Buried Alive

Romans 6:3 (NIV) "...don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."

When people die, they materially perish. Jews allowed the flesh to decay then preserved the bones in an ossuary. There they are kept for millennia, hopefully near Jerusalem where they are bound to be raised from the dead.

Spiritually speaking, those who die to sin, are buried alive with Jesus Christ. Whereas, Jesus arose and is alive, those who have died to the world await the resurrection! Therefore, we are buried alive because our flesh is separated from our bones and await glorification. No, not our real flesh nor our real bones, but our enjoyment of pleasure separated from our basic needs!

Because those who are baptized unto Jesus have made the living sacrifice, they are prepared for a new life as they are born again.

Romans 12:1 (KJV) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

The problem with Christians being not being buried with Jesus is that their flesh still lives. To join Jesus in eternal life requires the shedding of that old skin, leaving bare bones alone in their ossuary.

Think of the new person who sacrifices their flesh. It's the things of the world which they give up. It's pleasure, power, prestige and wealth which is left behind and what remains is protected until Jesus comes while we wait in our spiritual ossuary. Think of that ossuary as a hedge God puts around the new person whose old flesh is gone to protect it from the wiles of Satan. Once the General Resurrection comes, the mere skeleton of those who were buried with Christ is raised from entombment, given a new skin and is glorified. Dying to sin is the first step in being buried with Christ.

Jesus died for each of us, himself becoming a living sacrifice for us. After he tasted death for us he was placed for a time in a tomb until the resurrection.

Think on our own death... giving up the flesh, a reasonable sacrifice because Jesus did that! We are stripped to the bare bones and placed in a tomb, the ossuary, where we too remain for a spell. It's until Jesus comes to take us to our new home - a mansion with a room especially for our new flesh - a new room for a new person! We are taken from our burial place (buried alive) to be raised glorified!

The problem with Christians is that we merely believe. That's crucial, but hidden in that word is "trust". If we trust God we shall do his will, not because we have to, but to demonstrate our love for him.

Love is essential while we are protected in our burial place; alive in our ossuary. Love is what keeps the new creation without the flesh fresh until the time is ripe. Love is a the essential oil God uses on us to keep us smelling good. Love is God's myrrh which sweetens our soul to smell like him. Frankincense, given to Jesus at his birth as well, is his ointment to keep us until his return. Because we are buried with Jesus he uses himself to preserve us until the hope of salvation comes!

Obedience is how we demonstrate to God that we love him. Obedience keeps our ossuary concealed from the world waiting for the time when Jesus comes. Obedience is the lock that keeps sin from decaying those who wait on Jesus' return.

Christians decay because they are not buried with Christ. Rather than waiting in their ossuary protected by the divine essence of God, they continue to walk around in the flesh.

That flesh grows more disgusting as time goes on! Babes in Christ walk around in the flesh for a spell, but if they aren't buried with Christ, the virus of sin makes them zombies in effect. They act as if they're alive, but they are dead and not buried. They refuse to be buried with Christ and would rather walk with Satan. This spiritual dying can only last awhile before they must bury that rotting flesh with Christ and let him be their protection.

Baptism is the time when those born again are buried with Christ! The sooner the burial the better before the evil one holds onto the person to keep them from their ossuary where they are safe until Jesus comes!

Those who are buried with Christ quit living for the flesh of their own volition. Jesus doesn't force one's burial even though that's the law. We are buried of our own free will so as to please God who died for us. That's a show of gratitude to the one who loves us so much that he died so that we may live!

Let me be plain - to be buried with Christ is to quit sinning. Obedience to the Word  keeps us safe and demonstrates that we have indeed sacrificed ourselves to be buried alive with Christ!