Last week the first three sayings of this article were introduced. The phrase “faithful saying” has to do with “Words that are sure”. They are things we can count on. This is the second part of this article.
- “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.” 2 Tim. 2:11.
This sounds contradictory until one understands what the apostle is saying. First we must die with Christ. Though Jesus experienced the horrors of a physical death by crucifixion, we experience a spiritual death through His physical death. This death is the old man of sin. Notice Rom. 6:3-6, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” In verse 6, our old man of sin and corruption was crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be done away. Notice what Paul wrote in Gal. 5:24, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Read the words of Jesus in Mark 8:34-35, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Jesus demands that we take up our OWN Cross and follow Him. Once we have died with Him, then we can live spiritually with Him. Paul wrote, Gal. 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The old man of sin spiritually dies in baptism which unites us with the death of Christ. We are, therefore, a new person, Rom. 6:4.
- Tit. 3:8 “This is a faithful saying and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”
Notice that Paul encourages Titus to affirm constantly. This phrase means “to assert strongly,” Vines. This saying is to be stressed often. Those who believe God should maintain good works. It is not enough to only believe in God. We must maintain good works. Notice James 2:20 “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” James teaches us that our works manifests our faith, verse 18. In the great museum of Faith (Hebrews 11) the writer powerfully demonstrates that faith did not happen apart from action. Notice these examples… “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” verse 4. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household” verse 7. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac” verse 17. “By faith they (Moses and Israel) passed through the Red Sea as by dry land.” verse 29. Notice that the faith of all these people was acted upon. They understood the necessity of faith and obedient works.