Joined

Colossians 3:5-9

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world....You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

It is God's desire that through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit we will put to death the evil and sinful desires of this world.  Just as Christ was crucified, we want to crucify the sinful nature and be raised again into NEW LIFE!

When a baby elephant is old enough to be weaned they still aren't big enough to do much damage. So the circus owner seperates the baby and mother and using a thick rope ties the baby to a post.  The baby will pull against the rope over and over and never break free.  After a few months, the swaying begins.  The baby will sway back and forth each time tugging on the rope, each time remaining a captive.  

After several months the swaying continues but the tugging stops.  The elephant is convinced they will never break free....so they stop trying.  Full grown elephants never forget that they are tied and can never escape.  They sway, but they do not pull.  This is why a small rope and picket can be used to keep the behemoths captive.  They never realize that the rope which held them so securely as a young elephant could easily be snapped or pulled free in their current state.  They are held captive only by the belief that they are captive.  In reality, they could leave anytime. 

Romans 8:1-19

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.  For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

Once you receive Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin.  You are no longer that baby elephant, you are reborn, recreated, given a new life, a new spirit!  Your old spirit was joined to Adam and his sin and death from the Garden of Eden.  Your new spirit is joined to Christ and HIS life and work, even his resurrection from the grave! You are no longer bound the rope of a curse and you no longer have to live as a slave to sin, you can snap that old rope any time you please.  How? In Christ. 

John 17:20-26 Jesus says:

"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.  Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.  I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Jesus prayed specifically for you and me!  Jesus says, "I will be in them"  Jesus joins his life to ours through salvation!  What great news!

Colossians 1:26-29

This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.  For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.  So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[a] in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me

Paul elaborates further.  Not only is Christ in us, but we are able to work mightily because Christ is joined with us. Imagine that!  Our lives are joined with the one who is the great healer, the one who fed 5000 people, the one who walked on water, the one who called Lazarus forth from the grave, the one who casts down demons, the one who defeated death and rose from the grave himself, and the one who sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.  

Does this mean we never make mistakes? Does this mean we can't sin or fall or screw up big time? No, we still have a choice, but it does mean that when temptation comes instead of fighting a battle, instead of dwelling on past sin, instead of living as a captive, we can turn to Christ, we can live IN CHRIST and we can hold on to him. And when we do screw up, we can lay down guilt and shame and the belief that we will never get this right, and claim God's word that I am still, always, IN CHRIST.  While we struggle and while we may live with the consequences of our sins, we can still rejoice and walk forward IN CHRIST rather than remain a slave tied to sin. 

Romans 8:31-39

"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This!  This is the Good News! Not only is it freedom from death - it is freedom to life and freedom from sin and it's rule over our lives.  This Good News is that we are joined with Christ and all things secure, unable to moved from our standing in Christ.  Praise God!  Hallelujah!