The following post is a series written in response to a video interview from the Catalyst Conference of Dallas Willard. You can watch that video here.
“It’s how to get into heaven before you die. That’s why the New Testament routinely treats you as if you have already died.”
Today’s post is really a continuation of the thought that we looked at yesterday. The above quote is Dallas’ answer to the question, “If the Gospel [i.e. the central message] is not primarily about getting into heaven before you die, then what is it?”
But what does he mean by the notion that the New Testament writers “treat you as if you have already died?”
Here are just a few examples of what Dallas is talking about.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:1-11
In each of these examples, Paul consistently communicates one of the central ideas of becoming a follower of Christ. Dallas describes it this way a bit later in the interview.
“You have moved from having a life on your own to a life that God himself is living in his kingdom.”
In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul puts the persecution he is currently experiencing into this same perspective in this way.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
II Corinthians 4:8-10
Paul finishes up that section of his letter by saying this.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
II Corinthians 4:16-18
The message is really simple. If you have put your faith in Christ, you’ve already died…
Or conversely, we might say, you have finally begun to really live.
