How Do We Partake in the Death of Christ?

Recently someone asked me an impressive theological question. He asked me how people actually partake in the death of Christ. At the heart of the question is the wondering if we need to simply accept some nuanced teaching as allow it to renew our minds and inspire us or if there are actual things we can do in our daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, life that helps us to partake in the death of Jesus Christ. In other words, does this notion actually play out in our lives? To me that's basically asking if the teaching even matters, which is a great question.

Off the bat I need to say that any theology which is merely intellectual and doesn't play itself out in our daily lives is a useless theology. If our theology does not have noticeable fruit in our person, neighbors, and neighborhoods then it is a theology we are wise to dismiss and replace with something that makes a difference in the world. Impractical theology is no servant of God but rather of Satan for it keeps men and women busy in arguments and isolation from the needs of sinful humanity and hurting creation. For this reason I feel compelled to answer this question and explain how we practically partake in the death of Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:1-10,

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have 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.

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. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now 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. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

1. Baptism and Eucharist. As St. Paul teaches in this passage, we partake in the death of Christ most clearly in being baptised. In baptism we are put under the water as though being put in the grave and then we are raised back up. Baptism is full of symbolism but it is a great reality that in baptism we are truly buried and raised with Christ. It is a distinct marker in the Christian life (it marks the beginning). Baptism unites us with Christ in his death. To be baptised is to truly die with Christ. Along with baptism is the sacrament of the Eucharist in which we consume the bread and wine which are the body and blood of Christ. In this ceremony we remember Christ and unite ourselves with him and one another, entering into his sacrificial death and redemption. This is a continual marker of being united with Christ in his death. It is important that we gather together and share the Eucharist and practice baptism.

2. Dying to self and sin while living righteous and pure lives in freedom. Paul informs us in verses 2 and 3 that dying to sin and being buried with Christ go hand in hand. To be buried with Christ is also to die to sin. Dying to sin means abandoning sin and living in faithfulness to God, using the freedom of salvation for his glory and not for self. Dying to self means we live not for ourselves as rebellious people but for God in selflessness (vv. 6-7). As Christ gave up himself in his death so we die with him when we give up ourselves for others. When we allow the selfish part of ourselves, the sin within us, to be crucified then we share in the death and life of Christ, becoming new people. Humble service which exists in sacrificial love leads us to partaking in the death of Christ. Whenever we choose others over self we die with Christ.

3. Actual temporal death which is defeated by a resurrection that leads to eternal life with God. We partake in the death of Christ through the actual physical earthly death we shall face. Like Christ, we shall partake of death's sting only to be raised again. Christ was the first to be raised for eternity and many shall follow. In our earthly deaths we share in the Christ's death for it is also temporary and shall be victorious over death itself.

As a side note, we also share in the sufferings of Christ (Romans 8:17, 2 Corinthians 5:1, ). This means that we will be hated and persecuted as Christ Jesus was while he walked on earth. This is not at all hidden from the reader of scripture or early church writings. As we partake in the death of Christ and move closer to partaking of it more we shall walk through these sufferings and we should count it as a blessing for it unites us with Christ.