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Likeness of His Death

"Indeed, if united we have become in the likeness of the death of Him, on the other hand also of the Resurrection we will be."1

This word for united is derived (from sun, "with" and phuó, "I grow") properly grown together, united with. Growing together implies a continued process of abiding. We have become united in the likeness of His death, we participate with Him in his sufferings, we grow with Him in the likeness of His death. This word for likeness is homoióma, "resemblance," a resemblance of His death. Jesus came in "the likeness of man..."2 Jesus emptied himself (made void, valueless) in the likeness of man having been made and in appearance having been found (he learned) as a man, he humbled himself, having become (signifies a change of condition, state or place) obedient unto death, death on the cross.3 He valued us so that we might be made of value.

"Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" He was despised and forsaken of men a man of sorrows acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised and not esteemed by us.2 Have you ever turned your eyes from someone? possibly they were so disfigured, from an accident or otherwise but without even thinking, reflexive you turned your gaze from them. Christ was disfigured so that people turned their eyes from Him.

Contrary to his portrayal in movies there was no beauty to be desired, he was not kingly nor majestic in appearance. He was like a shoot out of a root in a dry ground. The sickness and pain of the whole world he carried, yet He was considered touched.3 This word for considered also is translated as stricken. They thought Him touched or followed by harm, the "touch" of death, imperfect, they thought it was his fate and lot to be beaten. Like Job's friends who thought so of him, afflicted because of unrighteousness. They considered him stricken (touched) and struck (smitten, beaten) by God and afflicted (defiled).4

But he was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions, He was crushed (bruised, beat to pieces, broken) for our iniquities, the chastisement (reproof, instruction, discipline) of our peace (completeness, wholeness) was on him, by his scourging (stripes) we are healed. God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.5 He was oppressed and afflicted but He did not open his mouth. By oppression and from justice he was taken, the shoot was cut off out of the living, "For the transgression of my people was he stricken."

He was reviled but did not retaliate, he suffered at the hand of man but he did not threaten, he gave himself over to him who judges justly. "The sins of us himself bore in the body of him on the tree that to sins having died, to righteousness we might live by those wounds healed."6 Yes, we are United with Him in the likeness of His death. Our thoughts are to be on things of God.7 We must die to live, the old man must be crucified with Him, entombed with Him in His death. It is by the wounds of Christ we are healed. We have communion with Christ, in His death.  

"If anyone desires after me to come let him deny himself and take up the cross of him and follow me., whoever indeed, desires the life of him to save, will lose it, however, whoever might lose the life of him on account of me will find it. What indeed will it profit a man if the whole world he gains and the soul of him loses or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"8 

The world esteemed him not, but to those called according to his purpose, these have esteemed all these things loss because of Him. "Indeed, also I count all things loss to be because of the surpassing knowledge of Christ."9 This word for surpassing is hyperéxō (from hypér, "beyond, above" and exō, "have"), it is to have or hold over, to stand out, rise above. It is because of this surpassing, "rising above" knowledge of Christ that Paul considers all things rubbish, dung. Is that not divine persuasion? to find his will good, pleasing, and perfect, his burden light and easy, to find him humble and gentle at heart.

What is this surpassing knowledge that causes Paul to rise above the desires of the flesh and this world? This surpassing knowledge is founded as Paul writes, in the righteousness of Christ, on the basis of faith.10 And it is a process of conformation, "to know Him and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to the death of him."11 It is linked intrinsically; in death is communion and in Resurrection power. "Indeed, as often as you might eat this bread and drink this cup, the death of the Lord you proclaim, until that he comes."11 We participate in His suffering.

"Those whom he foreknew also he predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son of Him, for to be him firstborn among many brothers."12

This word for conformed is symmorphóō, (from sýn, "with" and morphóō; "changing form in keeping with inner reality") it means the same as "being conformed to the death of him." It is similar to metamorphóō (from metá, "change after being with" and morphóō, "changing form in keeping with inner reality") It is finished and it is a process. It is different than "be not conformed to the age..."12 This conform is sysxēmatízō (sýn, "identified with" and sxēmatizō, "having outward shape") Do not identify externally, but be changed inwardly after being with Jesus and be outwardly changed as one abides in Christ. One speaks of our salvation, of our spirit being born again, and the other of working out our salvation.

There is a death and resurrection and a continued process of being conformed to the death of him. It is as Jesus said,"if anyone desires to come follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross every day and follow me."14 This word for deny is arneomai, properly, deny (refuse); hence, contradict, refuse to affirm or to confess (identify with). I am to refuse to identify with the old man, "in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught to put off your former way of life, the old man, which is being corrupted by its desires of deceit; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."14

"Because all of you have become dross..."15  Devouring widows homes, taking many precious things, destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain, prophets who see false visions and tell divining lies, saying, Thus says the Lord, when He has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.16 Polluted offerings God despises. "Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith."17

Jesus came to sit as a refiner and purifier, refining his people, then he will have men who bring offerings in righteousness.17 "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as a smith refines silver and they will be tried as gold, then they shall call on my name and I will hear them and will say, my people and they shall say, the Lord is my God."15 "Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."16 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire."17 I will try you so that the proving of your faith is genuine. 

A doctrine, a teaching of putting off the old man, a renewing in the Spirit of the mind. What good is it to put on the armor of God when one is clothed in the old man? To be clothed in the old is to "be infants, tossed to and fro, carried about by the wind...."15 But you were taught to put off... the old man... to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. This word for renew is ananeoó, (from aná, "up, completing a process," which intensifies néos, "recent, new") recently born, youthful fresh. It is in contrast to kainós, "new in quality" recently made. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away, behold has emerged the new."16 There is the new in quality, of being born again, and the renewal, of completing the process. 

"Thanks moreover to God that you used to be slaves of sin moreover you have obeyed from the heart, that which you were handed, type of doctrine."18 This word for type, tupos, (týptō, "strike repeatedly") – properly, a model forged by repetition; (figuratively) the correct paradigm, based on reliable precedent for others to then follow. This paradigm is forged by repetition. Repetition is essential in the renewal of the mind, and by such we are being transformed so that we find his will good, acceptable, and pleasing, and are obedient from the heart.

I am being transformed to the image of the Son of God. I died in Him, and I am being conformed by the likeness of his death, I participate in His suffering, by such I am raised in knowledge of Him, I was raised with Him and I am being raised in knowledge of Him and one day I will be raised like Him. "Indeed, if united we have become in the likeness of His death, certainly also of the resurrection we will be."17






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