In other words, the Christian life is a dying to self and sin and living to Christ but the outcome is a glorious resurrection—not because we have been good but because God is gracious and graciously at work in us. Resurrection leads to glorification, which is the consummation of the good work that God began in us when he gave us new life and true faith (Phil 1:6). Christ’s death puts to death the reigning power of sin. Believers have been delivered from its perpetual control.

When the Scriptures seek to illustrate the nature of the Christian life, the nature of sanctification, it uses two images: death and life. Note the order, death then life. In the covenant of works, made with Adam as the federal representative of all humanity, had in view eternal life and blessedness with God. There was, however, a threatened curse: “the day you eat thereof you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17). Mysteriously, inexplicably, Adam chose death rather than life. He chose to enter into a covenant of death with the Evil One. The only remedy for our plight was death. After the fall God came to him and promised a curse upon the serpent and a Savior to fallen humanity:

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen 3:14–15; ESV).

The Evil One was doomed. The eternal life promised originally in the Tree of Life, offered in the covenant of works (sometimes called the covenant of life) shall come A head crusher was to come but the salvation to be brought by the Seed of the Woman was to be costly. The serpent will strike his heel even as he triumphs over the serpent. The Savior will conquer but it will cost his own life. After the fall, life comes through death. So it is with the Christian life. We live in Christ but our life begins with our identification with Christ’s death.

In the Heidelberg Catechism we confess:

43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?

That thereby our old man is crucified, slain and buried with Him, that so the evil lusts of the flesh may no more reign in us, but that we may offer ourselves unto Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

The catechism is in three parts: Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude. We’re in the midst of the second part of the catechism, which is unfolding God’s grace to sinners. We’re looking at the accomplishment of redemption but even before we get to its application, as we consider Christ’s death for us and his accomplishment of salvation, we must give some thought to one of the great outcomes of his death: the sanctification of the believer. Not only should believers have confidence that God will freely accept believers for Christ’s sake alone (justification) and has saved us, is saving us, and shall save us by his favor alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide), but by virtue of our union with Christ we shall also be conformed to the image of Christ (sanctified).

This is just how Paul talks about our new life in Christ.

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