NOVEMBER "prayer-starters" DAY 27

A song was sung long ago among believers who had a deep revelation of our identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. The words went something like this: “Are you in your coffin? Is the lid nailed down tight?” It seemed a little humorous, but it reminded us that we need to stick with the confession that when Christ died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. And—as that dear friend reminded me years ago—we were also raised with Him to walk in newness of Life. See the following words as they come from the King James Version. Then, we’ll take a look again at J. B. Phillips.

Colossians 2:13-14—And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him (He, that is God, has made us alive together with Christ), having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross…

This is what we call “positional truth.” It is laid out for the purpose of becoming the reality of our lives. See now the somewhat simpler reading from Phillips: You, who were spiritually dead because of your sins and your uncircumcision (i.e. the fact that you were outside the Law), God has now made to share in the very life of Christ! He has forgiven you all your sins: Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over His Own head on the cross.

Hallelujah! Let our hearts reach for it and believe.

DEAR FATHER, I am ready to believe this Word that has come from Paul. I believe it is inspired Scripture and that it came through a man who walked in the reality of it. Now, won’t You please help me, and these I hold before You, to start walking in the reality of it also.

An Exhortation to a Young Preacher—II Timothy 1:6-10