveness, he says, “so also do ye.” And we too ought to ‘dress up,’ but not according to Halloween, but adorn the Light of the knowledge of His Word, and adorn the Whole Armour of God which is after the Likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are exhorted to “put on the new man,” but he doesn’t look like any earthen creature that Man wears, and takes off. The “New Man” is in Christ’s Likeness, and is designed to be put on, and not “cast off,” and as long as we who are in Christ ‘look like’ this world, they have love for us, but when ‘put on Christ,’ we look differently, we are looked upon as foolish. We will be frowned upon because this world now sees Christ when we walk “in” Him, and just as He was persecuted, we too will be persecuted when we adorn His Likeness in godliness.

Col.3:10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Titus2:10] Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

 By Rod Jones