Christian: Do You Know Who You Are?

Note: The following material is taken from Soul Physicians.

Old Marley Is Dead

Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol begins with a voice-over from the narrator, spoken amidst howling winds.

Marley was dead. To begin with, there is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clerk, the clergyman, the undertaker, the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. Old Marley was dead as a doornail. Scrooge knew he was dead. Of course he did. How could it be otherwise? Scrooge and he were partners for I don’t know how many years. Though Scrooge never painted out old Marley’s name. There it stood years afterward above the warehouse door. “Scrooge and Marley.” Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge, “Scrooge,” and sometimes, “Marley.” But he answered to both names. It was all the same to him.

How like Christians. Our Old Marley, our old man, is dead. To begin with, there is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our Old Marley is dead as a doornail. We know that he is dead. Of course we do. How could it be otherwise?

Yet we sometimes forget when the howling winds of life blow in a fallen world lived in fallen flesh. After all, we were partners for oh so many years. And sometimes we fail to paint out Old Marley’s name. There it stands years afterward in the warehouse of our flesh. “New Man and Old Marley.” We answer to both names. It’s all the same to us.

However, we don’t have to answer to both names any longer. Christ crucified our old partnership. And it certainly is not all the same to Christ. Having cleansed us, having paid the price to discard our old burial clothes and to attire us in our new wedding gown, He insists that we live accordingly. “Put off your old clothes and the deeds associated with them. Instead, clothe yourself with Christ’s clothing and do not even think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh!”

Put Off the Old Grave Clothes! Put On Your New Resurrection Garments!

Our Savior knows how to make people good and how to empower good people to live the good life out of a good heart. He knows how to move us from infancy to maturity so we experience victory over our enemies.

The Holy Spirit He sent to live within us until he returns for us, knows how to make resurrection power and progressive sanctification practical in our lives as we respond to suffering and sin. As we commune with the Trinity, connecting ourselves to Divine resurrection power, we’re empowered to live out our new life in Christ through:

• Co-Crucifixion with Christ: Mortification—Putting Off

• Co-Resurrection with Christ: Vivification—Putting On

“Putting off” and “putting on” are used so frequently that they represent an accepted form of Christian instruction widely used in the early Church. In my studies, I’ve located 94 New Testament passages related to the putting off/mortification and putting on/vivification process.

The Apostle Paul says, “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way” (Ephesians 4:20). What way? They did not come to know Christ in such a way that they should continue to live like the old unregenerate person they used to be (Ephesians 4:17-19). Paul continues. “Surely you have heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). What have they surely been taught? They were taught, with regard to their former way of life, to put off everything associated with their old way of life, to be made new in the core of their minds, and to put on everything associated with their new self in Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Throughout the history of sanctification, teachers, pastors, theologians, and lay people alike have used the terms “mortification” and “vivification” to describe the practical outworking of our new life in Christ. We are co-crucified with Christ and therefore dead to sin. This is our theological reality. Mortification is the practical application of our co-crucifixion in which we put off our old grave clothes.

We quit living like the old dead person that we once were. We make actual in our practice what is already actual in our regeneration. United with Christ in his crucifixion, we died to sin. Our old man has been crucified. Mortification is putting off the vestiges of sin (flesh patterns) so that sin no longer exercises dominion over us because we are no longer sin’s slaves.

We are also co-resurrected with Christ and therefore alive to righteousness. This is our second theological reality. Vivification is the practical application of our co-resurrection in which we put on our new wedding attire.

We start living like the new alive person that we now are in Christ. We make actual in practice what is already actual in our regeneration. United with Christ in his resurrection, we came alive to righteousness. Our new man has been birthed. Vivification is putting on, clothing ourselves with, and living out all the aspects of our new nurture and new nature.

Speaking of Romans 6, Ephesians 4, and Colossians 3, David Needham explains the relationship between our co-crucifixion and co-resurrection with Christ and our need to put off and put on.

It was as though Paul saw a believer standing before two wardrobes; one contained the clothing (lifestyle) of an unregenerate person. “Take them off,” Paul urged. “They don’t fit, they’re out of style, totally unbecoming of who you are, and, if that were not enough, they don’t belong to you.” The other contained the clothing (lifestyle) of a regenerate person. “They’re yours!” Paul exclaimed. “Wear them. Don’t worry, they’ll fit!” (Needham, Birthright, p. 299).

Needham is simply paraphrasing God. “In the same way, count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Putting off the old you builds upon the reality that the old you is already deceased. Putting on the new you builds upon the reality that the new you is already alive to God through your union with Christ.

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Christian, do you know who you are?